Birthday Part Two

Let me just say...I have saved the best for last.

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to get on the road headed for Marburger Farms to pick peaches.

I have to say that I have many favorite things...but peaches are something that I cherish and look forward to their summer arrival every year.  This, however, is the first time I had ever ventured out and picked them myself.  It was worth it in every way.

I was giddy, bouncing up and down in the seat of our car as we approached the farm.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

When we arrived we all gathered under a large shed to get instructions and information about picking the peaches.  At this time, we also had to select the variety of peach we were going to pick.

It was actually more daunting than one can imagine.  Without being able to taste the variety, you were committed to an entire box.

We finally settled on Harvester, one that has a nice amount of acidity and with a very peachy flavour.

Then the picking ensued.  I was running from tree to tree looking and feeling for the most perfect, large, sun-blushed peaches that I could find while D and my family looked on laughing.

My mom dubbed this a very cheap thrill and she was right.  For $30, it was just about the perfect thing to do on a warm summer Saturday afternoon.

Finally, everyone got in on the action and in no time our box was filling up.  We did find a few tree-ripe peaches and couldn't help ourselves from being "peach bandits" and eating them right there on the spot.

The peach trees were actually much lower to the ground than I had imagined, so nearly all of the peaches were within reach.  Only a few times did I have to call D to get a peach near the top of the tree that I was too short for.

About an hour after we arrived, we had filled up our box to the brim with peaches.  I was sad to go but excited to bring so many perfect peaches home with me.

We went into Fredericksburg for lunch (Rather's Bakery) and walked around a bit, enjoying the nice day.

Talk focused mainly on how to use up all of the peaches we had just picked.  I'm not a psychic but I see many a peach cobbler, ice cream, salsa and fruit salad in my near future!

All I kept saying all day is how perfect it was.  It really is the simple and natural things that make me happy and the older I get, the more I realize and appreciate them.

We came home and counted our loot.  107 peaches.  Wow!  Better get cooking.