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I loved this article and celebration of these robust and tasty apples . I used to have an orchard and really enjoyed all the benefits of growing a diversity of varieties. I live on Dartmoor , a wild part of the UK, if you are still running the waitlist for seeds I will sign up. I will give them to the community farm here and friends.

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Gavin! What a wonderful surprise to get your beautiful book in the mail. It's gorgeous and so packed with information. And recipes! I'm especially interested in the Ethiopian ones. And the essays on Voluntaryism and whether evil exists--right up my alley. And all the medicinal plant info. What a gem!

I'm going to delve in a bit before Weds, when I'll deliver it to the newlyweds. I think it will be good timing for them because James, who is the gardener, isn't working until after their honeymoon in New Zealand. So he's doing a lot of the cooking and having fun with it.

Thank you for enabling me to give them such a meaningful gift!

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Sep 10, 2023·edited Sep 10, 2023Author

Hi Tereza! :)

Thanks so much for letting me know it arrived safe and sound.

I really appreciate the thoughtful review and I am so glad you are enjoying the content.

It warms my heart knowing the book will be gifted to two creative and loving people that are beginning their life's journey together.

Would you or the newlyweds have a place for a few Malus sieversii seeds to set down roots and have a chance to achieve their true potential? If so I would be happy to send you a few. I especially love the idea of newlyweds growing an apple tree from seed (which can live to be 300 years old and become a family heirloom to pass onto future generations) :)

With regards to how my book was shipped to you, I had hired a company to do the shipping for all preorders within the U.S. but they messed up the notification emails with the tracking info and titled the email incorrectly (mixing it up with some other product they had shipped in the past) and then they also neglected to send the notification emails to some people all together. So if you find an email about "Goblins Oracle Dice" that was actually supposed to be titled for my book and provided the tracking number. Oh well, live and learn, anyways, the book made it there safely and that is all that matters I suppose!

Thanks again for taking the time to let me know the book arrived, sharing your impressions on the contents so far and for your heart warming sentiments.

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Haha! My email is not working but I would have loved to get a notice about Goblins Oracle Dice. Here are the pros and cons of us as a candidate for your seeds and I'll let you decide. Pros: James is a man after your own heart. He lives for apples (and coffee). Cider-making is his passion and he's darn good at it. He's a forager and can't let any fruit go to waste. Veronica has a magic touch for keeping indoor plants alive, which I definitely don't. My yard is a testament to the resilience of nature.

Cons: They now live in a rental with a manicured yard, so any tree would need to live potted for awhile. We don't get very cold winters, as you know. My yard is crammed with more semi-dwarf fruit trees than was really sensible, I'm finding. My Mutsu really got hit with coddling moths this year, despite the trap, and is jettisoning fruit and my ghost apple produced its little bit and is done (it's a youngster).

So I think I'm talking myself out of your kind offer. Although James grew up next to a river in a forest that's still the family home so maybe I'll ask him on Weds. That could be a forever home for your wild progeny ;-)

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Sep 7, 2023Liked by Gavin Mounsey

emailed after seeing your Facebook post a bit ago. I can't recall for sure but I think I "friended" you there after finding you here on substack. Latin-ish Facebook name and 0.*.0 gmail as I'll bet you're curious about identity.

your kindness in mailing me a sample is greatly enjoyed. looking forward to growing some of those malus sieversii.

once the mail system lets go of them and delivers, that is.

really appreciate the seed sharing.

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Sep 5, 2023Liked by Gavin Mounsey

There are no more apples in an apple seed than there are babies in a zygote.

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I love the first apples of fall so much - tart and firm. Going to try and go apple picking. My sad old apple tree looks like she'll just have enough for the squirrels and bears. Thx for another great article, my friend! 🍎🍎xo

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