Last winter, all the apple trees at the museum had their low branches pruned to keep people from picking their fruits.

And among the dozens of apple trees at the museum, there was only one tree full of apples this autumn.

Which, without a picker, left us very little to pick at all. On the ground, a few old apples lay in various states of decay.

Apples in various states of decay acquire unique flavors and textures, interesting to explore with the palate.

We did a little exploring.