Picking apples in Arizona

But it's not like you think. Really.

About three years ago my husband bought a 1948 Willys Jeepster. He actually bought it because we thought he was dying. For real. He didn't, though. Obviously. Which is a good thing. He did however take my suggestion to sell my SUV to buy one of these cars that he has talked about and talked about since the day I met him.

He grew up in Idaho to a pretty interesting family and fondly remembers Sunday drives in this exact make and model of car.

Many, many years passed but his dream to own one never dimmed. Until the death thing. And then the Bucket List kicked in and one day when I was off babysitting I came home to hear "I bought a Jeepster today on e-bay!" Hmmm... OK. "Oh, and BTW, I listed your X-terra on Craigs list!" Hmmmm... OK. "Oh, and Fed-ex is going to deliver the car in a few weeks!" Hmmm.... alrighty then.

And all that happened. The whole fed-ex delivery. Which was actually pretty cool. And he was so excited. Like a little kid at the best Christmas ever!

And then when he didn't die it grew into a whole past-time. Running around the neighborhood, hauling anyone who wanted a ride around in it, carolling at Christmas all bundled up in quilts (hey, it gets cold in the desert in AZ)and it was just cool.

And by now you are thinking, OK, what does this have to do with apple picking.

It has to do with alleys, actually. Our whole neighborhood is criss-crossed by alleys that were originally used for trash pick-up!

And the Granddaughters love driving in the alleys. Often. Whenever they are here.

And in the alleys are all kinds of treasures...like pomegranate and fig trees, like grapevines growing along the old walls, like citrus hanging over into the alley...and like apple trees!

Initially it took us a while to figure out whose house matched which tree in the alley and then we would go ask permission and they always said yes. Now we know and just knock on the door when things are ready to pick.

We pick bushels of apples. Baskets of figs. Paper bags filled with grapes. And beautiful garnet pomegranates. We never bother with the citrus because we have our own trees. And it's just a neat thing to do. It's always like a little adventure. Cruising the alleys to see what is ripe!

So while all of you are going to beautiful orchards with the air crisp and fragrant and beautiful autumn colors surrounding you, we are cruising around in the Jeepster in the alleys picking produce.

You should come sometime!

Just bring your own ladder!