September, 2022
First off, here’s the answer to reader Bill Burnn’s question. Back in comments to the “The town of Toppenish” blog post, Bill said a neighbor of his was raised in Toppenish, and that neighbor thinks he knows the woman in the American Hop Museum, but can’t remember her name. I can’t find her name online, but I looked back through my notes and see that I wrote her first name as Maribel, didn’t get her last name. So … Bill … check with that neighbor of yours and see if the name Maribel rings a bell. 🙂 (Sorry about the “bell” pun … ok, not so sorry.)
And now for THIS blog post, I’d like to share just a few photos taken of fruit orchards over the several days that I drove the main roads and the back roads, all around and through, all over the area here, mostly to the south and east of Yakima and Toppenish. Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to visit this area. It smells so good! I was focused on hops during this trip, so didn’t take many photos of apples and pears and such. Rest assured, the hills are covered with fruit! Even homes with just a small bit of acreage around them have many fruit trees, all in rows, all well tended. But there are also huge orchards.
Some fruit trees were growing right by the side of the road, not in a field or orchard or in anyone’s yard. I guess the pears (below) would be free for the pickin’.
Mostly, I saw apples …..
Look at the difference between traditional apple trees above … and a whole different way to grow the “tree” below.
It looked to me like this apple farm was copying how hop vines are grown. In this apple orchard, the trunk of each “tree” is in the dirt, then the branch? and the leaves and the apples grow up a string. I bet this way makes for much easier harvesting, more light to all parts of the plant, and easier access to the ground at the base of the plant for maintenance. In all my driving around the area this week, this “V” orchard was the only one I noticed.
Maybe the “V” method is more efficient, but I still like healthy old apple trees, full of juicy, ripe apples.
As mentioned, just driving by these orchards smelled divine. You can bet I rolled my windows down, enjoyed the warm September air, and took in that sweet, sweet smell of ripe apples and pears. I also bought some … yum! 🙂
One of the things I like about living in the Yakima Valley is the smell of fresh fruit just ripening. I have my favorite roads I drive down, depending on when each crop ripens. And, yes, I know where there are roadside trees that no one seems to own. 🙂
Ok Paul. Next time I’m coming to Yakima for a camping trip in the fall, I’ll be in touch for that list of roads to drive down. 🙂 And those roadside trees.
I laughed at your question “does the name Maribel ring a bell”. My reply … you can ring my be-e-e-ell … you can ring my bell! Sung by Anita Ward. 🙂 Whoop.
Whoop!! Just thinking about that song makes me dance in my chair. 🙂 thanks Susan!
Paul’s comment about how wonderful fresh fruit smells is perfect. There’s nothing like it. Walk through an orchard of any ripe fruit and you’ll be mesmerized and wafted away. I remember that as a kid.
BUT … the “bell” gauntlet has been thrown, thanks to Susan. Ok .. how about “one less bell to answer, one less egg to fry!” … by the 5th Dimension.
Oh, yes, I sure remember that song too, Jamie. A sad song, but so well done by the 5th Dimension …. “but all I do is cry!”
Sounds like you were around fruit orchards as a kid, what a great memory.
Pandora’s box has been opened! How about “La Belle Amie” by Tee Set, a little known rock group today, but this was a big hit back then.
Ok, fruit … interesting about the new V style of apple orchard. Will be interesting to see if it catches on. Seems great.
I remember the tune, and can sing it while dancing in my chair at my computer, but I had no idea who recorded it, Rob. Thank you. 🙂
Seemed to me that V style was great. I’ll check out the orchards and report the next time I go camping over there.
Jingle Bells. 🙂
Oh my gosh I just want to reach into your photos and pick an apple or a pear and then have a delicious bite into it. Hm-m-m!
I wish I could share smell here, M (M&M) … and taste … and the juice from the fruit, dribbling down your chin. 🙂
Jingle Bell Rock. Ok, also a Christmas song, but still it has “bell” in it. Who did it, I can’t remember?
I swear I can smell the fruit when I look at these photos. I do wonder about why there are so many rotting apples on the ground. Are the crops that huge that they can waste that much?
I wondered about all those rotting apples too, Ben, but I see a comment from reader Emily below that tells us why those apples might be there. That makes me feel better since those apples aren’t just being wasted.
There were a number of artists that recorded Jingle Bell Rock, but my favorite was Anne Murray, a Canadian singer. Here’s her recording …
Mission Bell by Fleetwood Mac. Showin’ my age. 🙂
I wondered about all the rotting apples on the ground too. And I’m fascinated by the V structure of that one apple “orchard”. The smell of fresh fruit is wonderful.
Oh, Mission Bell, I’d forgotten all about that tune, but boy this brings back memories. Thanks Cindy. “My love is higher than a mission bell, deeper than a wishing well, stronger than a ……..” Great song. It was copyrighted in 1970. By 1970, I’d already spent a couple of years in college and thought I was an adult. Ha! Little did we know, eh? 🙂
My favorite “holiday” tune is “Carol of the Bells” performed by the Tabernacle choir along with their bell choir. I’m not Mormon, not even religious, but I love this music.
Those orchards are huge. The work must never end. Is there a time of year when the owners and people who work there can take a break?
I’ve heard that winter is the time of year when orchard owners get “down time”. There may still be some water system maintenance or fence work required or some tree/plant maintenance, but winter is the time that orchard owners hereabouts get time to put their feet up, take a trip, work on the house, spend more time with friends/family, read a book, etc. I hear that the rest of the year can be really busy!
Oh, thank you for sharing the Tabernacle performing “Carol of the Bells”, Kinny. I’d not heard them doing that before, but when I found them online after reading your comment, it’s now a favorite of mine too. I’m not much religious either, but this music is so wonderful. A friend of mine has been playing with a bell choir. It might look simple to do that, but it’s not! Here’s a video of the Tabernacle performing “Carol of the Bells” …
How about Pachel-bell Canon in D? Does that count? Sorry. 🙂 Not sorry.
The apples rotting on the ground could be a fungus called candida, or other pest invasion, such that the growers let the infected fruit fall and rot and feed the soil. Spraying for that can reduce the number of “good” pests that are pollinators, so it’s an never ending circle. I’ve never seen that V style either, it looks great.
Aaaaargh, moan and groan!! Emily, that was really bad, so bad. 🙂 Pachel-bell indeed. Ouch! 🙂 To be clear, Emily is referring to Johann Pachelbel’s (note the correct spelling) very well known composition entitled Canon in D, from the 1600’s. I love this tune, as many do. Here’s a video of what some folks believe is a close rendition of the original score of instruments.
And … Emily, thank you for information about the apples on the ground and candida and other possible infections/reasons for letting some of the apples fall and not be picked and sold to the public. I had not a clue. Questions from everyone here are always more than welcome … and result in excellent, informed, educated answers from readers. Thanks Emily. 🙂