PICKING STRAWBERRIES AIN'T FOR SISSIES

STRAWBERRY GLEANERS

WHY THEY'RE CALLED STRAWBERRIES

6.5 POUNDS OF STRAWBERRIES

Wednesday, 8:30 AM.  66 degrees F, wind N, light with some gusts.  The sky is partly cloudy with some weak sunshine.  We got a trace of rain last night and things are damp, the humidity is 86%.  The  barometer is down from yesterday, at 29.97".  It looks like there will be intermittent showers today. I have been trimming badly overgrown shrubbery in between raindrops and berry picking, and am making some progress.
   We had a bear in nearby Fountain Garden Park yesterday around dinner time, and last evening Buddy had a fit , running from open door to open door, barking and growling.  We got up and closed the doors.

   We returned to Rocky Acres Berry Farm yesterday morning, this time to pick strawberries.  The raspberries were a huge success, fun to pick and eat, and wonderful as raspberry shortcake with freshly whipped cream.  We even had enough left to freeze a few pints.  So, we anticipated doing the same with strawberries, and were not disappointed.  And, yes, strawberries do get their name from being grown on straw, which keeps the low-growing berries out of the dust and mud.

   The strawberry crop is almost done now, and we picked rows that had been picked before.  We were pretty much being "gleaners," much like the biblical poor folks who followed the harvesters and picked up what was left in the fields.  Even at that, we picked 6.5 pounds of berries in about 45 minutes.  The berries were small but extremely sweet, and we were satisfied with our labors, and the price of $2.50 per pound.  Now it's up to Joan to bake another shortcake.

 Strawberries are a lot harder to pick than raspberries.  You have to bend over at the waist, or proceed down the rows on hands and knees (a group of young folks from the Rez were doing just that).  No hands and knees for me at least, as once horizontal I have a hard time getting back to vertical.  The long rows seemed endless.

   When picking raspberries the stress is on the lower back, as one works hunched over.   When stooping over to pick strawberries the stress is on the calves of the legs, and if one is not used to it you can cramp up and not be able to walk.  PICKING STRAWBERRIES AIN'T FOR SISSIES!