Early O'Clock Fruit Picking

Last week, the kids and I went to pick blueberries.  Based on the fun we had last year and the amount of blueberries that we picked, I was really looking forward to going.  Of course, there was the drawback of going early...  I'm not a morning person...  and it was very early o'clock....  okay, so I didn't leave until a little after 8 am...but I got up early...with the intention of leaving earlier.  It was my two year old's fault...  he has to have his breakfast noodles.  I know, I know...  there's no such thing.  But, there *is*..  although we live on a little farm in the making, with fresh eggs and goat milk ...  he is in a rut... he only wants Ramen noodles for breakfast....and I oblige him...  because I know that this is only a phase and this, too, shall pass.  {I hope... I mean, it will...right??}  And it probably wasn't ALL his fault...  the other kids are slow, too...  ;)  Anyway.....

We got there finally....kids were all smiles...  I had some cappuccino with creamer on the way, so I was all smiles...  we broke out the buckets and started picking.  In defense of the kids, it was early.... the blueberry bushes were wet ...  the grass was wet ... and there weren't as many ripe blueberries as there were last year.

"Look, Mom...a blueberry... "...  ok..he didn't really say that...but that's what it looks like he's saying...   the other one is checking his nails for dirt...  because he's already getting bored...

What a cute little girl with her cute little bucket....  it's really her old Easter bucket basket....from several years ago...  we believe in reuse around here.. 

The smallest blueberry picker...  he seems to be finished picking and has moved on to eating....

So, after a bit, I lost one to pacing....  and two to ...something other than blueberry picking... which left only one child...and me...picking blueberries.  Soon after, it was discovered that there was a peach tree and we should help ourselves...  Okay, so now I've lost all four helpers..that's okay...  I like picking blueberries...alone...early in the morning...getting my favorite Batman shirt soaking wet on the dew laden bushes... it's okay....really....sniffle...

See....I'm smiling...  and yeah...my eyes are puffy...it's called early o'clock syndrome...

Yeah, it's probably best he did this job anyway...  me and heights have a mutual distrust...

 The other two are happily picking apples...  you have to be one skilled diva to pick apples with one hand on your hip....  :)

 This is what we ended up with...  not a bumper crop...but enough to do a little sumpin, sumpin with  :)
  I ended up freezing the blueberries, as is.  I was out of pectin and sugar and it wasn't time for a trip to the general store.  Besides, at this point I was thinking I'd rather have blueberries to use in cobblers, pies, syrups, eaten frozen, etc..than have blueberry freezer jam.  Don't get me wrong.....blueberry freezer jam is some dang tasty stuff....but strawberry freezer jam is the best...and I made some of that earlier in the spring.  The peaches we just ate.  There wasn't enough to do anything with....plus, they were wormy...not that I'm complaining...no sirree... not at all..  I appreciated them.  They were tasty...  I just got a little less hungry while cutting around the tiny little worm that was all stretchy and satiated on the peach pulp next to the seed.  What I did with the apples deserves its own post... which I will proceed to next.... :)  so, don't touch that cursor....  it's coming right up :)