Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts

Friday, June 5, 2009

Orchard in Bloom

Well, the Saskatoon Berries are (finally) in full bloom.  All 20 acres of them.

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20 acres starts to feel like a lot after the second day of sorting.

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The crab apple tree is blossoming too, and the fragrance is unbelievable.

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When the orchard is in bloom, it can only mean one thing (well, really, it means several things, most of which are work, but for the purpose of this post, it can only mean one thing…)

PARTY!

This is the time of year when we invite around 60 of our closest friends, and all their kids, and we have a BBQ to celebrate yet another year of God’s blessing on us.

So we decorate

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and we light the fire in the fire pit

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We eat tons of food, and then we sit on the deck sipping coffee

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and we snuggle other people’s babies

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and we try to keep warm because although it’s June, we are required to wrap up in fleecy blankets and wear warm jackets.

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The kids run amok and play soccer

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and jump on our decrepit trampoline

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and play on the toys

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while the adults visit

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and tell really good stories

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and laugh

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and stand around the fire

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trying to keep warm

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because it’s June, and yet it really really isn’t.

Of course, it’s not a party unless there’s trifle…

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and party favors.

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On a totally different note, I always thought this guy was terribly handsome

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even from behind

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Don’t tell his wife I said that.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Gone Pickin' (or actually, Sortin')

I will be staring at this for at least the next two weeks....



Yep, lots and lots of those.
I will be dreaming at night of berries rolling past me on the sorting table.
My fingers and hands will be purpley-black.
I will probably be crabby.

See you when we're done!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Wishy-Washy Wednesday

Today is the first day of picking.

I may have mentioned before that Berry Season is not my most beloved time of year.
While I like all the perks that come from having a 20acre berry orchard - I don't have to pick my own fruit (I hate picking), I don't have to sort my own fruit (I hate sorting), and I have fruit in my freezer LONG after everyone else has run out (it's almost a source of pride, I confess), I don't really care for the busyness of this time - Berry Guy is VERY busy, our yard is very busy, I am very busy...I'd rather be reading.

However, the season can no longer be held off, and today is the first day. The Hutterite Colony came rolling onto the yard at 7am and are happily picking away. Berry Boy is happily chatting away and is apparently on a first-name basis with "Josh", the Hutterite man who drives the "girls" here every year. I'm pretty sure that when they come next time Josh will be sure to bring a kid along to play with Berry Boy so that he doesn't have to endure the never ending barrage of comments and questions.
Oh well, time to strap on my "happy face" and be the "good helper" that Berry Boy is always saying that HE is...tomorrow will be another busy day...