My Kind of Drive-Thru

When my late father retired after 38 years of government service, he decided that retirement should be about doing those things you love and have always wanted to try.

So even before he retired, back in 1989, he started gathering woodworking equipment so that he could make furniture.  And having grown up in Michigan, he had a real affinity for blueberries!  He knew all about the health benefits of these little blue berries, but it was the taste and the idea of growing organic fruit that really appealed to him.  So he planted between 40 and 50 blueberry bushes on my grandparent's small farm just down the street from where I grew up.

My grandparents had long since passed away, but they always had fruit trees, grapes, and a huge garden on the property, so I think my father wanted to carry on that legacy with his new blueberry crop.

He and my mother planted several different varieties.  Some didn't survive that first year, while others have slowly waned with each passing season.  The bush above was never a great producer and with the help of that tenacious weed called honeysuckle, it probably won't last too much longer.  And although you can't really tell it from these photos most of the healthy bushes are nearly 8 feet tall!  You need a ladder to pick the berries at the tops of the bushes so we usually let the birds have their fill of those.

Thanks to my sister "M" most of the bushes are free of honeysuckle and blackberry brambles, which also love climbing up the blueberry bushes!  And now approximately 25 bushes remain and are doing well.  Shortly after I took these pictures my sister and her husband arrived to mow around the bushes.  Now that the berries are getting ripe, she and I will take turns each week mowing to keep the weeds and ticks to a minimum!

When my parents were alive, we would all go to the farm, including the grandkids, and help pick the berries.  Then my father and mother would take them to a local farmer's market each Saturday to sell them.

Today, my niece and nephew pick and sell the berries locally.  We weren't sure how this year's crop would fair since we've had so little rain.  And it's still hard to judge since they are just starting to ripen and are always a little sour at the beginning of the season!

Mr. Tide and I used to live in the little farmhouse on the property when we were first married, and later we moved just down the street.  Each morning, on his way to work, Mr. Tide would take a small ziploc baggie with him and drive right up to the bushes and pick himself some berries "to go!"

Not much has really changed, except that the bushes are much larger!  These pictures were taken from our big SUV and you can tell from the picture above this one that these bushes are mighty tall!

During the relatively short season each year we eat our weight in blueberries, resulting in a few tummy aches over the years!  We also freeze lots to use in pies, pancakes, and blueberry lemon bread throughout the winter.  But nothing really beats a handful fresh off the bush, sweet and ripe and ready for the picking!

I wish everyone had this kind of organic drive-thru because it sure is a lot better for you than a fast food drive-thru!

Thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments about Puddin's house, I know she appreciated each and every one of them!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :-)