Sunflowers and Apple Picking

Summer 2020.

I am sure at some point later on in history, people will look on at 2020 with wonder. Especially when you consider the madness that was late March and early April with the pandemic in full swing (it still is ongoing now in September, even if we pretend it's not).

Still, summer is something that is short and precious in Canada, and you want to make full use of it when it's here. One of the things to do late summer is go to a farm for picture sessions amidst the sunflower patches and pick lots of apples (which would lead you later on to google for "apple recipes").

Saw lots of bees this time, which in a way is good as they say bees are becoming endangered (which isn't good for humanity, amidst all the stuff happening in 2020).

Not only do they have tractors for photo ops (make sure to sanitize your hands after #covid19), but they also had a small Cessna airplane. 

More bees. This time I decided to get a close up of their pollination action.

There's a huge wagon that takes you to the sunflower patch from the entrance of the farm (you have to socially distance and wear masks).

Once you are done taking your instagram snaps and stories in the sunflower area, you can take the wagon ride back to the farm entrance. From there, you can follow the markers and the trail to the apple trees.

Normally this would be crowded at this time of the year. #Covid19 not only meant segregated uni-directional walkways, but also staggered entrance timings, limited crowding and in some ways, a more personable experience. Too bad about the masks, the frequent sanitizer use and the general atmosphere of fear and dread of catching the virus even as you go about your activities. 

You are only allowed to pick certain types of apples (the others are not ready yet). It's fun for the kids, but make sure not to pick too many. You have to pay by the weight and it's not worth it as a shopping activity! There's a reason they let you pick these apples - they are not very tasty! Just treat it as a fun outing for the day, especially for the kids.

Yes, they did have huge bale of hay you can jump in (it's fun to take slow-mo videos as you toss these up). It's nice that we in Ontario have moved on to Stage 3 of our reopening ( but again, the numbers are not really going down any more - as of September 5, 2020). Stage 3 meant a lot of these activities are now open and allowed, even with limited capacity.

For those wondering where we went, it was The Apple Orchard, about an hour drive away from eastern Toronto. There's plenty of farms though, in and around the Greater Toronto Area, and you can pick any that has a list of activities you and your family like.