“Unexpected benefits of picking apples”

The task of picking these apples is fiddly and time consuming. We start with the apples within easy reach. After that we need a ladder and I have no head for heights. Graham has no such qualms and picks what he can reach from the highest rungs. I get the job of gathering them up into boxes which are later stored in our garage. The tree was never properly pruned, its branches intertwine like a giant bird's nest. It's hard to find space for the top of the ladder to emerge!

This last few weeks Graham has either been away from home or extremely busy. He managed one brief picking session and I had reluctantly picked more in a short burst of activity. I didn't want to do it on my own, and told myself I had other important things I should be doing. Deep down though, I hated the thought of the apples being wasted - we always like to gift some to friends and neighbours. 

On Sunday with Graham away for the weekend I strolled out into the garden to take advantage of some late afternoon sunshine. My intention was to only be outside for five minutes or so, but the tree drew me in. Before I knew it I was reaching up for rosy apples, grasping and twisting to gently sever the stems. Before long I had my pockets full and a few extra on the grass beside me. 

I took the apples to the garage for storage with the others and noticed how I was infused with stillness. I took time to register this in my body and was thankful for those few mindful minutes of focused apple picking. The sense of satisfaction, the sunshine through the canopy of the tree and especially the tiny frog that appeared close to our wildflower border. 

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30th September, 2025