Blueberries

Last week we went blueberry picking with the Headleys and Jerusha at Butler's Orchard.  Strawberry picking was such a hit that we were all waiting rather impatiently for the blueberries to ripen.  

Last year Owen and Evan grazed in the bushes - eating their weight in berries while the grown-up frantically tried to fill the giant buckets as quickly as possible, knowing that the boys' attention spans would only last as long as their appetites.

This time Owen tucked into his berries right away.  Filling and emptying the bottom of his basket steadily for the first few minutes.  

As I saw his eating enthusiasm start to wane I challenged him to put two, then three, then ten berries in my bucket.  Pretty soon he was my shadow and followed me quietly from bush to bush - picking and dropping - only breaking the flow to inform me again that we wanted only the big blue berries...not the green unripe ones.  

He was the same way harvesting strawberries.  My natural farmer.

It was one of those moments of pure enjoyment for me.  I can see the two of us working side by side for years to come and am deeply thankful for the strong, loyal, dedicated spirit that I know Owen has - so similar to his father's.  Life will be fun with these kids around.

PS: this did nothing to squelch my desire for a little farm.  Maybe we can just be squatters here?  

PPS:  The pictures are light on Everly because it was at the beginning of her cold...so I was holding her almost the entire time.  Thank goodness Owen was helping me or else we might not have brought home many berries.  We ended up with almost a full bucket - over 7 lbs of berries!