It's summer time...Berry Picking

I just love summer. Walking around barefoot, kids running around in their summer dresses with dirty feet, long evenings, sunny days, camping, and berry picking time. Honestly, I am quite sad that we are not going to Germany later on this summer but then again this is the time of year to be in Oregon. Plus, it really is just like home just different. Well, this slogan really cuts both ways, right?!

When I thought about this entry earlier today I wanted to give it the title "Ode to Oregon" well a little over the top, is it not?! In any case I just LOVE Oregon, and Portland. Many reasons including that it just feels so much like Europe. The scenery, the abundance of fruits, veggies, nuts and I can see that the earlier settlers must have seen this as the place where "milk and honey flows". OK - I think that I may get a little carried away :) In any case, topic "Berry Picking". This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. We like to go out to Sauvie Island which is so close to the city yet feels like a totally different world. There are a ton of different "U-Pick" Places on the island. There is Kruger's Farm (http://www.krugersfarm.com/), Sauvie Island Farm (http://www.sauvieislandfarms.com/) just to name a couple. Check out Sauvie Island at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauvie_Island.

Our favorite U-Pick on Sauvie Island is Sauvie Island Farms. In June we picked Strawberries. Enough for eating plus I made six jars of jam. Today we went again and picked Blueberries, and Raspberries. One note, I did not really eat Blueberries in Germany nor in Chicago. Never have I tasted and seen Blueberries like the Oregon berries. Huge, sweet, just so wonderful. - Oh, and the Raspberries we picked today? They are also huge, sweet and yummy. Today we had a total of 12 lbs. of berries, and we will have to go back...

So yes, I love Portland and Oregon with all my heart. It is my home, just like Germany and both places are so alike in so many ways, but yet so far apart...OK, guess I better call it a night :)