Red harvest

Do not adjust your set. This shot is Straight out of Camera: the apples really were this red! This Scrumptious variety, as described here http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/scrumptious, was growing in Jon and Symon's orchard at Stream Farm. We'd been invited to join them in apple-juicing.

First, the apples are picked from the trees. Several varieties are mixed together in a trug, then washed to remove surface dirt. They are then fed into a sort of giant grater with a crank handle. When it's turned, the drum rotates, and the apples are crushed. Jon and Symon then poured the squashed appple pieces into a barrel-shaped wooden apple press on a stand. The lid of the barrel is screwed tighter and tighter, and the apple juice begins to flow. It is collected in a bowl beneath the stand, then filtered to remove any pulp that might remain. The juice is then poured into plastic bottles, which can be frozen if necessary. The dried pulp left over is fed to the sheep in the next field. Absolutely nothing is wasted.

We took home five bottles: two for the fridge, and three for freezing. I haven't had so much fun outside for ages ( well, Friday, perhaps)! All clean, free and enjoyable. It's a shame the grater and press don't lend themselves to nursery visits. Too many little fingers...I did buy a sort of pencil-sharpener type of apple peeler and corer a few years ago, and it was wonderful for about two seasons, before it packed in. A great way to get children to eat fruit, and for them to see that apple juice doesn't always come from a box.

Symon and Jon's place is amazing. They bought the farm land in the 90s, and started building a house about 15 years ago, and transforming the fields into a beautiful garden and productive zone, with trees and fields where the grazing is let to sheep-owners. It's truly a Grand Design, (in the sense that it could feature the TV series of the same name) and Symon and Jon's major life work. Not only can they prject-manage buildings, and grow amazing produce and dahlias, but they can also bake, and decorate, and entertain! They've created an inspiring natural environment, not far from the madding crowds of Stroud and Stonehouse, but light years away in the tranquillity and sense of space that it affords.

I don't seem to be able to write today. Never mind, I made apple juice and did two loads of washing, and got on with the long-overdue paperwork! Heaven was not built in a day.

"Heaven..." , said Jonathan Livingstone Seagull,
"... is not a time or a place. Heaven is being perfect".

Normally I'd be inclined to tell any talking seagull who came up with such "inspirational" quotes to go and poo themselves, but, as today scored relatively high in the perfection stakes, JLS can live.

Just for today, mind.