Adam's Apples

Welcome September, and the Mac is ready to eat! if not perhaps at his absolute peak.  ¶  This iconic fall apple has been for sale since mid August, but there are some things you just cannot hurry.

Officially, summer lasts well into September here in the Northern Hemisphere.  ¶  Astronomical fall does not begin until the fall equinox , which is on September 22 this year.  ¶  But by September 22, for apples at least, autumn is well underway.  ¶  There will have been local apples for a good two months, and icons such as McIntosh and Macoun will be peaking.

Unpicked apples on untended trees in Littleton, Massachusetts.  ¶  I don't really have anything new to say about the unfortunate neglect at what used to be a great orchard.

Some of the apples at farmers market yesterday in Arlington, Massachusetts.  ¶  Gala , this week, has joined last week's quintet of apples at farmers market, for a total of 6 apple varieties.  ¶  August still feels a little thin ( Gravenstein , where art thou?), but there are more picks every week.

There were 5 varieties of apples at yesterday's farmers market, up from a skimpy 2 last week.  ¶  One vendor has McIntosh, but I did not bite. They really aren't ripe this early even in a normal season.  ¶  And things seem generally late this year, though I am not sure why that would be.  ¶ 

The pickings at Farmers market this week were pretty slim, but there are more choices farther afield.  ¶  Red Apple Farm has these enormous Williams Prides , and more besides.

Apples for sale at the Arlington, Massachusetts, farmers market earlier today.  ¶  It feels skimpy to have only two choices for apples in August, but that is what was on offer at the farmers market in Arlington today.  ¶  After all, Californians celebrated the Gravenstein Apple Fair last weekend. An anonymous reader confirms these apples, some of the best of August, are ripe there.