September 26. Johnny Appleseed Day. Johnny Appleseed – whose real name was John
Chapman, lived from 1774-1865 in the US
and was well known for his gardening skills – specifically his skills in
growing orchards. He is said to have introduced apple trees to several states
including Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
He was a missionary and apparently – an all around nice guy who had conservation
at heart.
According to some historians, apples were
planted by the Acadians in Nova Scotia in the early 1600’s. We even have an Apple Blossom festival in the
Annapolis Valley every year. There are
at least 40 varieties of apples grown here.
Who knew? Well I didn’t know
about all the varieties – but I DO know that we LOVE apples. I mean we REALLY LOVE apples. My human slices them up for us, because she
read somewhere that the cores and seeds can cause stomach upset – so we just
get the good part of the apples. If we
hear her slicing them, we make a MAD charge for the kitchen.
Autumn is a great time of the year. It’s a time to go apple picking. We dogs don’t actually get to go – because
like when picking out a Christmas tree, we pee on everything. So my human leaves us at home – to wait for
the bounty to be returned. Fall is also
the time when my human painstakingly picks out a pumpkin (or two) and proudly
displays it in front of our entrance door.
And without fail, the first time Paxton spots it, he grabs it by the
stem and hauls it off into the woods – with my human in hot pursuit. Frodo and I, if given the chance, prefer to
pee on the pumpkin. And the Fall mums
too. The joys of living with three boy
dogs.
So given that today is Johnny’s day – go
out and have an apple. Because you know that old proverb, “An apple a day, and
the PONs will play.” OK. I made that up. But I like to be different. And THAT’S why I’m the “apple of my human’s
eye.” Although some might also argue,
I’m the bad apple in the bunch! All
right - enough apple puns for today.
Have a good one!!!
© Linda Wozniak
No comments:
Post a Comment