A Year of Blogging: May 20, 2011

May 20 was Pick Strawberries Day. I have always loved strawberries. I remember going as a child with Mom, Aunt Arlene, and Grandma and picking strawberries. My Aunt says I would eat them as fast as the adults could pick them. I do remember sitting in the field munching on fresh strawberries with Mom, Aunt Arlene, and Grandma close by. When we went home, we had strawberry shortcake for dinner. Mom made strawberry jam too. I haven't been berry picking since I was a girl. Now my 'picking' is selecting the quart at the farm stand or, when they aren't in season, at the produce counter. Erich keeps trying to grow strawberries in our garden. I think this is our third year trying to grow them. Each year we fail, so he plants more. This year we have enough plants that we might get a quart, but it hasn't been very good weather for strawberries. We've had so much rain, the garden is waterlogged. We also have a problem that as soon as the strawberries start coming on, Cobalt starts eating them. He loves strawberries, and likes eating them right off the plant- the fresher the better! I know he has enjoyed our small yield in past years. I am hoping we get enough berries to make jam. I have been making raspberry jam for the past few years, and this year I want to branch out and make strawberry. I may have to go to a farm stand and buy some to make jam. I won't go as far as to pick them myself, but hopefully I can find some nice ones before long. Then again, everyone is probably in the same boat that we are- it's been too wet. Now I really want to fix some strawberry shortcake!