A Berry Misadventure and Other News

Sometimes, a carefree morning of harvesting wild berries transforms into a challenge that must be defeated!  This happened to me this week with several kids (and one soon-to-be-kid…)in tow.  Without those determined kiddos, this Farmgirl would have turned around long before the rewarding finale.

Farmgirls in the making.

Farmgirls in the making.

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  1. Barb P says:

    Love this! And congratulations 🙂 <3

  2. Diana Nelson says:

    Fantastic post, love the photos and great story of the day. Sounds like a wonderful memory for all you farmgirls 🙂 I have always enjoyed picking blueberries, we mostly put up cultivated, but usually score some wild ones as well – they sure do taste wonderful! Thanks for sharing

  3. Diana Henretty says:

    YAY!!! One can never have too many farm babies!!
    Love your post from the Ozarks here.
    Fall is around the corner, leaves are changing a bit early for us this year, temps are mild
    and nights are cool.
    I’m giving away bell peppers, bugs ate my cucumbers, made 27 pints of salsa, and
    am preparing my winter pantry for this year.
    Grateful for another garden, even when we don’t get what we expect, there is always enough to be thankful for.
    Hugs from Noel, Mo!!! Diana

  4. Dori Troutman says:

    Hi Alex!

    I’m SO EXCITED!!! I can’t wait for more blog posts with your darling Ava AND another darling baby! 🙂 I think it is very awesome that you aren’t going to find out the gender ahead of time. I love surprises like that!

    And your blueberry hike was great – as I was reading every word I was wishing I could’ve been there, hiking in that gorgeous country and picking Alaska blueberries. I’ve had them and they cannot be beat! 🙂 What a gorgeous day.

    I hope you know that you made memories to last a lifetime with those little girls. Very special.

    Big hugs to you and congratulations!!!!

    – Dori –

  5. Maureen says:

    What fun! So worth the effort. Best wishes on the ALL your continuing adventures!

  6. Joan says:

    Nope, this is my only adventure this season and what a great one it was – thanks. Congratulations!!! God bless.

  7. Rowena Philbeck says:

    What a great post. I love berries and so glad you finally got to your destination. Congratulations on your new baby as well. Very exciting for sure!!

  8. Wow, that WAS some perseverance. My only blueberry story involved my driving about 40 minutes further into the country to a blueberry farm to pick with my then-small children. My son, about 6 years old at the time, locked the car with the keys in it. In the middle of nowhere. I borrowed a hammer from the farmer and broke a back window. All that for a couple gallons of blueberries. New window cost almost $200. Most expensive blueberries ever! haha!

  9. Laura R. says:

    Great story of determination and reward ! (Fat blueberries and that view !!) and warm congratulations on the ‘soon-to-be kid’ !!!

  10. Denise Ross says:

    Such a wonderful adventure Alex. You’ll look back on these days with fondness in future. What a treasure you have where you are and congratulations on your pregnancy. How exciting. I hope you stay well
    Hugs from Australia

  11. Judy Mac says:

    A Christmas baby, how wonderful. Good luck to you. Wonderful post, put me in mind of many a walks that somehow turned “hike-ish”.

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Dog Days

Dog days make us all sleepy enough to take some zzzz's in the most unlikely of places, like in a backpack.

Dog days make us all sleepy enough to take some zzzz’s in the most unlikely of places, like in a backpack.

We are in the thick of the dog days of summer.  This is different in Alaska than it was growing up in the Midwest.  In Alaska, it is “hot” when it’s over seventy degrees.  For some reason it feels WAY hotter!  Maybe it’s because of the angle of the sun?

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  1. Dori Troutman says:

    Hi Alex,

    I just can’t get enough of that darling Ava. I’m thinking maybe I need a new grand-baby! 🙂

    Loved your post. I’ve sure been feeling the dog days here too. My daughter and I have been swamped in our flower farming business and some days I’m just utterly exhausted. But it’s funny how I always say at night, “But it’s a good tired”… that’s the farmgirl spirit right?!

    When I saw the picture of Ava and the Fireweed my heart started racing… some of my sweetest memories are my little ones on our yearly summer visit to see their cousins in Alaska. I have so many pictures of them in the Fireweed! Someday I’ll get back there. And when I do? I’m meeting YOU for lunch!

    Hugs,

    Dori

    • Alexandra Wilson says:

      A new grand baby might be the ticket! You are absolutely right about it being a good tired–It’s the kind of tired that brings the best sleep, too. A combo of physically exhausted and mentally satisfied.

      How amazing would lunch in Alaska be?! I hope someday is sooner rather than later. Best to you and yours.

  2. Susana says:

    Ava sure is busy. She even looked like she was walking o. Water.
    Dog days of summer….are be cause you worked the land like a dog….always trying to stay cool and not itch…. bugs were constant battle for dogs…its that THEIR tails were always swishing away the flys or mosquitos….I. the summer.the humidity always brought the we worst out in the summer. My summer flew by so quickly because my dog and I have been very Busy ….
    As my dog has been chasing racoons, birds and squirrels. She caught a female robin and was….
    Flogged by the male mate of the robin she chased……who chased her. My fog nearly caught a. Black baby squirrel who bounced off mydogs back and and scurried up the tree to get away from it!. Yes a frantic. Summer….filled with many antics of A frustrated dog! It was hilarious to. Spy on my busy dog. Wish I. Could post her dog days!
    ..

    • Alexandra Wilson says:

      I love the antics! My dog has been quite the huntress this summer as well. She finally gave up on most birds which is a relief to me, but she has taken on squirrels after nabbing her first ground squirrel out in the mountains. We were on this organized hike with a whole bunch of babies, toddlers and their parents, of course. I had even told them all before the hike that Moki chased the squirrels but had never caught one. Afterward, she proudly brought it up to me…it was quite embarrassing even though I know it’s just an instinct thing and totally normal.

      I love that you spy on your busy dog and share it with us! They can be such silly creatures.

  3. Susabelle says:

    I work in higher ed, with student with disabilities. This time of year is a HUGE ramp-up to the start of classes in a week, and I’m busier than I can even say! Also, it’s time to do big harvesting here in Colorado, and even though it’s in the 90’s, it’s already in the 50’s at night, so winter is coming and all my summer veggies will be gone. And it is so dry, I’m spending much of my free time watering to keep everything alive. Not my favorite time of year, for the busy-ness, and for the heat. I don’t do heat well (and I came from the Midwest originally, only in Colorado the last four years). I’m looking forward to fall, and winter. It is my quiet, less-busy time. As for the freezer, it’s almost full, and that’s just with this year’s harvests! Going to be canning a bunch, as soon as I get my outdoor kitchen set up!

  4. Joan says:

    I so loved your posting!! Ava is sooooo wonderful to see. Yeah dog days are hitting me too but picking up peaches and pears today – grown on the Western slope of Colorado and have a lug of cucs to can so still being busy. Hope Colorado treats/treated you well, we’ve had a lot of storms this year. Best get myself away from the computer and get busy. God bless.

  5. Pam deMarrais says:

    Thanks so much for the wonderful astronomy lesson! I hear about dog days every year, and was told that it runs from July 3rd to August 11th. The farmers say that if it rains the first day of dog days, it will rain a little every day for the length of dog days. I pay attention to that…..and it didn’t happen this year [either].
    Your little girl is precious. I love that she is stylin’ at an early age. Shows her strong character. You are a great mom to let her show her creativity!

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