An Apple A Day...

"Seasons of mists and mellow fruitlessness! Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless with fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run; To bend with apples the moss'd cottage trees, and fill all fruit with ripeness to the core."

~John Keats

Is there anything better, on a cold autumn night, like some freshly made apple cider? Add a little spice, and it's just the thing to soothe a weary soul. And it's pretty healthy too, which is just what I need after a month of fast food on road trips, and several bags of Trick or Treat candy! Ugg, I am eating the very last piece of the fun sized Milky Way bars we bought! Sometimes, it feels really good to know that vacation is over, and it's time for reality, and schedules, and normal hours for sleep and eating! All good things for any age, but especially for me right now. 

Late autumn, while beautiful and definitely my favorite season, when it turns from warm with a slight chill, to cold with little sun, my Fibromyalgia begins to scream at me. That's why it's good to get back to a more normal schedule, because getting out with the camera will probably be cut back, now to the weekends only. But with a little planning, I can make it work! And who knows, if a special opportunity presents itself, I might be able to fit in a photo jaunt on a weekday or two!

 #13 Leaf Of The Day

October 28th, 2017

Truckee, California

 

Mood: Happy

 ~Me :)

A Change Of Direction

"Whether you take the doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit."

~Haruki Murakami

A Wild Sheep Chase

Okay, so one night of NO sleep leads to a temporary postponement of our trip to Plumas. The leaf peeping is now rescheduled for this coming Sunday, October 24th! But all was not lost yesterday because we drove to Apple Hill instead. And our first stop, of course, was Rainbow Orchards for some fresh, hot, Apple Cider Doughnuts! It's just not really fall without them! Next we took a leasurly drive up the hill into South Lake Tahoe! It was cold, and dark... the perfect autumn day for enjoying the moodiness of autumn! The air was so cold and so clean, but the lake nearly broke my heart! 

There was no snow on the hills, and you could tell the lake had dropped. It wasn't it's usual pristine loveliness, instead it seemed like it was feeling the age of the year, just like I have been. The stress of the long, hot dry summer was showing. This drought is devastating! I hope the experts are right about the prediction of the coming El Nino. We need some rain to brighten our spirit and bring the color back to our trees, and our cheeks. Life has to take an upturn soon... right? I didn't see a single colorful tree along HWY 50! It nearly made me cry.

Let's just hope the coming El Nino won't do too much damage, as it rights the wrongs caused by the drought! God, when it rains... it pours!

 Leaf Of The Day

October 21st 2015

Mood: Okay

~Me :)

Natural As Apples...

"Stories should be natural as apples, brief as lust, long as thought."

~Leonard Michaels

Apple Hill 

2014

Earlier this week, Alan and I made our annual trek to Apple Hill. Nestled just above Sacramento, and slightly north/west of Placerville, Apple Hill consists of 50 independent ranches featuring as many different kind of apples as you can name, and the amazing desserts that can be made from them. Pies, tarts, turnovers, and my personal favorite... Apple Cider donuts!

Especially the ones made at Rainbow Farms!

They are the best donuts on earth.

Period.

The good folks at Rainbow Farms make them when ordered, so each new order is always fresh from the deep fryer, and cooked to perfection! Slightly crispy on the outside, sweet apple and spice on the inside, it's autumn goodness melting in your mouth! We look forward to these donuts every year, and now it just wouldn't be autumn without them! If there is a heaven, these donuts will be there!

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

If donuts don't happen to be your thing, you can always pay a visit to Denver Dan's Ranch, and partake of the amazing pies,

 tarts and turnovers.

YUM!

And if dessert really just isn't for you, well then, there are all kinds of wineries and spas where you can relax your cares away

 on a cool autumn day!

Apple Hill is open until just before Christmas, so check each farm for their hours and days of operation. You can also cut your own Christmas trees on many of the ranches as well! Just click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official website!

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Happy

 

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: Fun Foods!

"Embrace your inner lunatic. Fun times guaranteed."

~Derek Landy

RRC: Fun Foods!

