When we first started, I leased an old orchard while waiting for our own newly-planted trees at the cidery to grow. It belonged to Klaus, a 78 year old mechanic who owned the Volkswagen repair shop in town, someone I got to know in high school when my old beater Jetta always seemed to be there.
At the time he was looking to step back from the orchard and wanted a younger pair of hands to take over. The fact that I was completely inexperienced didn’t phase him, since his guiding hand was never far. All the apples for our cider came from that orchard until our own began producing enough and I passed the lease on.
Last year we lost a lot of trees to fireblight disease in our own orchard. Klaus, now 88, offered the lease back. Yesterday was my first day back. I recognized a lot of the trees, not much had changed. It felt comfortably familiar, like a pair of well-worn shoes.
Some doors close for good, others thankfully stay open a crack.
Till next time,
Mike