New Year’s Day 2024. Late afternoon – just before dusk. I am curled up in the chair by our front window with a cup of tea. Lorie yells, “Look, it’s the apple guy!” I drop my crossword puzzle. A man is walking up the road. Average looking except for the large orange pail he is hugging to his chest. It seems heavy. (Why isn’t he carrying it by the handle?) He disappears behind the birch tree and our roadside vegetable stand. Several minutes go by. When he reappears he is swinging an empty pail. Crosses the road and stashes the pail under the neighbours’ cedar hedge. Resumes his walk down the road. Whatever. I settle back in my chair and continue the crossword.

The next morning I investigate. I find this!

The apple guy strikes again!!

A few weeks previous he left a pile beside the neighbourhood mailboxes, just around the corner.

Last year our stand was also gifted with apples – twice – as were several of our neighbours, and even the school down the road.

So many questions … Who is this apple guy? Where does he come from? Why does he leave us apples? Where do the apples come from … ?

So few answers.

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Around the farm …

We finally mulched the garlic shortly before Christmas.

We had just enough help – enough to slow us down (and make it fun).

Apples for everyone! What a windfall!

Happy New Year!