Yum... Fun Foods! I love to cook, but this time around I didn't do a homemade culinary yummy for the challenge, but I did decide to show off an archived photo of a favorite cookie I like to make, from scratch, each spring, it's a Lemon/Almond Tea Cookie. But that's down at the bottom of the post. First off I want to introduce to you the best donut in the whole world! You can only get them one place. Apple Hill. And you can only get it during one season of the year... Autumn! Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, leaf-kicking fun... Autumn! It wouldn't be Autumn without those donuts, it's something Alan and I look forward to every year!

Let's Start With The Beautiful Apples From Apple Hill...
 
 
Apple Cider Donuts
Rainbow Orchards
Apple Hill, Camino, California

 
Homemade Lemon/Almond Tea Cookies

 
Pink Peppercorns
One Of My Very Favorite Spices To Use In Cooking! YUM!


There Is Nothing More Fun Than A Nice Cheese Platter!

Fun Foods! Yum! Thank you Karen, for the fun, and delicious topic! :)

Now that you have seen my post, please go pay a visit to the other Robins that are participating, and see what Fun Foods everyone else are enjoying! Just click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog! Better yet, why do you join us?! I know Karen would love to have some new participants!

Mood: Happy :)

~Me

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 25~ National Doughnut Day

"Doughnuts... Is there anything that they can't do?"


~Homer Simpson

This past Friday was National Doughnut Day. I don't know why, but that fact made me smile from ear to ear! Well, actually I do know why it made me smile so big... I have a sweet tooth that goes straight to my soul! And, of course, I am a Type 2 diabetic, so I don't usually indulge in the sweet, sugary, goodness... well... not very often anyway, so the idea of a whole national doughnut awareness day just made me downright giddy. I did partake of a doughnut last Friday, because it seemed that if there was an official day to celebrate it and all, well what kind of a grouch would I have to be, not to have celebrate the doughnuts historical importance?Besides, my local Krispy Kreme was giving away one free doughnut of your choice, and that was just too much fun to pass up!


All the doughnuts at Krispy Kreme are the bees knees, or so I have been told, but I always end up getting a plain glazed. It's fantastic. Again, going out for a doughnut is a rare event for me, well, except in October, when Alan and I make the long drive up above Sacramento, to the Camino/Placerville area to visit Apple Hill. Imagine an entire area that devotes farm, after farm, to the harvesting of apples of all types. Each farm takes the apples, and makes amazing goodies from them. Fresh apple cider, apple pies, apple tarts, candied apples, apple cobbler, apple pan-dowdy, apple turnovers and yes... apple cider doughnuts.


There is no bad food to be found in Apple Hill, but the apple cider doughnuts at Rainbow Orchards is the very best of Apple Hill and autumn itself! They don't make the doughnuts until they are ordered, which means you get the fresh and warm within a few minutes. They are spicy sweet and melt in your mouth. Honestly, as someone with a sweet tooth I have had my share of doughnuts in my life, but the apple cider doughnuts at Rainbow Orchards are delicious on a surreal level. That is the doughnut you see above. Ahhh... like I said... delicious. It even photographs well.:)

If National Doughnut Day got away from you this year, why not take today and make it National Doughnut Day... OBSERVED! Go ahead, you know you want to! Now be sure and mark your calenders for next year. It is a NATIONAL HOLIDAY! It's illegal not to celebrate it... right?

WINK.

Doughnuts: A Definitive History

 National Doughnut Day


Rainbow Orchards Apple Hill


Apple Hill


~Me :)


Please Note: Beginning with this post, I will be closing the previous days post to new comments. I am afraid I will inadvertently miss a link to a posting left in the comments. So, if you come by to leave a link and it is already closed, just leave it in the comment thread for the newest post and I will be sure it is added the following day.


:)


Don't forget, anyone who would like to join me in this personal challenge is more than welcome! Just leave the direct link back to your post in the comment thread.


Now go see what JR and Kat have posted...


JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/06/apadf6-23.html

Kat
http://inmydreamssfk.blogspot.com/2012/06/photo-art-friday-61.html