COUNTRY ROAD SMELLS

Cindy Pardy

Cynthia Pardy is a producer and director for WHRO. You might recognize her incredible work on the "Civil War in Hampton Roads" series with John Quarstein as the host and historian. Cynthia is not only talented behind the camera she has a passion for family, church, roots, and history. I love talking with Cindy everyday over our very quick coffee breaks first thing in the morning. (mmm Cinnamon Creame this morning) Today's conversation is an ongoing one that we have had for the past 7 years I have worked at WHRO, and that is gardens, orchards, and apples. 

Roma, Emprire, and Granny

Cindy every year goes to the mountains with her mom in tow for apple picking in the first or second weekend in October usually. She sends an email out to the staff. Apple time! and we come running with our money and order's for the year, and on Monday we have fresh, sweet, tart apple's. 

Well I was out yesterday so I got my apples this morning. How beautiful they are and just picked at the top of the season. I can't wait to bake them. Seventeen and a half cases she brought back this year. They were lined up down the production hallway, bags and boxes of mostly Fuji, but some beautiful Winesnap, Granny Smith's, and Empires. I missed that picture.

Fuji

Cindy and I took time again this morning for her to tell me of her trip to the mountains to Dickie Bros. Orchard in Roseland, VA. http://www.dickiebros.com/ With a hint of Autumn in the air and the smells of the country road her trip could not have been planned more perfectly with the weather. I loved the picture she planted in my mind of her drive up the mountain, down the mountain and around several bends to the entrance of the country road that leads to the Orchard by smell alone. Horses in the fields and tree after tree of bent over branches laden with apples. A little snap in the air of Autumn coming and then the barn with the apples, and pumpkins and other fall bounties from the Earth.

My box

Cindy has become a planner and so emailed the brothers of her order and they were ready for her with the packed up apples to be loaded into the van for the trip back to Norfolk. The other picture I had in mind is Cindy's Mom giving her approval of a what a perfect apple season we will be having by taking her finished eaten apple and throwing her core into the field for the horses to partake in the same juicy tart sweetness.

Someday I will find the time to go back to the roots I was brought up on and join Cindy in her yearly trek to the mountains. But for today I am having the prettiest apple of the bunch for breakfast. Thanks Cindy!

YUMM