Podunk Can be Fun!

Yesterday I complained on Facebook that I was feeling podunk as a Vtown resident.  Although being podunk requires me to drive to a "big city" to hit what I feel are basic stores, it also provides special opportunities that I only read about when living in a "big city."

Today we went berry-picking at Rancho Notso Grande (thumbs up on the name!) with lots of friends.  It was loads of fun and truly the fulfillment of a life-long dream since my first reading of Blueberries for Sal by Robert McClosky when I was little.  Pinkalicious and I even read it again last night in preparation for today.  Both my mom and grandma warned me about all the spiders in the bushes, to prepare to be brave for my daughter and pick without regarding them.  I only saw one the entire day, and it was 1/4'' long from leg to leg.  But one rare treat was a face-to-face convo with MFBFFM Christi!!!  I think if our kids weren't there, I could have talked to her all day!  Enjoy the highlights of our berry fun day!

Blueberry Bushes - our first stop!

Pinks, the Baeza girls, and their Grandma Kathy

SO thankful for them, Pinky's second family while I corraled the Monkey.

Pinkberry!!!

The Hubs calls this her Twilight photo

Fuzzy limes? Nope. Walnuts!!

Back to blueberries, the most interesting berries to Pinkalicious.

It helps that they were the only berry without any thorns or pricklies.

The most interesting until she discovered the Backlunds and something shiny!

Check out these monster blackberries! They are the first fruits of this season.

Blackberry blossoms and a honeybee!

Thorns abound in the blackberry bushes! I went in alone!!

The fruit of our labor

All tuckered out!