Yes, the rumor is true – I’m opening up a weekend EARLIER than planned for Apple Blossom Days. Don’t worry – if you can’t come this weekend – there’s always next weekend. We’ll be giving a ‘sneak peak’ of the orchard two weekends in a row. The pictures on this blog post were taken today – Do NOT forget your CAMERA! These are just a few of the fantastic pictures I snapped of the girls today. I am really happy with how they turned out. I took this picture and did no editing – how cool is this!?

Alright, alright – so yes, apple blossom days gives you some great photo opportunities – what else?

Well…you’ll get to be some of the first people to try out our new ‘Duck Races’. Jared put them together and they’re super fun! We will have weighted ducks for sale in the store for $1 each and then you get to take the duck home. …or you can buy 3… We also have a decent variety of hanging plants, our canned goods (including NEW raspberry spread), baking mixes, handcrafted items (quilts, jewelry, bags, pottery and more), honey, maple syrup, gardening items, and other things. All of these would make for excellent Mother’s Day Gifts (just a week away!)

You’ll also be able to say Hi to Itsy, Zestar! and Tree (the goats) – I’m not sure if the emus will be hear or not – but there eggs (blown out) will be for sale. They’ve been laying like crazy and we don’t want to disturb them until they’re done.

I have a few other things up my sleeves but you’ll just have to stop by to find out what they are!

Hope to see you this weekend (or NEXT) at our NEW location!

N1959 Kroncke Road

Poynette, WI 53955

Jared, the girls and I took a quick little road trip to Michigan (5 hours) on Thursday, stayed the night with a friend of mine and her family (thanks Natalie!) and were up early in the morning so we could go and pick up some new apple trees from Hilltop Fruit Trees, LLC.  It’s apple blossom time in Michigan…   An employee helped Jared load the trees into the back of the truck.    Jared wrapped them up and strapped them down and we headed home.  We made good time through Chicago and were home in the early afternoon.  Frank and Diane came over about 15 minutes after we arrived, enough time for us to unpack and get changed into some work clothes.  Frank took control of the skidster and dug some holes with a special attachment.  Diane, Jared and I were in charge of planting.  A friend of ours showed up about 2/3 of the way through and was a great help getting the rest in.  Cedi and Capri were helpful too! Capri stomping the dirt in to get rid of any air pockets around the roots.    Onto Apple Blossom Days…we’re still going to be open on Saturday and Sunday May 8th and 9th from 9-4 for Apple Blossom Days as planned.  BUT as you can see from the pictures – the orchard is starting to blossom out about a week early – so, weather permitting we will also be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday May 1st and 2nd.  We’ll have the shop looking nice but I’m not sure if there will be any outdoor activities ready.  BUT you will still be able to walk around our orchard, enjoy the blossoms, take pictures, and enjoy some time out in the ‘country’ – oh and visit the goats and maybe the emus.  Any quilters that read this blog make sure you check out Challenge #2 of Project Quilting:  http://kimscraftyapple.blogspot.com/2010/04/project-quilting-apple-blossom-time.html

You may remember from last summer, that girls helped me pain the chicken coop shown above.  Well…we still had one more coop to paint (which may turn into one more yet if we get the one from Frank and Diane’s…we’ll see what happens…)So, on a windy day, when both families were over – some working, some entertaining the girls, I loaded up the six-wheeler with some more Oops paint from my basement and got to work.  My ‘vision’ was to create a sort of patchwork effect.  I think I came pretty close.  I’ll be honest with you – I wasn’t really looking forward to painting another coop but as soon as I had that brush in my hand – I had a great time.    I love to paint when there are no rules – no boundaries – and no worries.  And now, we won’t only be known as the orchard with the best caramel apples, but we’ll be known as the orchard with the neat painted chicken coop!

View from my back patio door

Happy Easter to everyone! We hope you all had a fun filled day! 

We spent the day working on the changes in the orchard – of course!  So many new things have been happening and I have so much to share with you.  One thing I just have to get out there NOW instead of later is a great event coming up – Apple Blossom Days.

2010 will be the first year that we hold Apple Blossom Days at the orchard.  It will serve two purposes:

• You and your family or whomever get to enjoy walking around 20 acres of apple blossoms (crossing our fingers that the apples are indeed blossoming at that time – they ‘should’ be but with farming you just never know).
• Let you have a ‘sneak peak’ at our new location.  The store will be set up and operational minus apples, cider, and caramel apples.  Lots of canned goods, a new batch of 2010 maple syrup, honey, and crafts and jewelry made by Kim and Diane.  The animals should all be over here and we have a few other fun things up our sleeves as well – I’ll keep you posted.

Now for some details:

WHEN:  Saturday, May 8th and Sunday, May 9th from 9am – 4pm

WHERE:  Lapacek’s Orchard NEW Location:  N1959 Kroncke Road, Poynette, WI

WHY:  Have some fun in beautiful apple blossoms – great photo ops as well!

Stay tuned for more details to come!

To read about/RSVP (this is not required – just fun for me to see who I get to catch up with) out the event on Facebook go here:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111762682184340&ref=ts

AND if you want to ‘fan’ Lapacek’s Orchard on facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/LapaceksOrchard?ref=ts

Frank and Diane loaded up our extremely friendly goats on Tuesday night an delivered them to their new home at our orchard.  After a good hoof trim, the goats are feeling right at home and my girls are in HEAVEN! We have to go out every day and feed them the sticks they like.I even saw Capri give them kisses good-bye last night! Here’s Cedi, wishing she could be in the pen playing with the goats…   As I’ve said before, I’m not a huge animal fan, but these goats are really friendly and I do enjoy watching them. So now we have dogs, goats, and chickens – next to arrive are the emu’s…I’ll keep you posted!