apple picking

we went to dc to visit my sister's family the other weekend.  we were SO excited to see them & also, on saturday, we were going apple picking!  our fam had never been before, so i had these grand images of what it was going to be.  here i was day dreaming of... rolling countryside speckled with apple trees...oh and look, there are the girls climbing thus trees, picking apples as big as their heads...and now you can hear the crisp pop of one biting into a firm, juicy apple...  -sound of record scratching -  soooo, we DID have a beautiful drive out to the orchard in va, the farm was awesome, and the weather, PERFECT!  then came the signs posted every 50-100ft at the entrance: 
we had a long, hot summer
the heat has been bad for the apples
there are no apples on the trees
NO APPLES
but we have plenty of apples in barrels
you can still look for apples
and go to our corn maze!

WH-AAATT??!

annnnd, they weren't kidding!  there were NO apples on the trees!  well, ellison & jack found these, if they count. 

but other than that, all we found were a couple good ones here & there on the ground.  so yes, we bought some apples from the barrel!  AND we went to a vineyard a couple miles down the road & had an awesome picnic.  so still a great time was had by all!  and i wish i had taken more pictures...i think i used rach & will's camera most of the time.  

 best thing about the vineyard...little rocks around the picnic area!  entertained the kids while the adults relaxed & ate!

little pumpkin area at the vineyard...we may have stolen some of these pumpkins...everyone thought someone else had bought them for the kids (since the kids all were carrying "their" pumpkin home!  ooops.