It's been years since I’ve gone out to the field to pick strawberries.... but when a friend extended the invite,
my youngest and I grabbed some plastic containers and headed for Fordyce Farms.
Once in the rows, I had to ask myself, “Why have I not indulged in this outing more often?”
My inner-voice then responded, “Because bending over can be uncomfortable, the sun can bear down on us unmercifully, and the pesky juice can stain your fingers!”
But wait….. Surveying the cheerful families around me, I thought, “This is u-pick family-fun style NOT berry picking first-teenage-job style.” Oh, the difference!
my youngest and I grabbed some plastic containers and headed for Fordyce Farms.
Once in the rows, I had to ask myself, “Why have I not indulged in this outing more often?”
My inner-voice then responded, “Because bending over can be uncomfortable, the sun can bear down on us unmercifully, and the pesky juice can stain your fingers!”
But wait….. Surveying the cheerful families around me, I thought, “This is u-pick family-fun style NOT berry picking first-teenage-job style.” Oh, the difference!
As a family, you can meander down the row, picking only the best looking berries. As a family, you can hear your son yell “Jackpot!” when he finds a big one and “Come here little guy!” when he picks a small one. Family style, you can lift young children row over row and send them running to collect the flag marker. You can go early and leave early (before the sun grows strong). You can take pictures, sing songs, and generally enjoy the experience as an experience. It doesn’t matter how many pounds you pick, or how fast you pick, or how long you pick. It’s the ultimate lazy days of summer.
Of course,
the resulting
strawberry pie
is great too.
Now I’m looking forward to blueberries…