Jenn McKinlay: I spent my childhood in Kent, CT. It was (is) New England at its finest with lazy summers, colorful autumns, snowy winters, and blooming springs.
My brother and I ran wild, which was fine because the town was so small that by the time we got home from our latest shenanigans our mother had already been informed by a "helpful" neighbor and we were dealt with accordingly.
We moved away when I was nine to a small seaside town called Niantic, which was also a lovely place to grow up, but my love of autumn definitely comes from my formative years in Kent.
One of our favorite autumn pastimes as kids was to go apple picking. My brother and I, the original hooligans, made this a competition to find the absolute most perfect apples. If one was bruised or had a worm, it became a weapon to throw at each other. We always came out of the orchard, pulp soaked and laughing.
Back in the day, I was all about the red delicious, but my tastes have changed over the years and I have become a Macintosh gal with a strong affection for Honey Crisps.
Whenever it works out for the Hooligans to come back east with me in autumn, I drag them apple picking. We fill up a half bushel and promise to make apple pie, apple butter, and apple sauce and usually just end up eating the entire bag. There is nothing better than a fruit right off the tree as all gardeners know.
