It Only Hurts When I Blog

Greetings, Blogregation!

We are gathered here today to ask ourselves, 'WHY is tomorrow MONDAY?'

But let's not look ahead, let's concentrate on something else. BLUEBERRIES.

Hopefully that text will come out BLUE.

Charlie and I went blueberry picking yesterday at our favorite pick-your-own blueberry place - Fruity Patch Farm.

Where is THAT, Karen? Well you just go down Bear Creek Pike to Highway 50, and turn at Doo-dads market. What could be easier?

It is just the PERFECT place to pick blueberries. The blueberry bushes (I guess they are the high-bush variety) are well-established and taller than Charlie, meaning maybe 7 feet high, and probably 7 feet wide as well. There are lots of them. The place provides gallon-sized berry buckets so you can keep track of how much you have picked and know how to pay for them.

You just walk around and pick berry after berry without bending or stooping (unless you want to). It is a great place for anyone of any age, as you don't expend as much effort as wild berrying with short bushes close to the ground, or blackberries with their thorns! Kids can pick at their height, and adults at theirs.

There were a few cars around when we arrived, but we didn't really see anyone. We just parked, grabbed our buckets, and started picking on the closest bush to the truck.

A couple of women speaking Chinese came to pick, and one asked me (in English) what I used the berries for. I mentioned jam, cobbler, cake, pancakes, and muffins. I think she got the hint that you can use them for any recipe you would use any other berries for.

It took us an hour (I think) to each pick a gallon. We had brought boxes to put our berries in when we were done. A box is good because they don't get stacked too deep and don't crush.

One woman tried to PAY CHARLIE as we were leaving. I guess he looked the part with his camo-baseball hat, t-shirt with cutoff sleeves and cutoff jean shorts. I've been teasing him about it ever since. The owner actually looks like a ZZ Top band member, with a long white beard. Kind of farmer-gnomish I'd say.

Ok - so did I tell you what this place charges for a GALLON of berries???? SIX DOLLARS. That is...like... totally SO inexpensive when the supermarket charges $4 for a half pint of old berries! They have wonderful prices in the fall for apples too. I recommend the place highly.

We were going to get some sweet corn there too - but 'da farmer' said his first crop dried up in the drought. We totally understand, because our garden did the same thing. We have had a comparatively lean harvest, even though we eat summer squash EVERY SINGLE DAY.

When we left, of course we had to stop at Doo-dads market for a 'cold drink' - that means a soda. Charlie gets Pepsi and peanuts, and pours his peanuts into his pepsi for a sweet-and-salty snack. You have to drink it just right or you get a peanut in your windpipe. Did you know that Pepsi (or other cola) and peanuts is a Traditional Southern thing to snack on? Well, it is. Me- Diet Mountain Dew. YUM-O.

Well, I'd better get in the shower and get this show on the road.

Charlie and I are going to see Superman at noon today, and it's 10am and I'm not even ready. (I've been busy with breakfast and laundry and bloggification this morning).

After the movie I think we'll go to Logans Roadhouse and have a steak salad for a combination lunch and dinner. Sounds good, doesn't it??

TTFN!