We spent the early morning hours picking peaches at my Clyde Aumn’s orchard in the Sandhills area of North Carolina. IMoore County, north of west end on highway 73, not too far from Chapel Hill. These Auman peaches are legendary, and the family has been selling them in a packing shed behind their home since the early 1920’s. Visiting the Auman orchard is an authentic experience, and a sweet one at that. Picking peaches is one of the supremely mellow things to do in life.

Around every nook and cranny of the tree you see something with amazing hues of a Carolina sunset that melts away in your mouth.

Photo by Sharon Arnold

We packed up three bushels and headed towardss Nag’s Bay. Gratefully it was near the summer solstace and we were able to make the long drive by sunset. As the sun melted slowly into the horizon, time stood still. The silky water, the pink and orange clouds, the sea-salt air, the shrinking orb of light – all as one, gently massaged my senses, and I felt like we could pick the sun from the sky and eat it.