I don’t know how many trees it takes to make an orchard, sort of like not knowing how many acres it takes to make a farm. Surely there are enough apples here to make this an orchard, even if a dozen trees lies below the minimum trunk count. Along with my ignorance on that point, I also don’t know what varieties these are, except for “red, green and yellow.”

There are several trees with large red apples, some as large as small grapefruits. There are a couple of trees that might be the same kind we had on our farm in Todd County, Kentucky. They stay a green color, even when ripe. The green lightens somewhat and the apples freckle as they ripen. They are sweet with a pleasing hint of tartness. There are four trees with yellow/golden apples. These are very sweet, so sugary you can see the crystals in their flesh. There are three trees with small apples that hang on the stems even after they have rotted. Apparently, these ripen quite a bit earlier than the other trees, which still have apples that are not yet ripe. So, while I am confident that there are at least four different varieties in this small orchard in Sparks, Kansas, I don’t know what any of them are.

I do know, without equivocation, that the ground beneath the trees is covered with apples, many of which have already rotted. I know, too, that these apples are the juiciest, most sugary of any from which I have ever made cider.

Cider is one of God’s many good gifts and, like most gifts, comes with good lessons. Even with their blemishes and bruises, even with their defects, their bug bites and wormholes, these apples make wonderful cider.

From time to time, we, with all of our bruises and imperfections, join in with others in some good work. Perhaps it’s changing lives or changing diapers, welcoming strangers or cleaning an ugly vacant lot, spreading the gospel in a distant place or spreading a table with food in our little town. Whenever we join in common purpose of doing what is good, what is kind, what is lovely, we yield a harvest better than its fruit.

H. Arnett
10/3/12