Bluff Point State Park, CT

This place was our jewel of a find this year for our Connecticut visit. Just 15 minutes from Bubbie and Poppie's house, you have to kayak or walk a mile to get to the beach and it was full of things to explore.There are so many rocks on this side of the country. I have been obsessed with finding a rock for our yard, we don't necessarily have the space or the ability to haul/lift such rock, but I want my kids to be able to perch on one regularly. While driving around Connecticut I realized how abundant rock outcroppings are, so many awesome yards with endless climbing opportunities. Granted, I can dig a garden bed without having to unearth any stone, and the soil is amazing, but I still need some rock- not little stones a boulder.
We could use a few of these guys too. And maybe a water feature that has clear water that you can see things crawling around on the bottom.

And a sandy beach to examine Egret tracks after they have flown off.and some rocks covered in barnacles.. Oh and tides that go out to reveal paths to island. Luckily, I have these kids where ever I am.

We are still soaking up all the salt water our bodies will let us. One thing that doesn't change as you grow up, vacations are still awesome.

Harkness State Park, CT

River's first trip to the ocean, technically the Long Island Sound, but we are just calling it the ocean. Oh how nice is has been to be close to such large bodies of water and the life that exists there. We are very land locked in the corn dessert and these trips and times really fill a need in our souls.

Combing the beach to find what we will.Enjoying the salt on our lips and the sand on our skin. Asher being a mama sea turtle, laying her eggs.

River wanting to be just like his brother (this phase has hit big time this past week)

Harkness is a park we have visited before and have enjoyed. No swimming is allowed, which suits our boys at this age just fine. Large picnic areas above the sandy area and lots of bouldering on the beach.

Anchor Run Farm

Some snippets of vacation to come. We have enjoyed Bubbie and Zadie's CSA pick your own and pickups. We didn't have a chance to pick strawberries in Illinois before departing and are happy to have a Pennsylvania harvest along with lots and lots of peas.Anchor Run Farm is a pretty awesome township owned farm and the season has been very good to them. I think fruit set is pretty abundant this year, at least where I have traveled and at home. it is definitely a can your ass off year and freeze whatever you can pick.

Elderberries

It appears to be quite the season of abundance here in central il. And our last anticipation of our small fruits is the elderberries, the latest of them all.

I have been really adoring the flowers this year. I think perhaps in the years past I have ignored them, but as some of you know what my elderberry ignorance can lead to, I am trying to pay more attention.

I will definitely be cooking the fruit before preserving it this year, and if the flowers are still there when we return home, plan on doing something with them as well.

As so many things are being harvested, it is still nice to appreciate the promise of things that will be.

Rolling In!!

We were lucky enough to enjoy the king berries prior to our summer vacation departure. I know, enough about the berries already. But wow, there are so many of them and it is pretty amazing.

I have to fight off the boys to try and enjoy some, and after a year without, it is a great thing to come back to. And of course we are quite pleased with our little patches productivity. Just lined up on the sidewalk growing us some of summer's sweetest treats.

We should be back for some of the blackberry season, the canes are massive, the thorns a bit intimidating, hopefully is all adds up to really tasty fruit.

Learning the Ropes

It didn't take too long and with the raspberries and currants right on the tail of the service berries, this little bear is set to feed himself.

I have a pretty strong feeling about kids being able to provide for themselves. Gardening and foraging seem like such survival skills that we need to teach our children. I love the look on my boys faces when they are able to pick and eat something. Though we need to be careful as everything is not edible, they amaze me with their attention and pleasure when they are given the okay to fill their belly.

He is a pleased little boy. New to the vocab this week: Berry. And whenever he sees them he cries our more while signing please. Such fun.

Into the Woods:: 6/3

The pictures are becoming fewer, but our adventures have continued and even with all our quick travels and missing our home woods, we are still sure to be in some woods or natural area where ever we happen to be. I am thrilled that in the next weeks the boys will be exploring the woods that their papa explored as a boy, running on the shores of the ocean, and creek walking in rock bottomed streams.

I have such a lack of inspiration in the summer woods. It is much easier to become distracted by mosquitoes or sweat than to notice the new plant growth. We did stumble across one bloom I was unfamiliar with.

The Berry Year Begins

Mulberries, found last week. Everything is early and as this is River's first berry season, we are so excited to share all of it with him. He's is thrilled as well that we can walk around the neighborhood and find sweet treats to snack on.
Service Berries, so early this year. We picked a bunch and have been enjoying them all week in morning meals, snacks and hope to make muffins this weekend. They are a grape/blueberry mix for me and so so delicious especially when warmed gently by the morning sun. and picked by a 3 year old bear that climbs the tree.
And the cherries are starting to roll in. Our neighbor has a tree and Asher asked if I could walk him over there. We couldn't find his little basket and I let him know that a handled basket would be best, I love his choice.
River was happy to greet him and his harvest.
Gooseberry fruit set.
Elderberry flowers, the plants are loaded and the first blooms have just opened, the branches won't be weighed down with fruit for awhile.
The king berry on the black raspberries ripening, calling to us, teasing really as they are red ready, but need to turn purple- does anyone have any tricks for teaching 1 and 3 year olds how to wait for ripeness?
White currents plumping up continuing to taunt Asher- though he has had his belly full of under ripe ones and claims their are super good.
50lbs of strawberries from a local organic farm awaiting their freezer fate. As we are incredibly busy these days, pick your own wasn't going to happen.
And the blackberry fruit set... Holy Cow, it is going to be amazing. The sweetness of summer is one way I can tolerate the heat, it is needed for all the delights from the yard and garden. The humidity though? I think I will continue to complain.

Sweet Potatoes

We made our own sweet potato slips this year. It was really labor intensive and hard. Place sweet potato half in soil, horizontally in a plastic container with some drainage, keep wet.Pull the slips apart and plant into warm soil.
Then let your cute kid water them in.
And get muddy.