A writer inspired by nature and human nature

“Time to get the apples in” (POEM) by Bette A Stevens

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Have an awesome autumn… ~ Bette A. Stevens https://www.4writersandreaders.com

Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author

Inspired by nature and human nature…

In 2002 we planted five apple trees(Granny Smith, Greening, Red Rome, Cortland and Macoun) forming an apple tree crescent between the house and barn here at The Farmstead in central Maine. This year we’ve harvested six bushels from the trees, and our ‘neighborhood’ deer have cleaned up all the drops. No need to bend, rake and set out the fallen fruit for the wildlife, they’ve already harvested their seasonal snacks. No need to travel to the local orchard or market to pick and purchase apples.
Wishing you a bountiful and beautiful fall!
~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

Time to Get the Apples In

Poem by Bette A. Stevens

Pies, cobblers, jellies, cider, applesauce and more…
To make and bake
To eat and partake
From our garden
Not the store

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on 09/25/2021

Comments on: "“Time to get the apples in” (POEM) by Bette A Stevens" (75)

  1. cathleentownsend said:
    11/20/2021 at 12:52 pm

    Beautiful poem, and it reminds me of an autumn detail from my life. We’re picking the last of the apples and pears in our area, which is a mixed blessing as far as my husband is concerned. I like them best as is, and they keep well, but we don’t have a root cellar. So most of the bottom shelf in our fridge is taken up for some time. Ah, well–marriage is all about compromises, even when it comes to space in the fridge. : )

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      11/27/2021 at 3:32 pm

      Hi, Cathleen! LOL…Compromises, makes me chuckle. Our fridges (3) and freezers (3) are filled with them! 💞🍎🍏🍎 Lucky for me, Dan does a lot of the prep work these days… Wishing you and yours bountiful blessings every day of the year! xoxoxo

      Liked by 1 person

  2. roughwighting said:
    10/27/2021 at 8:19 am

    What a wonder – apples, harvesting your own, and your poem. WELL DONE!! xo

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Jina Bazzar said:
    10/21/2021 at 11:22 am

    I know the feeling! It’s amazing when the fruits come from our own backyard, isn’t it? My kids say, “it’s just an apple,” but it’s so much more, it’s an apple from our tree. And it tastes even better!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Mabel Kwong said:
    10/08/2021 at 9:03 am

    Thoroughly enjoyed reading your poem, Bette. You can certainly make many things with apples. I really like apple pie and apple sauce. Hope you get to pick heaps from your harvest this year. It’s Spring over here in Australia and flowers are blooming. Wishing you a happy Autumn 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Miriam Hurdle said:
    10/01/2021 at 8:43 pm

    How delightful and delicious, both your apples and the poem, Bette! You also have some happy deer around to clean up the drops. We only have one apple tree – red delicious. I planted a GrannySmith but I don’t bake apple pies so much, so I took down the tree and planted the current one five years ago. We have about a couple of hundred apples this year. I also have two plum trees and one orange tree. Just planted some blackberries vines. I would like to plant some raspberries and a lemon tree. For vegetables, I have kale, bell peppers, and squash. I’m sure you have a lot of vegetables. Thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      10/02/2021 at 2:21 pm

      Thanks so much for your visit and lovely note, Miriam! 💞 It’s such a joy to be able to pick fruits and vegetables from our gardens–healthy and so delicious. We’re cooking down tomatoes into sauce this week and should have enough to last the winter. We used to can them, but now we freeze veggies and frutis. Happy gardening, dear friend! xo

      Liked by 1 person

      • Miriam Hurdle said:
        10/02/2021 at 3:19 pm

        Oh, how wonderful you have tomato sauce for the whole winter. What kind of veggies and fruits can you freeze?
        I made plum jam one year but we don’t use it too often and get spoiled. I could give it away. In fact, one year, I tallied 1,100 plums and I gave them away every week.

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    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      10/02/2021 at 5:43 pm

      Hi again, Miriam. We freeze all of our fruits and vegetables these days. For fruits (apples, pears plums) Microwave with sugar, spice if you like, little lemon juice. For berries, freeze whole. We store them in plastic quart ziploc bage and they’re ready to use. Jams will last for many years, but they make great gifts too. Also, like you, we give away much fruit and some veggies if we have too many. For veggies, we just blanch them, then freeze. For herbs, we just freeze whole in small bunches. Happy gardening and putting your garden by, dear friend.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Miriam Hurdle said:
        10/02/2021 at 5:56 pm

        For oranges, we squeeze the juice and freeze it. It gives us several months of fresh juice. The apples are ripening slowly and we don’t have to freeze them yet. I should have some berries next year. Thank you for the tips, Bette.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. “Time to get the apples in” (POEM) by Bette A Stevens – nature journeys said:
    09/28/2021 at 6:39 am

    […] “Time to get the apples in” (POEM) by Bette A Stevens […]

    Liked by 1 person

  7. karenringalls said:
    09/28/2021 at 5:59 am

    Five bushels of apples! I always look forward to autumn for several reasons, but apples are certainly one of them. I loved your poem after the description of your apple trees and land. Wishing for you a bountiful, peaceful, and blessed season.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Kymber said:
    09/27/2021 at 12:43 pm

    Your poem is so lovely, Bette. Congratulations on your apple trees! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Jacqui Murray said:
    09/27/2021 at 11:11 am

    I love the idea of harvesting apples, Bette. That sounds so worthy.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Chel Owens said:
    09/27/2021 at 11:01 am

    Homemade apples are the tastiest.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. sharonkconnell said:
    09/26/2021 at 2:21 pm

    What a delightful poem and thought. I wish we had apple trees. This would make a wonderful addition to the “Author’s Pen” in the newsletter, Bette. Would you send it for the October issue? Keep up the lovely writing, my friend. You are such a blessing to me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      09/26/2021 at 3:17 pm

      Thanks so much for your lovely note, Sharron… 🧡💛💚 Sending lots of love and will send otu an email too! Love you newsletter and am honored to be included. 🍁 Have an awesome autumn! xo

      Like

  12. Sandee said:
    09/26/2021 at 1:58 pm

    Well done on the apple trees. I love all those apples and not getting them at the store is even better. The deer are happy too. Love the poem. Made me smile.

