State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

apples

  • Long Dance to the End

    Leaves on the Red Delicious apple tree I planted more than 30 years ago began developing spots, yellowing, and falling in late June and early July. In addition, a type of slime mold rooted in the large scar where the 2020 derecho blew down a main limb. Called dog vomit slime mold, it feeds on… Read more

  • Invasion of Japanese Beetles

    This Lodi apple tree was my earliest ripening variety. Once Japanese beetles discovered it, they released pheromones that drew in more of their kind and aggregated, as in the photo. The problem was made worse by a neighbor placing two Japanese beetle traps within 75 feet of my small orchard. These traps attract more than… Read more

  • Frost Arrives

    In a capricious spring, freezing air settles in overnight.Apple trees, pollinating all week, are not finished.In blue darkness, temperature holds near thirty.At first light branches wait, blossoms open… or maybe not. Copyright © 2026 Paul Deaton. All rights reserved. Read more

  • Last of the Apples

    Sunday I finished reading A Basket of Apples: Recipes and Paintings from a Country Orchard by Val Archer. I wrote a brief review: “The paintings are gorgeous. The recipes very British, heavy on dairy and animal flesh. If you cook like that, give it a go!” Planting apple trees on our lot in 1996 was… Read more

  • Using Apple Butter

    Although 2025 was an “on year” for apples — all five trees bore fruit — I skipped making apple butter because there were more than three dozen pints in the pantry. I need more uses for the thick, sweet, and tasty condiment than spreading on toasted bread and muffins, dolloping on applesauce cake, and spooning… Read more

  • End of a Season

    There are no more apples to harvest from the trees. I made applesauce from the last five on the counter, peeling, coring, and cooking them in a bit of apple juice. When tender, I took the potato masher to them and now I have fresh, chunky-style applesauce. It’s among the best dishes of apple season.… Read more

  • Fall Photos

    This week was all about the shift to autumn—putting up hot peppers, processing apples, and getting ready for winter. Add a high school class reunion on Sept. 25, and it’s already been a busy season. Here are some of the best recent shots. Read more

  • Scion of Hawkeye

    The Iowa story of the Red Delicious apple is best told on the Stark Bro’s website. What stands out to me is that 1893, the year of the first International New Fruit Show where Jesse Hiatt of Peru, Iowa exhibited his chance seedling, the Hawkeye apple, also saw the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The… Read more

  • Varietal Applesauce

    With the first big harvest from the Zestar! and Crimson Crisp trees, I decided to make applesauce from each variety. When I finished putting up 36 pints, I organized them to make this variety case. It will be interesting to see how the distinctive flavors mature over time. I never heard of anyone doing varietal… Read more

  • The Moon is Still Out

    Walking on the state park trail before dawn is the latest iteration of my use of the trail. When I go out early I am hoping to catch some glorious photographs of a colorful sky. Recent days have been rather quotidian. At least the moon is still out at that hour. Yesterday I settled for… Read more