The heatwave continued though the temperatures are predicted to drop over the course of the next few days. It may have been the last day of T-shirt weather. We ventured up to the neighbors’ where we picked three old heirloom winter storage apples: Golden Russet (of western New York), Ben Davis (hard-as-a-baseball and about as tasty) and Stark (not Baldwin though often confused with it.) The apples were in good shape, and I don’t think any succumbed to freeze damage despite the very cold temps a couple weeks ago. It felt good to be up in the ladders for what might be the last time of 2026. The apples are in the barn, the root cellar and the cooler. We have lots.

In the afternoon we returned to the ID table. We have somewhere between 150 and 200 apples to ID. We’ll do our best to get to yours! In the evening, the much needed rain arrived.

Meanwhile, down in western Mass, folks were celebrating seedling apples at the 7th Annual Wild & Seedling Pomological Exhibition. I missed being there, but I look forward to attending in 2027. Tomorrow and Sunday will be Franklin County Cider Days. If you’re anywhere near western Mass, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Today’s photo: