Strawbery Pickin' -- Frugal Fun For Under $50

Times are tightening and we are grateful for the enjoyable inexpensive things to do.

Last weekend, my sweet Donna F. and I grabbed a couple bottles of water, put ten dollars in the gas tank (just shy of three gallons) and took a meandering country drive to an orchard.

We were going to get cashews. I'm on a kick of eating basamati rice with raisins and cashews, and Donna and I both like them in our salads which we tend to eat more of in the hot months. We come to this orchard to get them because they taste fresher than what's available at the local corporate run grocery.

Since we already live in the country (not in a suburb or burgeoning bedroom community) we decided to drive fifteen miles further out, to the more "country version" of our local orchards, instead of going to the seven mile distant, orchard. Although it is also popular with us, that place is closer to the city and has a more upscale commercial feel. I get enough of that in my day-to-day, and I like to nurture the "hick" in me.

Donna's little Aveo gets about twenty-five to thirty miles per gallon. Two and three quarters gallons gave us a comfortable range of seventy-five to ninety miles for driving.

We made a slow meandering course along the back roads. Weaving between the grids of the county's well traveled state routes, we drove slow, absorbing the sights and smells. On two occasions, I eased over and waved people by, so we could dawdle at our leisure. We spent an hour traveling twenty-some miles.

We arrived at our destination, Legend Hills Orchard.

We've been here before. Donna and I first found this place as we explored the Johnstown area before moving into it. It's one of our favorite little excursions.

From now until late fall, there's always something fresh to be had. Apples, are of course, their major mainstay, but that's not until fall.

They grow other things, and get some vegetables from somewhere. An Amish family often sets-up a table on the roofed patio outside the front door; selling breads, pies, cookies and other baked goods.

Handmade home decorations, lawn decorations and rough furniture can also be found.

Jars of varying sizes and contents abound, (jellies, butters, vegetables, pickled things, relishes, sauces, canned fruits) all labeled by some small Amish, Country or Local outfit.

There are nuts and flours; cheeses galore. This is where we buy the roll of Amish Butter that Donna and I like to cook with.

As we were poking around the store, Donna noticed that "strawberries" was written on the erasable magic marker board; with an unbelievably low price per pound for U-pick.

We grabbed a tare and headed out.

After picking a few handfuls I finally sampled one.

The most intense flavor of strawberry exploded in my mouth; as if I'd dumped a packet of strawberry Kool-Aid(R) in it. If I hadn't picked that thing myself, I might have wondered if it had been spiked.

We left with half-a tare. The price was $2.50 because of the container; next time we will take our own.

We took almost another hour to meander ourselves back home, and ended up with almost half our gas still in the tank. After dinner, we had strawberry short cake for desert; and it was the best ever. Sorry I didn't get a picture of that. Maybe next time.

I'm writing this on Friday. We will be going back tomorrow with the plan of stocking up. I'll try and remember to take the camera.

Frugal Fun For Under $50.

Which was good for the kitchen as well.

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01 June 2007 - Bill's Spirit

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Bill's Spirit is an Artist, Writer, Poet, Philosopher currently wordsmithing from a humble studio in small town Ohio.

The works of the man behind Bill's Spirit have been published in small alternative and amateur presses since 1986. Before that, they just filled notebooks, took up space on walls and gathered dust in piles and boxes.

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