People determined to pick their own apples are not letting rainy weather and late ripening keep them away from Hillside Apples in Casco.  A colder, wet spring kept orchards from blooming until almost early summer.  That delayed ripening for most apple varieties about two weeks.  A rainy fall has not affected the quality of the apples, though it has left orchards wet and muddy.  Bill Roethle, co-owner of Hillside Apples, however, says people are coming to the orchards well prepared.

Roethle says apple lovers will have another two weeks for picking.  That's because some more varieties of apples are starting to ripen.