Wednesday, June 23, 2010

First Strawberries

Morning made its appearance today in the same way it has been . . . foggy, wet and gloomy. I knew the strawberry patch would be soaking wet, but I was willing to brave anything (weeell, almost anything) to have fresh strawberries for our breakfast. (This first harvest of the season comes about two weeks earlier than normal.)

How can just reaching into strawberry plants (lush though they are) to pick ripe berries make you feel so totally drenched? I know I was wet up to my elbows for sure, and my garden shoes were squishy (why didn't I put on boots?), but the reward was worth it.

There are plenty more out there, but I stopped when I knew I had enough for breakfast. I'm keeping track of the poundage we harvest this year so when I got inside, onto the scale this bunch went. One pound, 6 ounces . . . and we consumed every smidgen.

Unfortunately, because of our wet weather, the slugs have been enjoying the berries, too. As I'm picking and find a berry that has been too decimated by the ugly-bugly creatures, I lob it up over the seven foot high fence into the poultry yard, and the birds come running to claim it before it even hits the ground. Maybe they aren't such dumb clucks after all.

9 comments:

Annah said...

Seriously this has nothing to do with the post but that picture in your banner is GORGEOUS! :) I love duckies!

Mama Pea said...

Hi, Annah - Thanks for stopping by and commenting. (Really like the spelling of your name!)

Anonymous said...

Yum!!!!!

Lorie said...

Oh, those look yummy. We had a ton of them this year. Harvest ended a couple of weeks ago, but we are still enjoying ice-cream and frozen berry smoothies. Enjoy...it is worth getting drenched.

Mama Pea said...

Hey, Stephanie - Yeah! They have been! :o)

Hi, Lorie - I know our strawberries just now coming in must seem soooo late to all of you "southerners!" I always freeze a bunch for our smoothies, too. But first we'll get our fill of them fresh!

Erin said...

I throw mine into the neighbors yard LOL... but I think I have the right since it's vacant and I mow it since if I waited for the owners to come by it would never happen!

Mama Pea said...

Oh, Erin, you make me laugh so often! And we really have to find more for you to do. You mow the neighbor's vacant yard?? If only you lived next to me. I could use up all of that excess energy. (I might have to buy all your coffee beans though . . . )

Susan said...

Those are beautiful berries, Mama Pea! Mine are puny in comparison, but the slugs seem not to mind...

Mama Pea said...

Hey, Susan - #^*@! slugs! Yesterday when I was picking, I kept plucking beautifully, big berries and finding the whole backside completely gone! Dang, I hate those ugly, slimy things!