Blueberries for Nat- Slice of Life 6/29/10

"Little Sal picked three berries and dropped them in her little tin pail...kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! She picked three more berries and ate them. Then she picked more berries and dropped on in the pail-kuplunk! And the rest she ate. Then Little Sal ate all four blueberries out of her pail!" --from Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

The berries dropping into my plastic yogurt container made a muted kuplunk but still brought my mind back to one of my favorite children's books. Brave self-control kept me from copying Sal's picking method. The sun beat down, causing sweat to run down my face and warming the plump blue berries on the blush before me. Once again I was grateful to my ingenious husband. The rope tied to the plastic container and hung around my neck freed both hands for the picking of berries. I gently lifted the laden branches and picked the ripe fruit. It seemed the berries were ripening before my very eyes. No sooner did I think I had an section of the bush picked of all the ready fruit, then I would look back and see some I some how missed. Two containers full later I happily left the bush, knowing the birds and squirrels would be enjoying the fresh, ripe berries that I couldn't reach and there would still be more for us later.