Summer and Strawberries

Blue early morning skies turning dark and heavy, more rain predicted. Yesterday a perfect sunny day with a light breeze, a delicious taste of summer and strawberry dreams.

June is careening into the time of the summer solstice, marking the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. A time of midsummer bonfires and age-old traditions that celebrate the cycle of nature. And though the summer solstice technically means the beginning of shorter days, it also marks the official beginning of summer – and berry picking season. A time of local berries in abundance – wild and cultivated.

Tiny, wild strawberries are ripening around the house, and remind me of my girlhood – and heading into the woodland meadows to pick and eat wild strawberries, and then stringing the berries on a long straw to bring home. These days I am more likely to go to a nearby pick-your-own berry farm for a day of strawberry picking, and bring home more berries that we can possibly eat to try to capture a little bit of the essence and taste of summer.

Pouring rain outside. I’ll have to wait for the berry patches to dry before heading out to pick. Happy Summer!