(some background tunes for your hearing pleasure)
Alas dear readers; both of you. It has been some time since my last post (three weeks to be exact) and with that comes the deepest and most sincere of apologies. With the new semester underway at college "crazy busy" is the only term that comes to mind, and not to make excuses, but having the responsibility and tuition of thirty-eight souls riding on my conscience, let's just say my priorities have been mildly readjusted. However with things in full swing, life is returning to normal and along with that normality comes my Wednesday blog post.
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| What!? Not this exciting... oh, okay. |
I haven't forgotten about you dear readers, and as I was reminded every other day by one random person or another that I hadn't posted anything on my travel blog lately, it's clear you hadn't forgotten about me either. This can only mean one of two things: either you're all illiterate and are just humouring me, or each and everyone of you is as bored as I am busy... could go either way. Even so, I was shocked to see that my blog had upwards of 700 views since the last time I had checked (a few weeks ago granted) and I was very flattered! I know I know, if Jenna Marbles woke up tomorrow and only had 700 views, she'd probably off herself, but for a humble rookie blogger from New Brunswick, I'll gladly take 700... unless those are all my parents... which is every bit as likely...
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| This girl doesn't get out of bed for 700 views... but seriously, HUGE fan! She's my future wife, she just doesn't know it yet. |
Anyhow, despite the busyness of my life in these days of late, do not think for a second that my weekend adventures have been neglected; a guy's got to have his priorities, am I right?! There have been several mini-getaways this past month, but to keep as current as possible, I'm going to talk about my mini Sunday getaway this past weekend to none other than.... Memramcook, New Brunswick! Google it, I swear it's a real place (also see Balzac, Alberta... it's a real place too... seriously, who names a town Balzac?!).
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| See, it exists! Very middle of the map! It's near Haute-Aboujagane, obviously... Or "The Ha" as locals call it |
Now if you've never been to this little joyous village on Canada's east coast, well, frankly I wouldn't blame you. Cute and quaint absolutely, but if it's a crazy time you're looking for, you're better off to keep on looking... that is of course unless you're looking for a sunny afternoon of Sunday apple picking at Belliveau Orchard!
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| At the entrance to Belliveau Orchard. Guess what they make out of their apples??? Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
I know what you're thinking... "A travel blog, and you're going to talk about picking friggin' apples???" and the answer is yes, yes I am. Every autumn Atlantic Canada and New England are flooded (primarily) with rich old American's who pay gratuitous amounts of money in the name of seeing "fall colours." I mean it, all over the place people are saving up to take either a road trip, bus tour, or I crap you not, a cruise, to see the leaves change colour in all their September/October splendor. What does this mean? It means unlike many other parts of the continent where this season lasts about a week, out here on the east coast fall is a legitimate season, lasting weeks, if not months... That's a pretty foreign concept for someone who grew up in rural Manitoba; where if you blink you might miss autumn in it's entirety.
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| Park Street, near Oulton College. Moncton, NB, October 2013 |
So yes, autumn equals bright multi-coloured trees, and on those bright multi-coloured trees you will find equally bright and multi coloured apples; true story. This counts as tourism, and in the grander scheme tourism, it means I'm still dealing with "travel", so how do you like them apples... see what I did there... never mind...
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| Oooooooooo, apples! A mere example of the countless trees at Belliveau Orchard. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
The day started much like any other weekend where I rolled out of bed a some unholy hour, just because that's how my mind works, as I thought "Man, I could sure pick the hell out of some apples today!" Okay that's not entirely true. The plan had been decided several days prior when one of my co-workers mentioned she was planning to take her family apple picking at some point over the weekend. Now... bear with me, I have to tell this story to tell another story... I've picked apples in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, and many a prairie apple tree as succumb to my mad picking skills, but never in my entire life have I been apple picking on the east coast. This dear reader(s) is something I have wanted to do ever since watching the episode of The Thirsty Traveller (best show!), where Kevin Bauch (my other brother, and idol) goes to New England to pick apples and make hard cider. I think the episode was called "Cider House Rules", and I'm pretty sure I was in the ball park of nineteen when I watched it, so for me this has been on the bucket list for some time.
