Finally Here!

Usually...........a term that isn't happening here in the Northwest this year regarding weather. Usually, we are picking strawberries as soon as school is out, or even before. Strawberry festivals abound the first part of June. Usually, strawberries are part of graduation events, part of Father's Day celebrations. We have a hard time waiting for the first sun -warmed, juicy, luscious bite. A sign that summer is really here. Picking strawberries is pleasant when thinking of shortcake, jams, and pies. This year......well.....yes we have strawberries, but late, and few. It has rained and rained, ruining and delaying many crops. We have had a few partly sunny days, so things are starting to move along. Today we went out to pick strawberries. The first field we went to, (they advertised picking this weekend) well, I didn't even see a berry. Several fields are not even letting people u pick this year because of so few berries.

This is where we picked. Yes there are berries hiding from the rain under the leaves. Luscious, juicy, berries. They were not as abundant, many were oddly shaped, but enough for us. I have to say that picking under the bright clouds, instead of the beating sun was a pleasant change. We filled the trunk with berries. The whole car was filled with the aroma, just teasing us all the way home.

Now.........I'm making jam.