Our weekend was punctuated with experiences related to fruit. It began with the most enjoyable visit to our local farmer's market I've had, since we were all four able to ride the 10Km on bicycle. Tricycles, training wheels, and now rails to trails--the girls are at an amazing stage.
When we got to the market we got chatting with a local backer who makes European pastries, breads, and preserves. She had the girls sample more than a dozen fruit preserves, all of them more unique and interesting than anything I've seen at the store--Banana Ginger, Peach Mint, Apricot Chile, etc. We ended-up with a few bottles and an overflowing bag of Dutch almond twists ("No, you take more than that!).
On Sunday, after a slow and pleasant rain, I ventured out with the girls to go and see what we could find in the woods. "Dad, the rain has cleaned everything!" This season has been one of the best I can remember in terms of bugs and being able to move in the woods during the summer. We crossed the creek at the back of the woods and noticed Raspberries. A little further up we found the first ripe Elderberries of the season (very early). After picking all we could in our baskets we headed home, but not before coming upon a beautiful apple tree with large red apples. We got a basket of those too.
My grandma asked me on the phone today if we are enjoying our woods, and I could honestly say that we are. I told her about the mother deer and its fawn that we stumbled upon as we walked home, and about the fruit we'd picked. One has to go into the woods in order to receive what it has to offer; but once there, the gifts are abundant.