text: Finally, it's the last week of September grandma and I look forward to apple picking every year on September 22nd I look forward to apple picking just to spend time with Grandma.my grandma is already 70 years old but you wouldn't know that just by looking at her she looks and acts at least 60 year's old. So every year grandma rides her blue 1930 Packard just to pick me up at the same time 10 a.m. I jump right into the front seat and hug my grandma because I'm so happy just to see her so energetic and happy every year my grandma and I put on her old tunes Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and we be singing and laughing and we are talking just where we left off last year without missing a beat. My grandma always stops at this corner store just before we make it to the apple orchard and she always gets the same taffy candy that we have been getting for years. since I was a kid of 8 years old. Even if I see this Taffy at any time of the year I wouldn't buy it because that's just special between me and my grandma and when we finally arrive at the apple orchard it's fun to see Grandma at work. Grandma instantly becomes an Apple professional her first words when she finished parking is the "Harvest is in" that's my grandma's professional skills kicking in grandma always brings her baskets from home, not because of rental fees but because hers is bigger and could hold almost double the number of apples the bags and basket the farmers would give us... Almost always my grandma and I would take a hayride. But one year we couldn't because grandma had really bad allergies and it was best to stay away from the hay that's what grandma said so we did. Hayrides are a rather beautiful sight all the tall trees and apples hanging low. We always start grabbing them apples even before we start apple picking this is most fun because grandma always looks at that apples and throw them away saying blemished, blemished it took me a while to understand what grandma was doing because I didn't want to disturb Grandma while she was working. when I have finally asked Grandma and she realized that I didn't know much about picking the right Apple. Grandma said you have to have the right apples for the perfect cider and the perfect apple pie, and if you want good apple sauce follow me I'll show you how to pick the best apples. First Grandma walked up to the apple tree and grabs the first apples she discovers. Then she slowly pulls the apple close to her nose as if to sniff in the scent of the apple. And then she makes a sound"mmm" seems to me this is the sound of satisfaction then Grandma slowly turns the stem on the top of the Apple when the stem breaks her she says very well, then she starts turning the Apple looking for blemishes and if the apples have little blemishes she adds them to her basket. well, it seems to have little blemishes on mostly all of the grandma apples That's. Because she said those are the sweetest ones. The ones with the little flaws are the best for sauce and cider. When I and my grandma go picking we cover a lot of ground it seems like we were picking and throwing and smelling for hours. And talking and laughing and making jokes with Grandma Grandma and I always have the best times after we finished picking apples we would take the apples back to the car and go right back to the Apple patch just because there is a bakery stand there and we could grab some apple cider and two donuts. we would grab a seat near the bakery no one ever complains about us even though there are no regular chairs for people to sit down we usually find something to sit on and enjoy our snack. And we always take our time just talking and snacking. Just like we lived there or like we were there every day I believe this is Grandma's way of getting her rest but I don't say anything mainly because I'm tired too so as long as grandma wants to sit we sit. And after we snack and recuperate we start heading towards the petting zoo this is one of my most favorite thing to do after apple picking. Grandma and I have been coming here so long we make jokes about some of the animals how they are Aging and we get sad when we see that some of the animals are replaced. But we always enjoy ourselves. The rabbits in the mini horses are my favorite rabbits are so cute but grandma says don't be fooled by their cuteness I really don't know what that means and still never figured it out. Because I never heard of rabbits harming anybody but I do use that lesson grandma told me in my everyday life. About being fooled by the cuteness towards humans and other animals that may hurt you because you let your guard down because they're just so cute. Anyway grandma and I always hold our noses when we walk towards the cattle and then we look at each other and laugh for some reason it's a very hard laugh once it dies down we look at each other again and start all over again. Grandma and I have a great connection. Grandma always has rubber gloves in her purse so that we can safely pet the animals or feed the critters. That's what grandma always called the animals after a full day at the Apple orchard Grandma and I start heading home Grandma turns her tunes back on we listen to Frankie Vallie" big girls don't cry" going back home and I would do most of the singing because I can tell now that Grandma is tired and she just wants to keep it excited for me. But to tell you the truth I would like to just take a little nap but once grandma put that music on the singing kicks in. just like the smell of those apples the smell always seems to kick in halfway home. I began to smell fruity green apples. But grandma says they smell like waxy fruit raspberry and I guess we all have our opinion and Grandma's opinion to me is different I don't agree because how do you smell wax with fresh fruits right off the tree weird. Grandma plans to stick to her opinion so I just never bring it up. And before we return home I began to beg grandma to stay and she always says no. but I always beg and beg just because I know she's tired and she would never admit to it so I make it seems that I need her there with me until my Grandma breaks down and says okay. And I always take her to her room this room is always ready just for my grandma. She has her bathroom so that she could have privacy and get her rest. And like every year I wake up to have pancakes and maple bacon. I don't need any syrup because Grandma makes the Apple spread with little bits of apples that are so sweet and delicious and it leaves me no room for syrup best time of the year ever I love my tradition with my grandma and I plan to do it with my grandma until we can't do it anymore and I also plan to do it with my grandkids.