October is apple season in Maine.
It is when the Fairy Kingdom and mankind merge together working side by side to harvest nature’s bounty.
Humans unlike Fairy Folk cannot always see what lays directly before them, so although fairy folk work along side us they most often remain invisible to the average mortal’s eye.
Fairies and Gnomes and even the tall elegant Wizard can wander about undetected while sweetening and gathering apples at our farm.
It is usually children who catch a glimpse of them and of course the Wildlings.
On rare occasions an adult will come along who has not lost their magic of believing and for them the The Kingdom of Childhood, the gateway to The Fairy Realm remains wide open.
It is these few individuals who will see the fairies who live and work by our side.
Gnomes collect tender apples sweetened by fairy dust which glimmer and glow.
The Wizard samples the first apple picked this season for flavor, nodding his approval.
The Fairies have sprinkled the proper amount of fairy dust for taste and sweetness.
After gathering apples the Gnomes consult with The Wizard of Time regarding the weather.
This Wizard is very wise and he watches over all of the Fairy Kingdom.
He reassures the Gnomes that all will be well as they slumber through the winter months in their cozy chambers.
The Wizard knows that time moves forward and that faith is as important as the air we breathe.
After our family has harvested their apples we gather bushel basket fulls into the greenhouse where we will sort them for eating and pressing into cider.
Home Place Fairies wheel apples to their home within the heart of an ancient tree.
Trolls and Gnomes with the help of Fairy Dogs will carry baskets and sacks filled with apples to secret root cellars hidden on the Knoll.
This evening we humans will savor the fragrance of apples baking. Tomorrow we will bring them to The Magician and His Lady of The Orchards for pressing into cider.
Just before departing into the Enchanted Forest the Fairies peek into our greenhouse filled with a bounty they helped bring to fruition, while a little girl in red boots dances a jig on the table.
When the sun sets all Fairies, Trolls and Gnomes have retired to their chambers and we to our cozy home by a fire; the Wizard to his tower on the hill.
This is the hour when nocturnal Wildlings awaken, returning to the orchard, meadow and gardens, where they will feast upon dropped apples, late peaches and pears.
A bit of Home Place Fairy Lore:
Did you know that each of the Gnomes from the Knoll has their very own Fairy Dog? Well, they do.These tiny dogs are loyal companions and like most fairy folk they have the power to shape shift and increase in size. They also posses the power of partial invisibility, meaning they can make their wings invisible and appear as any average mortal dog.
Gnomes are playful folk and Fairy Dogs are too. But don’t be fooled, what looks like play is also about getting the job done. Gnomes are responsible for making sure each and every piece of fruit has been properly dusted by the Fairies for taste and painted by the Pixies for color. Then with the help of large invisible Trolls, Gnomes have the task of gathering enough fruits for distribution to the entire Fairy Realm.
Fairy dogs love to run and flutter following Gnomes; in the process they prevent any magical dust from settling on the ground.
