One of the special joys of living on Bainbridge is access to farms and animals. My daughter loves animals, though she saves a particular dislike for raccoons.

She’s really into a horse phase so after dinner we take her to visit some horses.

Luke and Blaze are two retired mountain horses currently spending quality time enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of Johnson Farm. On arrival, mud be damned, my daughter bursts forth from the car “Luke & Blaze, Luke & Blaze, we have carrots for you!”

While my wife, who loves horses (they make me nervous), and my daughter pet and feed them carrots saved from dinner, I check out the apple trees. I love apple trees.

The cherry trees on the island shower us with pink and white blossoms for weeks on end in the spring, a truly magical sight.

The apple trees match them blossom for blossom.