a really cool gadget

A friend of ours asked how we picked our pears, and I laughingly said "With our hands."  So he loaned us a fruit picker.  It's great for getting the fruit that is slightly out of reach without forcing you to climb a ladder or shake the fruit down, bruising it (and yourself) in the process.
Yesterday I finally finished using it.  All the pears within reach are in and processed, and all the apples are picked.  Hopefully I'll finish taking care of those today.
So if you ever have need of a new gadget, I recommend the fruit picker. :)