I went apple picking with my dog and my friend Megan today. We stopped at one farm first and she wasn’t pleased, said sorry the trees aren’t tall enough. Sadly, I agreed. So, we decide to drive 30 minutes away from where I live to where she lives in Sturbridge. Just north from there we found a nice place called Hyland Orchard and Brewery. She’s been there before and was raving about the delicious Macintosh apples but I wanted to go for the disc golf and beer. Guess which one of us got our wish.
So, we show up to the place jk we show up to 5 miles from the place where they tell us to park on this windy road. Greeeat. Making the best of it we get out, grab the dog and doggy backpack and begin the walk over. Moments later a car goes by and my dog tries to chase it because she’s a dog. So, we develop a system where Megan notifies me when a car is coming and we pull over to the side. I’m just going to skip ahead now cause I’m probably losing you….
Boom at the Orchard. Jk again, in some random people’s backyard because we went the wrong way. Ok now were at the Orchard. First thought…it’s poppin.
Megan mentions beer in the barn and we immediately take the quickest route to it. I tried their American IPA. 7 out of 10. Just what I needed but a little too bitter. Almost forgot, we run into the cutest 12-week-old German shepherd pup. Sorry for lack of photos I’m still a noob here. So, beer check, pet quite possibly cuter dog than my own check, now to get some apples. We buy a bag that could most certainly fit that pup in it and head for the apple hills. But first petting zoo. Lydi is particularly fond of other animals but for the animal themselves, I can’t say the same. So, she approaches the fence and a gigantic ram comes rushing at the fence horns first. Kidding again it was like 50 pounds but Lydi was spooked nonetheless. So now that that’s out of the way we can finally get to apple picking. I suggest we survey the land first to find the best apple picking spots. Megan disagrees naturally. So, we just start at it. I haven’t been apple picking in years so to me it felt more of like a sport. Find the best, reddest ones, biggest too and if it was a bruise oh whoops accidentally drop it. Jk I only did that twice.
Any who, we get to the end of this place and there are these big apple trees. I’m like here we go this is what we came for. I pull out the camera take a few subpar photos of Megan’s hand reaching for an apple and then the camera dies. But whatever, I’ve got an iPhone. So, I whip that thing out and the magic really starts cooking. At this point I’m totally over apple picking at just turning the whole thing into a photo shoot. My friend is less than amused while Lydi is clearly owning the moment. Gosh she’s cute.
By this time, I’m like ok candle time. So, I bring the bad boy out and place it up against some red delicious apples. People around me are now looking wondering who this weirdo is trying to control his dog while taking unbeknownst product photos. Whatever I say. I think they came out great. What do you think?
So, by now we have like 50 apples, enough to last through the winter I’m pretty sure and my friend says were switching. So, she gets the dog and I’m stuck carrying around a 20-pound sack of apples. Guess what time it is? Time to GO. But not till I get me a sausage with peppers and onions 8.5/10. We stroll back and although we don’t get to play disc golf she lets me go into the pro shop for a minute while Lydia barks at all the people trying to play a peaceful round of golf. Sorry. We walk back, Lydi takes a crap and then we drive home to my dad bringing in an apple pie. The end.