WEEKEND EXPLOITS || A DAY ON THE ( BLUEBERRY ) FARM

I can't remember a summer when my mom and I didn't go blueberry picking. it's sort of our thing marking the official beginning of summer. this visit to florida definitely called for a trip to our local blueberry retailer. this farm in particular has some really gorgeous grounds. it's this mixture of bird houses and honey bees and zinnias and sunflowers and a pasture of horses and, of course, blueberries. also, it was so nice to get out and do something with my mom that has become  so exclusively ours. we have so many blueberries to show for our efforts. although, we would have had more if we had not munched along the way. 

I also learned quite a bit about the ins and the outs of a successful blueberry farm and blueberry picking, in general...

001 :: blueberry bushes need bees to grow big and strong ( this might be obvious, but I was surprised).

002 :: keep flowers near your blueberry bushes so as to keep the bees interested.

003 :: honey bees are not aggressive. simply don't swat at them when they continually land on your back, your shoulder, your hair. they're just a little touchy-feely.

004 :: wear your yellow bucket around your waist so as to relieve your neck from the gallon of blueberries you will later bring home ( if you can resist eating them all, unlike me ).

005 :: hold the four digits of your hand in a cup and pluck the blueberries off the branch with your thumb. this is how my mom picks so fast. genius.

006 :: wear close toed shoes. again, this may be obvious. but without fail, every year, I wear flip-flops and continually have to swat at the little army of ants striving to conquer my toes.

007 :: eat a blueberry from each bushel. this is the only way you will know if that is a good place to pick

...right?

008 :: blueberries are the sweetest 5-7 days after turning blue. 

mind. blown.

009 ::remove your sunnies. it is difficult to tell if that berry is the perfect shade of blue with them on.

010 :: don't wear white. blueberry juice is delicious but has this amazing ability to leave a stain. I had more than one blueberry ink all over my hands and I had to be very careful to withstand the temptation to wipe my hands on my clothing.

we had such a wonderful time! all of florida was wonderful, actually. despite the fact that it was a short trip. today, I return home to that man you've been hearing me gush so much about. it's true what they say--"absence makes the heart grow fonder"--and I am very excited to not be absent from him anymore. have an amazing day!

love, arielle