Pendarvis Farm and blackberries

I just spent all day at the Pickathon site, Pendarvis Farm. Setting up the workshop barn, cleaning tarps, moving furniture around and getting to know the owner, Sherry Pendarvis (and her dog Freckles and her three horses). She's hilarious, I love her. Toolbelt, pink lipstick, beer, she is totally prepared. I tried to set up a campsite, and my old green dome tent died. It was my mother's tent, the one we had since I was a kid and camped in on Cape Cod, in New Hampshire and Vermont and Maine.... Definitely had sentimental value, but it had some small rips, all the stakes were bent and the poles were coming apart. Today one of the poles splintered pretty badly, and the tent collapsed after I almost had it all up. I realized it was time to let it go and make a trip to REI (any advice, Emily??). So my first new tent will be exciting. It's time. And at least I have a blog to memorialize my old tent on....

After moving things around a lot and being very social, I retreated to the blackberry bushes, which are everywhere there. The fattest yummiest blackberries. I took a bucket and filled it up for almost an hour. One of the farm cats came and stuck right next to me the whole time. I brought the bucket back to where everyone was sitting around waiting to eat and they ate a lot of them, but there were lots left (see above).