2011 upick chronicles (x2)

There has been a definite shift in the angle of the light in the last week and a half and the quality of the wind, which corresponds nicely with Lammas (half way between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox). This seasonal shift has been noticeable in the berry fields as well. We picked raspberries a few days ago and then picked a pint or two each of boysenberries, marionberries, black raspberries (black caps) and sylvan blackberries today. There are still a few berries on the vines but rather than sharing space with flowers and honey bees, they are surrounded by unpicked drying berries and yellow jackets enjoying the sweetness of the season. The rows, once easy to walk through, are now overgrown.

The weather was overcast and cool when we first arrived at the upick late this morning. There were also so. many. blackbirds flocking. By the time we left, a little over an hour later, there was sunshine with fluffy cumulus clouds filling the sky.







Our upick on Wednesday was cut short by the hot dry weather. I had us there much later in the day than I normally would have, had I known how hot it was supposed to get.

Before going to the upick on Wednesday, we went to the farmers market in downtown Portland. It was a quick trip to pick up my first tomatoes of the season. It was also a reminder that peach season has begun! (After the market, we walked up to the food carts for tacos and frozen yogurt. And this it was off to the upick. A summer-food-filled day.)

2011 upick chronicles

It's peak berry time right now. Today we picked boysenberries and black caps. Eva also picked some red currants and wants me to make some red currant- red raspberry sorbet with them. I'm hoping to make that in the next couple of days. The boysenberries will be both frozen and turned into jam. The weather has been gorgeous for picking.



Gorgeous rows of berries and upickers, all enjoying the sunshine and cool breezes.



I love how much smaller the black caps (black raspberries) are than the boysenberries.



I asked for a little luck today and what better place to find it than the upick.



Boysenberries are soft and plump. They have a pretty purple tint and darken as they ripen.

picture summer- day 11 {treat yourself}

Sour cherry pie.

picture summer- day 25 {magic number}

Sour cherry pie in four parts. (Sour cherries from my CSA. Recipe from Chez Panisse Fruit.)

picture summer- day 22 {girl, put your record on}

We're jammin', jammin'
And I hope you like jammin' too.

picture summer- day 21 {spacey}

White cat, black berries.

2011 upick chronicles

Today we were back at West Union Gardens to pick black raspberries (black caps), yellow raspberries and red raspberries. We picked a little over a flat mixed of all three berries. They were all great for picking but the red raspberries were at their finest! I'm hoping to go back soon to pick some more. Eva and I made raspberry and tayberry jam with most of the berries (the ones we didn't eat) that we picked on Saturday. Eva also wants to pick currants the next time we go.



Gooseberries, which we did not pick, but which we tasted.



Yellow raspberries.



Funky VW bus also found at the upick.

Picture Inspiration- week 20 {excavation}

{Coming in during the middle of this weekly class...}



Excavation- dig deep and discover what you enjoy taking photos of the most. This photo sums up quite a bit of that- my kids, {lately} Eva in her big sun hat, places we go, and {of course} the upick {and all the fruit found therein}.

picture summer- day 13 {juicy fruit}

Pears pairing.

2011 upick chronicles

Today Eva and I went to West Union Gardens for their first day of upicking. We picked a mixed flat of tayberries and raspberries. I must say, a flat fills up so much more quickly when Eva is picking as well! The tayberries were particularly easy to pick. The raspberries were just getting started and a little picked over at that.

picture summer- day 9 {the shape of things}

Berries and berry boxes.

picture summer- day 4 {summer traditions}

A lonely piece of gum Samuel left on the ground after the neighborhood Fourth of July parade passed by our house.



Eva decorating her Fourth of July cake. I liked her look of concentration in this one.

picture summer- day 2 {splash}

Water + tea + sunshine = sun tea!

(This was Choice's NW Blackberry tea. I had one package left and chose it because I remembered how the red color seeped through the water. Drinking it also reminded me how much I like berry/ fruit teas during the summer. Somewhere along the way all of my teas have become extremely practical. Sometimes this happens. Now I'm ready to swing back the other way a little bit and write blackberry tea on my grocery list for this week...)

