Unable to get either of my neighbors to go back to the risky business of picking blackberries with me I headed out last evening around 8:00 prepared to "git er don". In the back seat of my car I placed a large yellow plastic tub with handles. Inside the tub was a 5 gallon bucket with about three inches of water in it. If that sounds like something strange to take berry picking, let me explain. I also took pruning shears and a basket. The pruners were for the cuts I did make on about 10 vines, the water to place them in and the yellow tub to hold all of this so it would not slosh all over my car seat !!
When that part of the mission was accomplihed, I determined to do some picking since I was already there and dressed for the occasion. As I worked along I heard a voice say "what are you doing?". I looked up and saw two little boys on bicycles. Calling back to them I said "I'm picking blackberries, do you want to help me?". They talked it over and decided they would do just that. With their nimble young legs they were able to go up a small incline and pick from the other side. After a good bit of this, I looked at my watch. It was 9:05 and darkness was rolling in. I told them I thought we should stop as their parents may be concerned about them. They assured me they were used to this and all was well. I insisted that it really was getting too dark and I knew their mothers would be looking for them. So down they came and proudly handed me a bag saying "this must be about a pound". As we went out separate ways I told him where I lived and if they would come over to my house I would give them some blackberry jelly tomorrow, but they must talk it over with their mothers. Giving them my name and saying " bring your mothers or have them call me and come with you if they want to do that", we parted ways.
Having gone to a fish fry at my church a few hours earlier it was just about a full day for me. But wait !! I had a big bag of green beans that one of our members was giving away at the fry. That was waiting for me on the kitchen counter. They happened to be white half runners. A wonderful green bean dinner was in my future but not this night. I still had to mix up cookie dough for date/nut pinwheel cookies to bake on Saturday. That I managed to do and still get to bed by 10:30, a late hour for most farmers and especially this one.
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