berry disappointing

When I arose today, I declared that today would be a good day for wild blueberry-picking. Sometimes I declare stuff for no discernible reason. But today's declaration had reason enough.

Last year at this time, Friend #12 and I high-tailed it to the Adirondacks and harvested buckets of blue from the side of the road and from one extremely perfect forest grove we happened upon. This year, I ventured forth solo as everyone at our old stone home was hard at work.

Some people work for a living. I get to play. That's what my dear family says when I stay home to clean, cook, fold laundry, and play online scrabble.

Whoops. I let my slip show.

Blue-berrying is hard work. Really. No one believes me about this and also about many other things. Like practicing opera, for example.

At any rate, in one sweet hour I was at the edge of the mountains, spying the sides of the highway for short scrubby bushes bearing little azure jewels.

I was sorely disappointed. It seems that blueberry season is at least a week behind, owing to our rainy and unseasonably chilly summer season. I prowled around like a bear for a good while, scavenging a few quarts, before I gave up and tried a different tack.

I left my bucket behind and stepped into the woods to explore.

Within minutes, I spied blue, but not the kind of blue one might expect.
I can sniff out a body of water like a bloodhound.

Who needs wild blueberries to be completely happy?

The forest floor was replete with other colorful things, probably not for eating. But I enjoyed them anyway.

Back at home. a few precious cups of blueberries were tossed into a recipe for Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins with streusel topping. Please don't ask me for the recipe. It left my head as soon as the muffins went into the oven. And since at least three of those scrumptious delights went into my stomach, I can't think straight about much, anyway.

If I roll out of bed in the next two weeks with a new declaration about berry-picking, you will know about it. I rarely can resist posting pictures of my haul on this here blog.