    Have a fabulous day, Bette. Big hug. ♥

    Liked by 1 person

  13. robbiesinspiration said:
    09/26/2021 at 1:54 pm

    Hats off to you, Bette, with this lovely poem and all the work it takes to grow fruit and convert them into something tasty. I have made jam from our fruit and it is a lot of work.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      09/26/2021 at 3:14 pm

      Thank you, dear Robbie. 😍 A gardener’s work is never done, but, oh the reward! Fortunately, Hubby is a huge help in the garden and the kitchen. 🍎🍏 Abundant blessings to you and your… xo

      Liked by 1 person

  14. balroop2013 said:
    09/26/2021 at 1:43 pm

    Wow! Your apples are looking so resplendent Bette! Enjoy!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. John W. Howell said:
    09/26/2021 at 1:08 pm

    Delightful, Bette. I can just see those deer having a feast.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. DutchIl said:
    09/26/2021 at 12:23 pm

    Thank you for sharing a part of your world, adventures and lovely poem!!… glad you had a wonderful harvest!!.. I have a small apple tree in the backyard though I don’t harvest like I did in the past… neighbors and passerbys usually pick some… I did have an eye on a juicy red apple but a squirrel got to it before I did and I could tell by the look in his eye he wasn’t going to give it up without a fight… 🙂

    Until we meet again…

    May love and laughter light your days,
    and warm your heart and home.
    May good and faithful friends be yours,
    wherever you may roam.
    May peace and plenty bless your world
    with joy that long endures.
    May all life’s passing seasons
    bring the best to you and yours!
    (Irish Saying)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      09/26/2021 at 3:04 pm

      So glad you stopped by, Larry. 😋 🍎 We’ve a bumper crop this year with plenty to save and plenty to share… Can just picture you and your squirrel vying for the next beauty! 😍🍁 Have a blessed and beautiful autumn, my friend. xo

      Like

  17. D.L. Finn, Author said:
    09/26/2021 at 12:21 pm

    I enjoyed your poem, Bette. There is nothing like a freshly picked apple!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      09/26/2021 at 2:58 pm

      There’s nothing quite as sweet as a Macoun, directly from the tree tro me… 🍎 So glad you stopped by. Have a blessed and beautiful autumn, Denise! 🧡💛💚 xo

      Like

  18. boundlessblessingsblog said:
    09/26/2021 at 11:27 am

    Awesome and delicious sounding poem, Bette so full of fun and thrills. Such a lovely and beautiful apple tree.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. noelleg44 said:
    09/26/2021 at 10:37 am

    You said it, Bette. We had an apple tree in our yard in Evanston, IL, and I made tons of applesauce every year. The squirrels loved the apples, too. I had to fight them off!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      09/26/2021 at 2:53 pm

      We love having all the varieties. 🍎 Macouns are my favorites for snacking! The deer don’t seem to pick favorites. Dan saves our throwaways in 5 gallon buckets and puts them out late fall and winter. 🍂 I can just picture you sparring with the squirrels! 😍😘

      Liked by 1 person

  20. -Eugi ☕️ said:
    09/26/2021 at 8:54 am

    I love your apple poem, Bette, and what a wonderful harvest! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Norah said:
    09/26/2021 at 5:33 am

    That’s wonderful, Bette. What a harvest!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. marianbeaman said:
    09/26/2021 at 3:32 am

    I enjoyed the “apple” poem and the back story of the planting in 2002. Now YOU, along with the deer, get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Lovely!

    Liked by 1 person

  23. petespringerauthor said:
    09/25/2021 at 11:51 pm

    How convenient to have an apple supply right there! Fall is such a beautiful time in Maine.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. CarolCooks2 said:
    09/25/2021 at 11:47 pm

    A lovely poem that fits the moment, Bette…I envy you your apple trees especially the Granny Smiths so delicious in a pie 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Grammy Writes said:
    09/25/2021 at 10:05 pm

    Lovely! Happy Fall to you too!

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Jennie said:
    09/25/2021 at 8:28 pm

    How wonderful, Bette! Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. VJ Knutson said:
    09/25/2021 at 6:37 pm

    The best! Delicious.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Marcia said:
    09/25/2021 at 6:10 pm

    Lovely, delicious-sounding poem, Bette! 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Priscilla Bettis said:
    09/25/2021 at 5:10 pm

    Fresh apples are so yummy! Beautiful and fun poem!

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Jill Weatherholt said:
    09/25/2021 at 4:40 pm

    Beautiful poem, Bette! Enjoy!

    Liked by 1 person

  31. D. Wallace Peach said:
    09/25/2021 at 4:18 pm

    A wonderful autumn apple poem, Bette. I’m jealous of your harvest and can just imagine the applesauce and pies. Have a lovely changing of the seasons. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Joan Hall said:
    09/25/2021 at 3:50 pm

    Lovely poem, Bette. And I’m thinking apple pie, apple cider, apple dumplings… You get the idea. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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