Mountain Blueberries

Having children makes life adventurous.

Take for example our blueberry picking experience. If you were a couple or a single person, blueberry picking would go something like this –

Load a few basic items into the vehicle. Get in and drive three hours to the tiny coastal village of Hope, Alaska. Take the tiny winding gravel road several miles up into the mountains and exclaim about the breathtaking scenery. Drive until you reach tree line and then continue a little farther until you reach the end of the gravel road. Get out of vehicle. Put on a jacket because of the cold wind. Don’t forget the Bear Spray! Hike up the small hills left behind by receding glaciers and pick the gazillions of tiny blueberries. Pick until you have the desired amount, then get back in the vehicle for the drive back. Stop at an overlook for a nice picture. Drive three hours home happy with your haul.

See? Boring. Mundane. Predictable.

Now run through the same scenario, only add three children ages 3 and under.

Start packing three days in advance and make long detailed lists to make sure you remember everything. Buckle everyone in the car seats, then get two back out for a diaper change. Get in and drive five minutes before you remember that you forgot the packed supper. Return to the house for the food, then get back on the road. Drive two hours while handing out toys and tossing snacks to the back seat and then stop to feed the baby. The two toddlers run around in the rain helping Daddy pick up trash. Drive the next hour to Hope, then start on the gravel road into the mountains to a chorus of, “Where are we going, Daddy? Why?” From the three year old. Exclaim about the breathtaking scenery. Drive until you reach tree line and then continue a little farther until you reach the end of the gravel road. Speed because three year old needs to go potty and he can’t hold it very long. Get there and Baby needs fed again. Three year old has wet himself. Change three year old – glad we made that list to bring along extra clothes! – and Daddy puts on jackets and carries two oldest up the small hill mountains left by the glaciers to pick blueberries. Don’t forget the Bear Spray! Mom hikes up lugging car seat ten minutes later and first toddler is crying. Five minutes later the other one starts up. It is cold and the novelty of picking blueberries has worn off. Wet clothes don’t help either from the stop made to pick up trash. One parent tries to entertain the youngsters while the other picks berries furiously. Parents fear children’s wails will attract bears. Finally Mom retires to vehicle with children while Dad tries to get just a few more berries. Eventually give up and buckle grumpy children into car seats. Head back down the mountain and see a great overlook for a picture. Glance into backseat, realize a picture is not a good idea and drive on. Drive a broken up three hours home congratulating yourself that you did the best you could.

Note 1. This has been slightly exaggerated, but only slightly.

Note 2. The pictures below of the children were all taken in the first ten minutes when everyone was still happy.

Note 3. We got three quart bags of blueberries. Not too bad considering…

I’ve also included some of Andy’s Halibut fishing experiences this week. We’ve mostly been going out for Salmon so it was great to have him get his first two Halibut!