Thank You Berry Much

My friend Lauren had this great idea to go pick blueberries on Saturday.  I haven’t picked blueberries in like 10 years, so I was really excited!  She found this precious little place out in the country (Blithe, GA).  It was at a older couple’s house that was surrounded by beautiful vegetation, including the berry bushes, pear trees, pomegranate trees and this huge plant they called a “century” plant that was like 20 feet tall and had a little moat around, “to keep my sons from driving into it.”

Pretty country entrance

Designated parking

Cute berry couple

First we met the wife (Linda) who insisted we start by parking in the designated parking spot (oops!), then we had to don the appropriate attire for picking berries (milk jug with top cut off with rope attached to tie around our waists).  Once we were ready, we went to work and began the picking extravaganza.

Lauren’s berry-bucket-belt

Are we not cute?

While we were picking, the husband (Jim?) came out to chat and tell us how he came about selling gallons of “u pick” blueberries. Apparently he cut down like 70 trees down his driveway, which left 70 stumps.  He said he didn’t want to pay $10 a stump to have them removed ($700 total) and rose bushes also cost too much, so his wifey suggested blueberry bushes!

Berries!

Good job, Lauren!

After like 5 years, the bushes were booming and he had lots of people coming to pick.  He then decided to start charging $6 a gallon! Supposedly his friend told him he couldn’t do that (crazy cheap) and he told us “I said, well yes I can!” So that’s the history of the berry patch.  He then told us if we got too hot we could come in and get a glass of ice water to cool off and that we could drink it in their a.c.!

Cute house decor

So, after about and hour, we took them up on the offer.  Then, knowing me, I had to have a picture of their Filipino/elderly decorated home (she’s from the Philippines).  They talked our ears off while we sat on their floor about their kids and grand kids. Then after our break, we went back out and finished our third gallon and wrapped up our adventure with a tour of the land and some pictures.

Vegetation

Century Plant

Root system and moat

Lilly pads and lotus’ in the moat

They waved us off and we ended the trip with a stop by a ghetto Dairy Queen (needed something cold and sweet after all that work) and had us some blizzards. Lauren must have talked really sweet to the DQ folks, because they gave her a bigger “small” with whipped cream and a lid!

Ghetto Dairy Queen

Lauren and her HUGE Blizzard!

It was so much fun, and really nice to have something to do in Disgusta while Adam studied! Lauren and I decided we’ll be taking our husbands back with us next time so we’ll get twice as much picked! I hope it becomes a summer tradition! Thanks, Lauren! I had so much FUN!

Thanks Berry Much!