Went back East for a week to see my parents. Here they are walking through a small orchard of apple trees planted a very long time ago (probably about 100 years or so) that I've been pruning. The apples used to taste awful but now they're pretty good. They are varieties that are not commercially viable (too small and bumpy), so you can't find them in stores, even specialty markets.My mother says that one of them is called a "banana apple" which she recognizes from her father's farm in upstate New York. It's true, it's an apple with a faint whiff of banana as you bite into it.
Also stopped into Providence to try to do some work on my house. Got a bit frustrated because the windows I wanted to replace I have to special-order, so mostly I frittered around with some electrical work and painting instead.
I've come to the solid realization (yet again) that I need to work tirelessly towards getting a full-time teaching job. Not only do I love teaching (and I'm getting pretty good at it if I may say so), but I need to be connected to the land in Vermont that I've put so much time and effort into, and the best way to do that is to have the summers off.
Why no chilis yet? ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture of your parents! I love VT. Generations ago my family settled there. In 1999 I visited, drove around the state and found some of the places they used to live and some burial sites. I found VT to be quite wonderful in many ways. And, it has come in a close second to my favorite place ever…New Zealand. Who knows, maybe some day I’ll get a little place there myself—thanks for the example. Good luck with the job hunt and the reno!
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