Berries, berries and more berries!

Since moving to Texas we have grown to love blueberries!  I was never a blueberry lover until I went picking in Texas.  There is something about picking your own, eating as you go.  I had never even known what a blueberry bush or tree looked like until I went picking with some friends.  I was in it for the experience (we home schoolers will do just about anything for an educational experience!) and fell in love with fresh blueberries.

This was my third time to go picking and we went to a new place this year.  It's called Blueberry Hill Farms in Edom, Texas about 100 miles south east of Dallas.  I've always gone with my girlfriend, Beth (she loves berries) and this year Rich went along also with his parents who are visiting from California.

Rich's Dad was on a mission to fill his bucket with the most he could get into it.  They charge per bucket and he being a very frugal mathematician, stayed very focused.  I didn't see him the whole 2 hours we were picking because he was deep in the bushes getting the most he could!

This was Micah's first introduction to blueberries and the art of picking.  He loves being in this backpack and hardly peeped the whole time.  Rich ran around taking pictures and bringing everyone else waters.

There were rows and rows of berries to choose from.  The weather high was supposed to be 97* but we went early and there was wonderful cloud cover and a nice breeze.  We were so thankful!

It got hotter later and very humid but we were almost done at that point and stopped for a picnic lunch before heading home.

This is the country store where you purchase your berries and can also buy syrup, preserves, other fresh produce, and recipe books.  It was beautifully air conditioned and everyone running the place was very friendly.

We will definitely return here next year!

Rich's mom proving to you that she is working for her berries.

I realize now why blueberries are so expensive.  It is a very tedious job to pick individual berries.  And they peek in June and July (very hot conditions).

They grow in clusters like grapes but don't ripen all at the same time.  So you are looking for that beautiful blue one that is just right and sometimes picking only one at a time.

Here is a lot of good ones!  I just want to pick those right now.  Did anyone get those?

Micah trying his first blueberry!

He really liked them and a few times tried to pick his own!

It was hard to not eat too many!  You were allowed to eat as you picked but that just meant less in your bucket.

This is my friend Beth's, son in the hat with Reece.

Grandma barely surviving the heat!

Grandpa on a mission.

Some of us took picking very seriously.

Almost a full bucket!  Aren't they gorgeous!

Checking out with the rewards of hard work!

What will we do with all these?  Eat them and freeze them.  Blueberry pancakes, here we come!

Whew! Let's go home and relax!  

More about Rich's parents visit to come.  I just had to get these pretty blueberry pictures up first!