We pick, do U Pick???

I've been craving a way to really break into summer...some recent events have kept me inside and in bed and sick, so when I thought "U Pick! Strawberries!" I knew that would put me even more in the spirit and McKinley would love it.

I was right! We even convinced Mom to tag along, so I planned a quick trip to the grocery, packed a picnic lunch and we began our little road trip to a nearby U Pick farm.

We laid our little feast out on the picnic table and enjoyed the cool (okay, a little TOO cool) breeze while we ate salad, pita and hummus, yogurt, pop chips and dip, watermelon and cantaloupe...and a long-time fave of mine and McKinley's - Blood Orange Italian Sodas! Oh it was perfect. And delicious. And Mom even bought a little piece of cake that she and McKinley shared.

Once we were finished, we packed back up an hopped on the farm's golf cart for the worker to drive us to the patch. Honestly, I think the golf cart was McKinley's very favorite part of the entire trip. He was giddy as he rode in the front like a big boy. It was so cute!

We were assigned our rows and set out to work. We made quick picking out of it, Mom chose two small baskets and I chose the medium basket (which was about 5 pounds of berries). It didn't take long to fill them up, the three of us were plucking away! The berries were the most beautiful color...and the taste, OH MY GOODNESS I have never ever tasted a sweeter berry. We didn't add any sugar to them at all, they were perfect as is!

And if it tells you anything, McKinley was previously NOT a strawberry fan. So, why would I take him to pick them? Because I intended to use them in his smoothies and in ice cream, no actual berry to bite into, which is what is doesn't care for. However, he is a changed man! One taste of these suckers and he was hooked!

During the picking, a moment of perfect comedic timing happened when "Precious" the farm dog left her perch beside the employee and ran to befriend McKinley, just seconds after I pulled out my camera and started clicking. The dog KNEW I had a camera. Matter of fact she began posing in various ways: rolling on her back while laying on my foot and turning her head JUST SO. Lying with McKinley and looking back at the camera. And my favorite - her little sneaky way of capturing her good side in the shot with Mom and McKinley. What a diva! I turned off the camera and replaced the lens cap and poof! Precious was gone. Imagine that!

Once our baskets were full we headed back to the golf cart and to the stand to have our berries weighed. We tucked them safely in the hatch and headed home.

On the way there we made a stop at Cary's office where he had just arrived. The four of us stood, hatch up, eating those strawberries right there in the parking lot! Holy Moly those things are so good!!!!!!!!!

Today was awesome. The perfect way to put me back in the summer spirit! Here's hoping we'll be back soon for more strawberries and then blueberries!

YUM!!!

Lynn