Cedar loves Blueberries for Sal. Don’t we all? The cute little girl in her overalls. Her mother in her Donna Reedish berrypicking getup. Kerplunk!
A week ago I found some last patches of blueberries sporting perfect huge berries. You could even pick the ones that had just fallen on the tundra and drop them in your bucket. Cedar pulled out her overalls and rubber boots and made me call her Sal as we got ready to go. It was just like Blueberries for Sal in only one respect: Cedar’s bucket remained empty because she ate every blueberry she picked.
But I am not like Sal’s mother. I am not known to wear a skirt, let alone while berrypicking. I was toting Coral Anna in a backpack. With the pack, squatting to pick blueberries turned into a power workout that left me sore the next day. Sal’s mother did not yell at her when Sal stole a fistful of berries. In my berry lust, I shouted.
Sal’s mother also didn’t sing to scare off bears. Obviously, the plot would have suffered. We sang the whole hike. Cedar chose “Deck the Halls” and “Hava Nagila.” Even with our culturally confusing singing, we were lucky not to see bears. Grizzly sightings have become de rigueur in our neck of the woods of late. It almost seems popular to shoot one in your yard (in defense of property of course).
With the two girls, I only wound up with a half cup of berries. I returned alone later to get enough for jam. Next time I’ll wear a skirt and a nineteen fifties torpedo bra like Sal’s mom. Maybe we’ll get more berries. Kerplunk!
I entered scribbit’s Write-Away Contest again. Wish me luck.
Every year I look forward to the berries, we picked two gallons when we were up near Paxson last month.
we are visiting fairbanks, ie, working temporarily. Where can we pick blue berries`around here in fairbanks.. wants to experience berry picking. We are from the Bay area in san francisco..
Thanks
Paul Cruz
My four year old daughter, Hannah, loves Blueberries for Sal! After reading your story, I told my husband about it. He thought that it might be a good idea to go around September and give berrypicking a try since we have some friends up in Alaska who we were going to visit anyways. I’m sure Hannah and Hugo, my twins, would enjoy it. I’m concerned, however, that my two other daughters, Henrietta and Heidi, who are a year and a half old and three weeks old, would be too young too take on such an adventure. I definetely think that Heidi would not be able to go. Any thoughts on this?