An Apple a Day

What a wonderful crisp Fall afternoon in the twin cities. It truly is a fun time of the year as the cool air and warm sun gives you hope.  There’s a sense of excitement heading into the weekend.  The traffic on the side streets is extra heavy today as you commute for the last time for a few days off…and you’re anxious to leave the stress of the work week behind and just rest.  A friend of mine in Afton has an old fashioned Apple Press.  And it’s a tradition, their friends will all arrive at their house, park their cars on the side of the long narrow dirt road.. and crunch through the dry leaves and walk up the gravel driveway to the old white painted farm house  built in the 1800’s for an annual tradition…  Pressing bushels and bushels of fresh honey crisp apples for several hours to make sweet delicious fresh apple cider.   One person will turn the crank of the 150  year old black apple press until they get too tired, and then someone else will jump in to keep the production going.  While another will slowly pour the bushels into the top of the press.   Still another will empty the mashed apples left from the press and carry them to the woods to dump out.  It’s going to rain this weekend, so they’ll probably do the work in the barn, while staying dry from the falling rain.  The cider making will take place from 3-6pm …and all the guests will receive jugs of apple cider to take home in the evening after the party is over.  The laughter, the fun, the good times.  The pressing of those apples…make make such a sweet delicious treat.  2nd Corinthians 4:8 says we are hard pressed on everyside but not crushed…perplexed but not in despair..