2011 upick chronicles

More strawberry picking yesterday, this time with friends. I picked 6.8 pounds of hood strawberries and noticed that the picking had definitely slowed down from a few days before. My feeling is that a few more days of sunshine and a little more heat will help ripen them up to make for easier picking {again} next week.

2011 upick chronicles

First upick for us today. We picked (mostly rainier and some puget reliance) strawberries (13.46 pounds) at Baggenstos Farm. I love picking berries and was so pleased to be there today. Strawberry picking is nice for a few reasons, even if they aren't my favorite berries. It is early in the season and my kids aren't burned out yet from picking. It's usually not hot enough yet to be uncomfortable. It can even be overcast, like it was today. And Eva usually enjoys picking as well, so the picking goes doubly fast.

I made sure to take a few moments to enjoy being outside with the berries. I miss being in the country frequently and when I'm out at the upick, I try to remember to take a look around at the big sky and vast spaces that can feel so peaceful to me.





Now what? Eva said she doesn't want me to make very much strawberry jam this year because she doesn't really like strawberry jam, which was amusing to me because she used to be the main person who did like strawberry jam. And why I made it. (Well- let's be clear. I made it because I like making jam. But I don't like eating very much jam, so it's nice to have someone who likes it...) I guess we'll eat a ton of strawberries for now, freeze some and make a little jam. I'm hoping to pick strawberries a few more times before the raspberries kick in. Once there are raspberries (and then other berries) to pick, I find it hard to pick strawberries any more. Right now is a special time with just the strawberries out there for picking.

picture color- day 12 {polka dots}

This was a particularly fun day. Eva and I looked everywhere for evidence of polka dots. We found our polka dotted chalk. I got the idea to include the peas while we were eating peas for lunch.



Then, while I was thinking about the polka dotted pea shot, Eva decided to go ahead and just draw me some polka dots of her own! (With the polka dotted chalk.)

picture color- day 11 {red and pink}

picture color- day 7 {color me yummy}

Another good timing, go with the flow situation. I had wanted to make blueberry muffins two days ago. Then yesterday. Then this morning, when I woke up and read that the prompt for today's photo was color me yummy, I thought it was perfect that I hadn't yet made them and what a fun color-me-yummy-photo they would make. I wish I could say I also used the flour we got from our tour at the grist mill, but I decided at the last minute to go with my usual spelt.

I'm also happy with the lighting in this photo- finally- after taking several and then deciding to go ahead and take the muffins out into the middle of the yard to catch the fading evening sunlight.

easter

{Textures and colors from our walk this afternoon} We've had sunshine the last few days for at least part of each day with yesterday being mostly sunny all.day.long. I was surprised to wake up to rain this morning, not being someone who normally checks the weather report {with any regularity}. I guess the Easter Bunny didn't check the weather report either (either that or he was overly optimistic about how waterproof our plastic eggs were) because we lost more than a few jellybeans to water log. No one wanted the squished together jelly beans (or the chocolate eggs, for that matter) after they'd spent the night in a leaky plastic container outside. And who could resist an egg hunt outside when the weather has been so perfect?




On Friday, one of my children told one of my other children about the Easter Bunny. And each one of them spent time feeling sad {for different reasons} for a good part of that afternoon. (And one even into the evening.) I feel pretty good about my part in the matter, showing up and being present as best as I could. Explaining what I could in a way that I felt good about (the spirit of Easter and Springtime inspiring each of us to celebrate and enjoy this time of year...) I'd been thinking about this for a while now, preparing myself for what I would say but everything really is a dress rehearsal until you actually say those words out loud to your child for the first time. And I wanted it to be good and kind and gentle. And real. In it's own way.

It felt awkward at times this morning, the kids not knowing what to say about continuing the same rituals that had so obviously been altered just a few days before. It seemed they didn't know quite how to proceed at first and it took them just a bit to get in the groove. Once there, though, they seemed to enjoy themselves {as usual} and it looked like we could stumble along to find a newish way. I'm curious about the magic that I'm sure will linger.

We've been going to the farmers market regularly since it started last month-



And- I made a cheesecake {for Eva} for Easter. Imagine the cutest, sweetest puppy. Walking down the street, enjoying life and the smells and joys of a dog-filled day. That level of cuteness is exactly how delicious this cheesecake tasted.