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| Picking nuts at a fruit farm (primarily orchard) in the Okanagan Valley. Near Kelowna, BC, July 2008. |
We arrived at Belliveau Farms sometime shortly before 11am, and let me tell you, when it's twenty-five degrees in New Brunswick during the last weekend of September, it turns out that everyone has the same idea, which is "I should spend the day outside"; picking apples evidently. What on a given day is just a simple country road, had no less and two hundred or so vehicles randomly parked on the shoulder, in the ditch, nearby fields, and just about anywhere else a vehicle might fit. I now have a brief idea as to what sardines feel like. Whatever, we had come this far (nearly a twenty minute drive from Moncton!!!) so there was no turning back.
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| We opted for the field... it seemed like the best idea at the time. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
As you may have guessed, with a two hundred vehicle pile up, you have all the people that arrived in the those said cars ahead of us, which merited no less than a one hour wait just to get in, but hey, what can you do? If enjoying a hot sunny day on September 29th is torture, then chain me to the wall.
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| About half the line up, and by the time we left it was easily twice as long as when we arrived... Those must be some really great apples. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
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| Patiently waiting with my apple cider, and picking partner in crime. We weren't doing anything else while we waited, so selfies were a must! Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
By the time we got to the gate, I could see people in droves leaving with bags and bags and bags of apples, which made me wonder "are there going to be enough?" but let me tell you, regardless how many people showed up that day, picking apples at Belliveau Orchard was a little bit like attacking Hell with a water pistol. Let's just say in event of the apocalypse, I at least know where I can eat ALL the apples. However, before we got to apple picking there was one other thing we had to do, because it turns out that apples aren't the only thing they're known for, but also one epic corn maze... yeah, that happened.
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| The beginning of the corn maze; aka shenanigan central. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
Now, in corn mazes I've done in the past I've always been one to abide by the rules of the maze, which basically means wander around aimlessly until you're complete and utterly lost, then scream out in frustration and curl up in the fetal position until someone comes to find you. That's how it works, right? That was of course until I went "corn mazing" with my friend Mattie, which hence forth will be known as "Corn Maze Extreme". Now, when you're playing/doing Corn Maze Extreme, you abide by the one and only rule which is that "there are no rules". If you wish to go in a straight line, then by God you go in a straight line. Should a small and unsuspecting child be wandering by, and two adults come tearing out of the corn maze wall, and that child then screams out in frustration, curls up in the fetal position and cries until their parents come find them, then well, that's just how it goes... Sorry for any permanent damage child. Other things to do while doing Corn Maze Extreme are as follows:
- Randomly rip off cobs of old corn and throw them into the maze.
- Randomly rip off cobs of old corn and throw them at one another.
- Pretend you're in the NFL and punt cobs of old corn between the "goal posts" (aka, the tallest corn stalks).
- Re-enact your favourite scenes from the movie Signs.
- Play hide and seek.
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| Where's Waldo; corn maze extreme edition. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
If you're particularly hardcore, you might even find yourself outside of the maze on the far side of the corn field (where there is no actual exit) inside what turned out to be an “off-limits” apple field; possibly filled with contraband apples… I now know what Billy Idol was feeling when he wrote Rebel Yell.
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| Sssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It's my sneaky contraband apple. Keep that on the down-low. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
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| The picking orchard... it wasn't small. This was two of about fourteen rows. Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
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| My first apple of the day! The stupid face isn't even a pose; I was the excited!!! Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
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| The Market back at the main building. It just doesn't get anymore autumn than this! Memramcook, NB, September 2013 |
I'd like to say we bought a pumpkin and some corn on the cob, just to complete the experience, but alas, that would make me a liar. We did however make one awesome apple pie and batch of apple sauce by the days end, so I really can't say the moment was lost when we got back into the city. If serenity comes in small doses, I definitely found it out at the farm, and got my fill for the next little while. Besides, if an apple a day keeps the doctor away, imagine what an entire bag of them might do.
