hunting and gathering

Since I had to work yesterday, I didn't get to go to our Friday Farmers' Market in Marshfield, so I set out today to find a couple of farm stands and buy vegetables and fruit for the week ahead. As I was driving down Route 123, I saw a sign that said, "Blueberries Next Right," so I turned in the dirt driveway, parked my car, and walked up to where two people were sitting at a table covered with large cans. I had landed at Tree-Berry Farm and it was pick your own blueberries.

"What do I do?" I asked.

"Take a bucket, follow the signs, and then bring it back when you're done picking and we'll tell you what you owe."

I learned I was picking highbush blueberries (I assume there must be a lowbush variety). There were rows and rows of bushes and about twenty of us out picking. I think I was the only one who wasn't with a family. I filled my bucket about three-quarters full and went back to the table. He put the bucket on the scale and said, "You've got about two pounds. That will be four dollars and eighty cents."

I didn't tell him about the seven berries I ate in the field -- the freshest I have ever had, but I did let him keep the change from a five.

From there, I drove a little farther into Scituate and found a farm stand without a name, but with some great native strawberries, summer squash, and zucchini. I picked up a quart of the berries and an arm load of squash.

"Nine sixty," said the woman at the register as the man standing next to her bagged the squash.

It wa then I realized the other five I thought I had in my pocket had been spent at the store this morning when I made a quick dash to buy syrup for our waffles. I only had five ones in my pocket.

"I'll have to put the berries back," I said. "I don't have as much money as I thought."

"Oh, no," said the man. "Take the berries with you. You'll be back and you can bring the money then."

I thanked them and drove home to fix lunch for my father-in-law and water my own garden. The tomatoes are still green but getting bigger, the chard is going strong, and I got one squash of my own this week and made squash croquettes.

There's no great point here other than man, I had fun.

Peace,
Milton