Rambling to Orlean County

We took a ride out to Barker on Sunday, to visit the former Blackbird Ciderworks which had become Donovan Cider and now is Stolen Apple.

Eric, whose family purchased the operation and its orchard last year was behind the bar pouring samples of leftover inventory. Their own cider will be here for Christmas.

We filled a $5 bag with clocks at an estate sale. Two of them actually work.

We also took a drive out Lake Ontario to Golden Hill State Park for a walk along the water.

The park was fairly deserted, enough to let Gord run off leash.

There are Yurts for rent. They go for $100 a night.

Some of the nature trails we hiked had recently been brushhogged. It’s the sort of ugly maintenance that is necessary but sometimes neglected, like what happened at Stonehaven Scout Camp before it became a nature preserve.

The trees in the park aren’t that remarkable. I was intrigued by white berries on a hawthorn, only long enough to look more closely and realize they were on a redhaired vine twisting around the tree. I am glad I did not taste-test the poison ivy berries.

At Singer Farms Naturals, we bought a pound of seed garlic from Thorpe Farms down south off Route 78 in Erie County. It’s not too late to plant.

We also stopped and picked some Macintosh apples from what looked like an abandoned orchard. It was the second score of the season since the time a few weeks ago we snagged Bosc pears at Joseph Davis State Park.

The leaves are now off the trees. Winter will be here soon. I think it's time to mulch them into the lawn and add the ones from the driveway to the compost. Friday night might finally bring our first frost.

Perhaps it's a good time to check on the snowblower and harvest the remaining tomatoes.