Our Journey To Adopt: My Favorite Place

On Saturday my family and I went to visit my sister's grave for Memorial Day. We do this a number of times a year and many times after we visit the cemetery we stop to see my uncle and aunt who live nearby. They have an apple orchard and it is my favorite place in the world. My mother grew up there and after my grandparents died my Uncle John and his wife Nadine took it over. They are getting older now and have had to cut down some of the trees because they can't take care of it as well as they used to when they were younger. Someday they won't be able to take care of it anymore and then they might have to sell it...but let's not dwell on sad thoughts. Let me tell you the things I love about it.
I remember growing up and visiting Grandpa and Grandma there. The house is situated on 3 acres of land. There are huge poplar trees in the front year (which I understand cause some problem as they continually shed tiny branches that have to be picked up before the lawn can be mowed). There's a white fence that surrounds the property and a white trellis opening in front that when I was little had climbing flowers. There's a gravel road that splits off first to a parking area then to the apple cellar and finally ends winding around back to the big red sheds containing farming equipment.

The willow tree

Part of the back yard

One of my favorite things is the old willow tree. My grandparents planted it in memory of my great grandmother and it has grown to huge proportions. It provides perfect shade in the summer and as youngsters we used to get in trouble by grabbing the low hanging branches and swinging on them. We would try to climb up it, which we did sometimes accomplish, but the first branch is far enough off the ground that as an adult I don't have the energy to try anymore. My uncle and aunt a number of years back installed swings beside it so you can swing to your heart's delight, enjoying the breeze on your face and listening to the sounds of the country.
The backyard is big and has enough room for games. There was plenty of room to run around as children and we even sometimes ended tiring ourselves out by playing out back (sometimes running into the orchard to play hide and seek). A few times we took our sleeping bags and slept outside and I was always amazed at the amount of stars I could see there that I couldn't see in the city. I even remember waking up to an actual rooster crowing (some neighbor's I'm sure).

The attic

The house has multiple levels and I have fond memories of it. It has a specific smell that reminds me of an old fashioned era. The attic was where we as kids slept. It's finished and open but has a 2 beds at one end and a fold out sofa at the other. The roof angles up so in the attic you could be in bed next to the side wall and could touch the ceiling easily, which for some reason as a kid was really fun. There was an old rocking chair and a little horse glider for very small children that we used to fight over. The cellar was the other fun place...though as a child a little bit creepy. A long staircase descends into the depths of the cool basement where the refrigerated apple cellars are. There's a bedroom down there as well, which belonged to my grandparents and I can still remember going down to that room to visit my grandpa, who was for part of my growing up years, bed ridden. They also have the apple press down there. I think I only saw them operate it once or twice, but it was very interesting.

Uncle John on the tractor with Annie, Paul and Josh pick up the piles of grass

When we went to visit on Saturday, we found that Aunt Nadine and Uncle John needed help. This has happened over the years. Sometimes we would help move big sprinkler pipes to help them water different parts of the property or sometimes it was apple harvest time and we'd help them pick apples. But this time they had mowed the grass in the orchard and needed help raking it all into big piles and picking them up and putting them on back of the empty flat trailer. Then they'd take them to the back property behind the orchard and lay them out there to compost. I, having an allergy to grass, helped a lot with the raking. It's amazing how long it takes and how little of the property we actually worked on. But it was fun nonetheless, and I hardly need say a good workout. It made us feel good to help out and it was a beautiful day to enjoy being outside. We all took turns doing raking and picking up (except me picking up the piles of grass since I would break out in hives if I did) and it was so much enjoyable being together.
I love this place. If I had the money, I'd buy it. But regardless of what happens in the future, I will always treasure the memories I have of my favorite place.