Blackberry picking

We met up with a new friend of mine and her family today to go blackberry picking. It was relatively affordable and took about 45 minutes to get to. I spent $15 and got two HUGE buckets full of GINORMOUS blackberries and we all had a really fun time. As I drove home, I was thinking how much I really like living in Virginia. The scenery is beautiful, the weather is decent, and there are many locally grown crops everywhere you go. The farm we visited not only had pick-your-own blackberries but also corn and greenbeans. In another month there will be blueberries. In May/June, they do strawberries. On the stand as I paid, I saw tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash...all grown there on the farm. Buy locally if you can. It's just incredible.

So, we had a fun day. My friend John was supposed to stop by with his sons Max and Ari around 2pm but he called from somewhere near Richmond to say they had been sitting in a ton of traffic on I-95 and he didn't want me to worry. Around 3:30 he called again to say he didn't think they'd make it at all today. They were heading down this way for a party that started at 4 and they were STILL in traffic. That was a bit of a bummer. I haven't seen the boys since Max's birthday in 2001, just before we left for Iceland. But I completely understand and am planning to see them in PA next month.

While we waited for them, I made...a blackberry freestyle tart. Yummm. It's 5:30 now and we are waiting for chinese food to be delivered and then we'll have tart for dessert. Life is just too good!

Below are today's photos from blackberry picking. Bigger plans for tomorrow if the weather holds. Stay tuned!