Crunchy Red Apples and Waggly Dog

Last weekend in Kingston, New Shmork, the Plotnik East family went apple picking. Plot and Duck did that too, probably in 1970 or 1971, and they've never forgotten it. Eastern apples are apples. Western apples are large prunes. Those Cortlands, Empires, McIntoshes -- man, there is nothing like them, especially the first morning after the first night frost, when you walk out onto a carpet of fallen apple leaves and pick the cold, ripe apples off the ground.



But October (and November, according to The Great Dance-nik) are Eastern months. It's pure season-changing romance until, say, December 28, and then a few weeks after that Mud Season starts. Of course, Belly doesn't know that yet. She's never had sore ears and stinging fingertips from cold. She just loves that beautiful crunchety apple.

The Hound is very Happy on the Hudson.