I was so happy to find two important ingredients for a happy life this summer: a new friend and local u-pick orchards. I can't help but compare blueberry picking in Southern Illinois to blueberry picking in Oregon. The blueberries in Oregon were amazing. The bushes were smaller and more contained, and the berries themselves were large. Oh, and they were so very, very delicious.
Blueberry Hill Farm was a fun and organized little u-pick location. These blueberries here, compared to Oregon, were smaller and the bushes were bigger and more dense. Obviously we are dealing with different varieties of blueberries, hence the differences in growth habits and flavor. But it is also so irritatingly hot and humid out here as opposed to Oregon. I prefer this activity in Oregon, hands down, no contest. But this is what we have and we enjoyed it notwithstanding. We managed to breeze through all the blueberries we picked within a few weeks so it was obviously worth the effort. And hot and sticky or not, it was beautiful that day.
Right now it's February and very dismal looking. Right now I miss summertime and blueberry picking. Let the countdown to summer begin!
