WILD BLUEBERRIES

I’m journaling out on the pond dike today by the old white chair that no one sits in.  It’s one of those old  Adirondack style chairs with paint peeling off old weathered wood, but this chair has way too much character to throw on the brush pile yet.  My goal this afternoon is to harvest a few wild blueberries.  I’m reminded of a day years ago when a neighbor lady, up in years, came wandering aimlessly down our driveway on foot carrying a coffee mug in her hand.  “I’m almost there,” she said, as my hubby and I looked at her and wondered.   As it turned out, her journey was not at all aimless.  She was hoping to pick one cup of wild blueberries… just enough for a batch of muffins… and her cup was ¾ full.

I’m munching on a few wild blueberries myself right now, not hard to find here where the plants come back every year in this acidy soil.  A late frost fizzled out some of the blossoms and birds ate their share but they've left a dozen or so yet for me to enjoy.  There's nothing that quite compares to the sweetness of this little blue berry.

As I snap a photo or two of the blueberry plants at my feet, a few insects buzz here and there about the grass, bushes, and ferns next to the pond.  I spot a moth with a damaged wing but it still flies perfectly.  I compare it to my wounded self after a few weeks of chemotherapy for an unfortunate recurrence of my nearly three year old dilemma.  I’m still flying too and plan to carry on, flapping my wings like the little butterfly, and hoping I travel in the right direction and land in the most beneficial places on my journey forward.

Dragonflies are also flitting around today along with many young red-winged blackbirds that I hear chirping loudly all around me.  Bullfrogs are filling up my ear space with their deep croaking calls.  It seems as though each frog is trying to out croak the other.

I particularly love the color “blue” in nature.   A blue dragonfly darts about and finally rests itself on a twig long enough for me to capture its likeness.  Truly blue, and truly beautiful – like blue eyed grass and blueberries!

The first day of summer, Father’s Day, is a grand one.  There’s so much to do and it’s going to be a busy week ahead for me.  Our little community is banding together and we're gonna go save our lake with a big picnic fundraiser this upcoming weekend!