Today we went to the Long Branch Environmental Education Center in Leicester, NC, to pick apples and look for signs of Autumn. Many parents tagged along as well as several smaller siblings. It was a GORGEOUS day! Once we had all arrived, we gathered in front of the main building to have our morning snack which is our weekly loaf of bread made by the children earlier in the week. Afterwards we all headed up the hillside to the orchard where we gathered apples to take home and for making yummy snacks in the classroom next week. Paul, of LBEEC, met us under the trees just as we had filled our baskets and told us the local Native American story of how the mountains and valleys were made by the wings of the turkey vultures. Then Ms. Katy told us Susan Down‘s story of how apples got a star inside to house their seeds. Afterwards we sang apple songs while passing around yummy apple pieces which Ms. Katy cut up for everyone. While we were walking back down the hill to the picnic tables to eat lunch we came across a friendly black garden snake. We left him to bask in the sunshine while we ate our lunches and said goodbye. It was a great day and we look forward to going again next year!