I go a little overboard sometimes with the adventures. I love trying new things, and since H’s arrival that desire has kicked into overdrive. Which is how the two of us ended up raspberry picking a week ago.

The Berry Farm in Colts Neck (right behind Delicious Orchards) has black raspberries in season now. Last Wednesday we had a late start because we finally got an attic fan installed! It’s made a huge difference to the upstairs air conditioning, I highly recommend it. Anyway, the farm isn’t open every day. It closes for a couple of days at a time to allow the berries to ripen, and you really have to get there first thing in the morning on picking day to get anything. But, of course, I didn’t know this so H and I rolled up around 3pm bright-eyed and ready for adventure. The owner looked like he just wanted to pat me on the head, and then he handed me a tiny Chinese takeout container and told me to go pick $4 worth of raspberries to make something for dessert tonight.

I was determined to prove him wrong! I thought he’d decided that a young mom with a sassy baby in a Bjorn couldn’t possibly handle the adventure of raspberry picking, and I had visions of going back for endless containers while I loaded my car full of raspberries for another jam marathon. But I quickly realized he was rightly skeptical because there were hardly any ripe black raspberries left for the day. Lots of unripe red ones, but not the good stuff. We lasted ten minutes and left with the saddest little haul ever.

At least my fingers looked like I’d worked hard.

I consoled myself with two things. First: Delicious Orchards had local sour cherries that day! I’m still kicking myself for not buying more, I’m still hoping to miraculously score a few more.

Second: This farmer was selling his blueberries on the side of Phalanx Road as we were driving by.

So I ended up with a fair haul of fruit that day, which went into all sorts of goodies for our cookouts this week. Maybe I’ll try raspberry picking another day, I’m really not sure. But, as always it was an adventure.