My orchard is giving me an abundance of apples. Trouble is, they don't want to come down. I have to knock them down as best I can with my shepherd's crook. I hook the branches with the curved part of the crook and shake them hard with some success. I risk being knocked on the head but that's okay. The sheep and goats often stand around, waiting for their delicious apple snacks. I can't reach the top branches and the apples often rot on the tree before a fierce wind comes along and helps me out. Large orchards have machines that shake the apples loose. If the old Dodge Ram truck was running I could back it up to the trees and stand in the bed. I love this orchard which dates back a hundred years or more. If I had money to burn I would hire my Amish neighbors to trim the trees back and really get it going again. The trees are so thick that light doesn't get to the inner trees and apples don't grow. The darkness inside the orchard is mysterious and inviting. The sheep love it.
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