I know I won't be able to put this into words

Whoever goes first reports back to the others, it's a given. I received the call yesterday. After waiting for this week's humidity to die down, my Dad left work early and they headed over in the afternoon heat, then my Mom called me on their way home.

The report has a lot riding on it. Varying degrees of giddy glee to depression have resulted in years past. Around Mother's Day we start our predictions based on current weather happenings of what this year might be like. We tell stories for each year's seasons amongst ourselves since not everyone enjoys hearing about berry picking, oddly.

The boys and I headed out early this morn, to beat the heat after dropping off the smallest at Mema's. It was Brady's maiden voyage so we went over the rules, the tips, who we'd want to share some with, and the ways we'd like to enjoy these (ideas galore there just aren't enough hands to pick).



This year, after only day 1 it's being declared one of those Best years. The fields are bursting with berries aplenty. While there, camera around my neck, sunscreen applied to freshly shaved heads, listening to the Portuguese women who make me wonder where they are the other 51 weeks of the year, my berry picking life was literally flashing before my eyes. Blueberries (a whole nother post) AND strawberries, memories with my Grandmother before I was 7, my brother, friends in highschool, neighbors now, the eats, the jam, the pies, with a barely showing pregnant belly daydreaming of bringing my kids, when I first took Aiden, today. When the picking is so good you can't fast enough and have to use both hands, transferring to one out of necessity, leaning berries against your shirt before taking the few steps back to your basket trip. Which makes me envy my Dad's Dad hands that hold so much more than mine ever will. The heat, the sky, the dirty, sloshing flip flopped feet if it rained the night before, the faint smell of berries in the trunk on the ride home. Nature's sweet candy taste in your mouth (and darn it I only ate 1!). As I explained to my Mom, when I have to remind of rules, keep the scouts motivated, use my nice voice because others are in close proximity, pick the majority, while trying to beat a clock while enjoying it all, it's sometimes hard to eat two or more.

June 2005:




June 2008:





What a beautiful morning. And we to do it all over again tomorrow.