My Little Picker

Once again, we are spending some quality "family time" at the cottage in Port Hope.

Boaz and I decided to go strawberry picking- and we hit at the perfect time! Wednesday afternoon was a balmy 65* with a completely cloud covered sky. It did look a little bit like it may rain, but that kept most of the other would be pickers at bay.

Boaz for sure, and myself- I'm pretty certain, have NEVER ever been strawberry picking. Never.

I grew up with a strawberry patch so I'm pretty sure we just gobbled our Cronenwett strawberries. So I felt like I went in blind bringing a newbie toddler with me on my first (but not last) strawberry picking adventure.

If the rain clouds, the possibility of getting lost in the wild, wild north (I'm extremely geographically challenged) or the 40 mile each way drive didn't deter our plans for the afternoon, than nothing would! Boaz and I had a wonderful time together!

First off, the 300 year old woman who ran the strawberry farm was adorable! Then I LOVED the galvanized pallate used to haul my pickings!!! I almost asked if I could purchase one- it would be the perfect addition to my own garden!

Not long after I placed my first freshly picked strawberry into my tin bin... it disappeared. Boaz, who normally does NOT eat strawberries (or much fruit in general) started inhaling them as quickly as I could pick.

My "Hoover" in action!

Boey would get about this far into a berry and then he would nearly beg for me to finish it for him... it was my motherly duty to oblige!

At first, I was pretty darn picky about my berries. I wanted only BIG and juicy gems. Then when I realized that my slim pickings coupled with my toddlers amazing 'one bite per strawberry' chomping skills- even without a full set of chompers- so I quickly decided to become MUCH less picky!

After a while, my chomper reverted to a picker... YAY!

My picker then transformed into a spyer...

Red stained lips were the tell tale sign that we popped a few while we picked... unwashed and un paid for... grotesque stealing!

Finally, at the tail end of our time in the patch, Boaz learned to nibble the berry by holding the green crown. Much better!

When Boaz had finally had enough of the strawberry picking, he resorted to dandelions... his FAVORITE!!!

With it being strawberry season and not Dandelion season (sniff, sniff for the little guy), Bo decided that he's rather spend his time playing Peek Boo (Not Peek-A-Boo, just Peek Boo) with the few other children dragged along picking with their mommies!

Boaz's last plan for self entertainment was finding (embarrassingly enough, he ripped it out of the ground!!!) a 'something important is buried here' flag. Bo waved it up and down, side to side, he laughed at it, danced with it and swatted a few berry bushed too! This display was far more entertaining than my picking!!!

All in all, we managed to pick 7.5 pounds of delicious (both Bo and I can testify) fresh strawberries. I spent the evening hulling, slicing, dicing and freezing these beauties to make future batches of strawberry lemonade, strawberry jam, strawberry muffins, strawberry cake, strawberry toppings and fruit salsa! Yumm-o!!!