Adam's Apples

The doughty and dense  Blue Pearmain  is the apple of choice to power me through a 50-mile bike ride. It feeds the legs even as it challenges the jaw. Below, the blue fella on the wharf in lovely Mattapoisett yesterday (mile 25):

Many fine old apples come into their own in October.  Without planning to do so, I've been gorging on four varieties from my home state of Massachusetts. These are, clockwise from upper left:

Get the right tool for the job, right? Look at what happened when my apple slicer met the mighty Blue Pearmain: The poor thing never stood a chance.

Nor is it every apple I desire, Nor that which pleases every palate best; 'T is not the lasting Deuxan I require, Nor yet the red-cheeked Greening I request, Nor that which first beshrewed the name of wife, Nor that whose beauty caused the golden strife: No, no! bring me an apple from the tree of life! Henry David Thoreau Thoreau asked for apples of the spirit, but many sources say that the Blue Pearmain was one of his earthly favorites.