The Season’s First Sweet-Smelling Collection

September Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Comfort”

Timely gathered before the birds breakfast

The last days of August left a heavy morning dew, and a welcome squall early in September brought down the first usable fruits from the apple trees standing by our fence-line.

There have been falls throughout the summer, not ‘windfalls’ but ‘drought-falls’, small deformed fruits which had tried their best against a heatwave and lack of rain not experienced since 1976.

But the trees, their branches gnarled and covered in lichen, have persevered through our gifts of household water-waste and now offer gifts in return. The apples will be peeled, sliced, steam-blanched and frozen, keeping the family supplied until September 2023. We have four pie-packs left in the freezer from 2021, so the timing is spot on.

The apple variety is Hornsea Herring, cultivated in the town in 1780 to withstand the salt air of the North Sea five minutes walk away. It is supposedly a dual apple, but people of the 18th century obviously preferred their eating apples more tart than we sweet-toothed softies.

Our trees were part of a household orchard belonging to the property beyond the fence, we think dating back before World War One, a line of four left when part of the land was sold in 1950 to build what has become, through later purchase, our home.

And this is my comfort. Yes, the jams and pickles and spiced apple & raisin pies will be reminders, but it is the comfort of History quietly continuing in the background of our lives which gives me a warming glow, and knowing we are doing our small bit to preserve it.

Thanks to Ellie Jacobson for setting the Challenge, and all the other editors for their hard work and timely interventions. May readers be scattered with Comforts from the motley crew: Vidya Sury, Dennett, Elin Melaas, Penny Grubb, Madeleine McDonald, pockett dessert, Susan Alison and all our other contributors.