Do you listen to A Prairie Home Companion? If you don’t, the title of this post makes no sense at all.
GK says that ketchup has natural mellowing agents. I haven’t made ketchup yet (because tomatoes aren’t cheap or abundant until late summer) but I underwent a series of mellowing activities in the past few days. Let me catch you up to speed.
I headed to Upstate New York for the very first time on Monday. A mere one and a half hour jaunt via Amtrak delivered me into the heart of the Hudson Valley. This started out as a berry picking adventure with a number of other cool bloggers, and then I decided it was also to be a writing getaway. I went up a day early. As it were, I should’ve gone up a week early.
There were lots of bridges to see on my way up. I like bridges.;)
I landed here.;)
;)
I took immediate advantage of the non-city environment in which I found myself.;)
And I did what any completely overwhelmed person on book deadline might do…;)
I partook in one of my favourite pastimes, walking around and looking in other people’s windows.;)
Hello, who’s calling? Oh, hey what’s up super-luxurious bathtub?;)
My stay at The Rhinecliff was absolutely marvelous.
I watched the sun rise.;)
I dreamed of living in this lighthouse.;)
And then I remembered what brought me here:;)
Shae, one of the other blog goddesses, drove us around the winding, lush backroads of Upstate territory. Roads forked, both with and without flatware.;)
We landed at Thompson Finch Farm where we picked (and then picnicked) until our hearts and bellies were content.
I chatted with Tigress of Jam and Pickle fame while she picked a few rows over; she told me that her very first job was strawberry picking.;)
Julia’s wonderful little human, Sterling, assisted me at one point, periodically selecting the largest berries from my basket, taking a big chomp, and then replacing the carnage in the basket!
This was my first experience with picking my own fruit, what a fun time! With the assistance of a hat and some sunblock, I brought home (via Shae’s rental car, Amtrak and finally NYC subway) a flat of strawberries for only $9.26. My jaw dropped when the friendly lady with the scale totaled up my purchase. Organic, fresh-picked berries at $2.20/lb.
We picnicked under a tree on the farm after everyone’s boxes filled with berries. The bloggers-that’ve-met-in-real-life club presented mighty fine larder and homemade goods for our inaugural feast.;)
Not much writing happened on my getaway, though my mini-retreat included a whole lot of catching up on sanity, quiet and standing still.