Berry Picking Time & Vacation

I went berry picking this morning. There's something soothing, and addictive about picking a bowl full of berries. First of all, it takes me back to when I was a kid and picked raspberries as soon as they were ripe, until they were done, getting all cut up in the process if I didn't put on jeans and long shirt. Well, I was a kid. I was a tomboy. Getting scraped knees, cuts etc. was part of being the tomboy.
I lived in a small town, behind us was a field. As soon as the asparagus was up, I was out there walking fence line, and then traveled all the way down the rail road where the wonderful spears tended to grow thick and succulent.

After this we waited for the raspberries. That meant July 4th was around the corner. It would always become hot. Mornings held a mist in the horizon, and there would be heavy dew on the grass. My feet and the bottom of my jeans were always wet once I dragged myself home, exhausted, but with a bag of my prize.
Always worth it. As it was this morning. My mind wasn't bogged down by anything. No worries, except trying to keep myself from being bitten by bugs, or scratched up by the sharp thorns of the berry vines. Long sleeves and jeans, plus a hat work the best to protect from all of the above, plus a little bug spray. I carried my handy clippers too. There's always the new growth of cane that has to be trimmed back in order to get around it―either to reach in and pick those plump gems, or in order to just get into the right spot so as to reach them. Some canes grow pretty tall and thick.

I had several spots to pick from, it may have taken me an hour, but I didn't care. I think it's the challenge too of coming away unscathed, (or nearly, because I was sweaty down to my bra, and the shirt―which I didn't care about―was stained with berries), for something free. It's almost as though you're getting away with something, using up time that maybe could be better used. But I don't think so. After all, raspberries are one of those fruits that are supposed to contain antioxidants. The things you didn't even worry about when you ate such things, because they just tasted so good, and your fingers and mouth would be blue when you were done. How cool.

Once in a while the mind begs to not have anything to ponder, too. Berry picking will allow your mind to be free of worry. You're pondering your next move: How to get to that very far away cane with the bigger juicier berries. When we become adults we spend too much time worrying about something. Or too many somethings. You need a break, just something to stop the madness. I think it's a need to free yourself, like when you were young. When you didn't have so much to worry about. When raspberries, and cherries, and asparagus was gained through just a little effort and was in the backyard, or just beyond the barbed wire fence, in my case.
I was reminded of a time my brother and I were at the other end of town, visiting relatives, and there happened to be a woods nearby. We discovered a berry patch. A little boy who was with us (some neighbor kid) warned us they were poisonous. We just laughed and went on picking and eating. Most likely his parents didn't want to spend the time teaching him anything, and just told him not to eat anything in the woods. That's too bad for him. But at the time we didn't care. We knew these were the same berries that grew near us, and, as they say, more for us.


Summer is going strong, here in Illinois. And it's also vacation time. My husband and I just came back from vacation--a short one, because of gas prices. We needed to get away.

On our journey we visited Devil's Tower--worth the trip, but by now everyone is there, so we went at the right time. Also, be aware that the Stergis Rally is coming up. That means everyone who has a motorcycle (Harley's) are out there about this time of year into August, and you won't find a motel or even camping site. The other reason you won't get a room unless you've made reservations is that there's the big dig going on from Nebraska all the way up to North Dakota and all the construction crew takes the rooms for months at a time. We had to turn around because of it. But we made the most of it. We did see "The Enchanted Highway" in North Dakota. I recommend seeing this. One man has made all these huge metal sculptures, there's nothing like them in the world. Just worth the venture. Previews can be seen on the website at same name, I believe.

Then, we went to DeSmet in South Dakota, to visit the Ingalls Homestead, one of the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up. We got to ride in a covered wagon, I got a pony cart ride--until the rain came. We were driven out to the old one room school house where a retired teacher took us all back in time. The kids got to get into period costumes and participate in reciting old prose.

On way through Iowa, we stopped at Amana, Iowa. The old Germanic towns still survive. If Amana sounds familiar, it should. They still make appliances there, and you can take a tour. We haven't done so. There's plenty to see there, including a woolen shop, basket and broom shop, oh, and of course there's a chocolate shop, and several wineries where you can taste the wines they make from various fruits, and some have cheeses. Lots of nice nick-knacks, and there's also a micro brewery. All of the main ones have won various awards, so, if you go there, make sure to taste all you want and compare. I recommend you have lunch, first, but be aware that they do serve "family style". For those of you who don't know what that is, it's basically something that was done over one hundred years ago when the Amanas were a grouping of communes. Anyway, if you get the dinner, expect for your table to be laden with several bowls of vegetables, sauerkraut, fried potatoes, bread or rolls, at least a pound of cottage cheese, and God knows what all. All of it's good, but two people like us couldn't eat but a portion of it. Sounded silly to us.
Go with the sandwich option, if you don't want all that food. Believe me, unless you are a family of four, you won't be able to eat it all.

Well, that's all from me this time. Happy summer everyone!