Blueberries!
When my family moved to The Garden of the Goats, we had no idea there was a blueberry farm nearby. Thankfully one of my neighbors, who is a great friend, told me about it and asked if the kids and I would like to go. Um, YES! Unfortunately, the first date we picked was a wash out. It stormed. It was not just a light shower that would quickly pass. No, it was thunder, lightening and wind. The kind your feet would turn into mud blocks if you walked across the yard when the rain stopped.
I didn't know how long the season at the farm lasted, and I had kind of forgotten about it until my friend asked me yesterday if we'd like to go this morning. It's the last day for picking. I said yes again! My kids are lolly gaggers. They can make a 10 minute chore last two hours. (True story. I've been timing them. ) I knew we wouldn't be ready to go at the crack of dawn because chores had to be done. So I said we'd be ready by 10:00. (Plenty of time for breakfast, getting ready, and lolly gagging.) But I told the kids what was on the agenda, and low and behold, we were out the door by 9:00! We picked up my friend and headed out.
My kids have picked black raspberries from our fence line, and wild blackberries from our brushy woods. But we've never been given buckets and row after row of berries to pick an abundant amount of fruit before today. 
We all were a bit giddy. Except the youngest. She picked about five berries and was done. She wanted to hang out with the owner on her porch. Tough toenails, Tootsie. I forced her to stay with our bunch and have fun! She didn't pick any more for a bucket, but she did eat her weight in the rest she picked! 
(I'm so sorry, I'm on my phone posting, and the pictures in my gallery are up and down, but when inserting them here they are sideways. I can't figure out how to change them. If you could clue me in on it, I'd be eternally grateful! )
Even though it was fairly early when we went, the heat quickly increased. We were sweating quite a bit as the temperature hit 89 F, but it was still very pleasant.
We decided it was time to call it a day after my girls got 3-4 bug stings each. It's not fun when the kids are crying.
One of the nice qualities of this pick it yourself farm is the price. They charge $3 USD per pound of blueberries! That's a much better price than we can get at the store. Nice memories are made when you spend a morning working together to gather berries. When we're eating blueberry oatmeal, muffins, or scones this winter, our thoughts will go back to this day. We ended up with a little over 10 pints when all was said and done. That worked out to around $24.00, but because it was the last day for picking and there weren't a lot of pickers around, I was only charged $20.00. How nice! I do believe we'll keep an ear out for blueberry season next summer. I'm grateful to my friend for making sure we got this experience.
Note: The blueberry rows and bushes are covered by netting to keep the birds from getting the berries. The farm said this is the first year for the netting, but it's served its purpose nicely.
What a fun day and memory!! We don't have blueberries around here but we always go strawberry picking in the early summer and apple picking in the fall. Oh and I can't forget about the pumpkin patch! I so look forward to it even as an adult. So fun to start a new tradition for your family.
Strawberries! We tried to grow some this year, but they didn't take off. Maybe next year. Yum! And apples, yes. Pumpkin patch- my brain says, "Fall. Come. Now. " it's so fun!
It is so much fun! The stuff memories are made of. When I think of blueberry picking I think back to a book we had as a child Blueberries for Sal. Ha! I'm sure it's much different than that.
My grandma had that book in the toy closet she kept for us, but i can't remember ever reading it. I can see the cover in my mind. Now I'll have to get it at the library next time we go!
If you do you will have to let me know. I feel like there's a bear in there somewhere but I can't quite remember!
Looks like a fun day! Blueberries are my favorite. You should be able to rotate the pictures on your camera roll, then they'll be right side up when you insert them.
Thank you! They're so delish!
And thanks for the techy help. I need all the help i can get! For real
I get the idea even with the pics sideways. Looks like a memory making day.
When fall comes want to come to my place and pick apples? The trees are loaded this year and we are giving them away. Take away all you can pick!
Oh my goodness, that would be awesome! But you're more than a two hour drive from me, right? ?? Ha ha
You can pick them virtually then.
We have many varieties that come ready to be picked at different times.
Let me know when you can come and I'll let you know what is good.
You can't beat fresh apples! I will love to pick them virtually.
Thanks for your help with the picking.
During another year with this kind of potential harvest we had the whole living floor space covered with apples.
As we pick them we sort them:
Specially marked:
For you and your family some of the best and some for cooking
Those blueberry bushes are way taller than the wild berry bushes we have around here. I'm guessing that they are a domestic high bush variety. A lot easier to pick from than the low bush wild blueberries. :-)
I love blueberries!! Unfortunately most of the U-Pick farms around here for various produce have shut down. :-( I'll have to do a search again to see if any have re-opened or news ones have opened. Don't forget to make blueberry pancake syrup!! Yummy!!!
Do you have a favorite recipe for the syrup you'd share? (Bats eye lashes )
I'll have to dig through my recipe files one of these days and post it for you. I also follow the same recipe to make strawberry syrup, raspberry syrup and even peach syrup. Pretty basic and easy recipe!