The Great Green Apple War

I've only read this book a few dozen times. It was given to me by an old friend, Hans Guertler, who has since passed away. He was a very kind German man in my ward in SLC when I was 7 years old. He and his wife would hug me and give me chocolates (the fancy kind) and later when I moved, I got his address and started writing letters to him for the next several years. He gave me stamps, coins, books, letters and chocolates through the post. But more importantly, through his kindness, he gave me the belief that there was good in men (something I needed). I went and visited him and his wife after years of letters right before my mission and that was the last time before he died.

This book inspired much orchard mischieviousness. The kids in the book lived and breathed in an apple orchard so after reading it for the 20th or 21st time, I was really craving orchard adventure. But where do you find that in the Las Vegas desert? When I was 16, my family moved to Utah in the dead of winter. After the thaw, I marveled over the orchards just down the street and virtually everywhere. That started my solitary wanderings on private property. Then, not so solitary wanderings with friends and brothers playing night games. I gorged myself on ripe cherries only to feel incredibly guilty. I realized that people actually sold them so I pinned a dollar to the trunk of the tree. (I know now that that didn't cover the cost.) My orchard wanderings got even better when I went there with David and practiced kissing. We got pretty good.

Now, there are hardly any orchards left around. Only bulldozed lots with half built houses and stalled construction. Which I just realized is so ironic because that is exactly what happened at the end of The Great Green Apple War.