We went berry picking tonight. We thought it was the perfect evening for blueberries and blackberries, as the skies were clear and the evening was cool enough to wear a light jacket and enjoy the dusky breezes. We had learned on previous outings that the bugs enjoy new blood around here, so we doused ourselves in our eight dollar can of Off, suited up and headed out. We remembered the camera this time, but I was in no state to be captured by it, so the requested picture of us as a couple in beautiful Alaska
We headed toward the airport on the gravel road behind the school, then onto a four-wheeler path towards the tundra. The further we distanced ourselves from our apartment, the more thankful we were for the Off we applied so generously. But the longer we walked, the more we began to wonder if the lady at the P-Store hadn't sold us an expensive bottle of simple syrup. Bugs were flying in our mouths, eyes, hair; pretty much any imaginable place they had access to. We finally found the berry patches we stumbled over last night and began to pick away. While we only gathered enough for a small jar of syrup or jam, the silver lining was that I didn't see a single spider amidst the berry bushes (although with the rest of the bugs out tonight, it would have been an optimal time for them to eat).
We were pleased with the blueberries and blackberries, but we’re really excited for the cranberries we found. We’ll have to patiently await the first frost to pick those. We’re not going to tell anyone where we spotted them tonight, though. They were so abundant we had to walk delicately through the brush to make sure we didn’t smash them. They’re good and tart right now, so it tempts us to pick what we find when we find them, but we’ve been told that they’re so much better when they’ve ripened a little more. So we’ll practice patience for a couple more weeks.
After we got tired of collecting more bugs than berries and waving our arms like crazy people, we decided we would head home. The walk home was thick with insects, comparable to Mayflies inDubuque
We like emails and phone calls so keep them coming! As we develop a routine out here, we’ve found that the times we sit down to make phone calls, it’s past eight for us, and most likely pushing 11 for those of you we’d want to call. Familiar voices and faces are so nice to hear from and see when we’re surrounded by a landscape and people we’re so unaccustomed to, so call, Skype, email, etc. We look forward to hearing from you!
We headed toward the airport on the gravel road behind the school, then onto a four-wheeler path towards the tundra. The further we distanced ourselves from our apartment, the more thankful we were for the Off we applied so generously. But the longer we walked, the more we began to wonder if the lady at the P-Store hadn't sold us an expensive bottle of simple syrup. Bugs were flying in our mouths, eyes, hair; pretty much any imaginable place they had access to. We finally found the berry patches we stumbled over last night and began to pick away. While we only gathered enough for a small jar of syrup or jam, the silver lining was that I didn't see a single spider amidst the berry bushes (although with the rest of the bugs out tonight, it would have been an optimal time for them to eat).
We were pleased with the blueberries and blackberries, but we’re really excited for the cranberries we found. We’ll have to patiently await the first frost to pick those. We’re not going to tell anyone where we spotted them tonight, though. They were so abundant we had to walk delicately through the brush to make sure we didn’t smash them. They’re good and tart right now, so it tempts us to pick what we find when we find them, but we’ve been told that they’re so much better when they’ve ripened a little more. So we’ll practice patience for a couple more weeks.
After we got tired of collecting more bugs than berries and waving our arms like crazy people, we decided we would head home. The walk home was thick with insects, comparable to Mayflies in
We like emails and phone calls so keep them coming! As we develop a routine out here, we’ve found that the times we sit down to make phone calls, it’s past eight for us, and most likely pushing 11 for those of you we’d want to call. Familiar voices and faces are so nice to hear from and see when we’re surrounded by a landscape and people we’re so unaccustomed to, so call, Skype, email, etc. We look forward to hearing from you!
Love and miss you all,
Brie
Just an FYI...if you haven't already. The GPS you bought from me makes for a great way to find things you come across that you want to go back to. Shoot a point with the GPS and log the coordinates that way you can find it no problem next time you want to return.
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