berry picking and amazing lunch
so wayne pointed out that it's berry picking season. we missed it
last year, but now i'm fired up to go.
saturday june 17th
picking @ gizdich ranch
http://www.gizdich-ranch.com/pikyorsef.html
lunch @ phils fish market
http://www.philsfishmarket.com/
and a review
http://www.meshsf.com/blogs/2004/10/thank-god-its-fry-day-phils-fish.html
earlier is better to avoid too much sun while picking.
plus the ranch doesn't open till 9 anyway.
do people want to carpool? and who can drive?
i'd like to leave ~8am but i know that's the crack of dawn for some folk.
My sister and I pick up our friends and barrel down 880-101 south, arriving somewhat late at gizdich ranch. We convene with the other groups and troop out to the olalliebarry fields where we pick 7.5 lbs of olallieberries. In passing we see my friend DCS and her family who, alas, are headed back to Monterey for other other committments/activities. The berries are a deep purple, noble fruit- incipient jam, smoothies peeking out from under the green prickly leaves.
After 2hours of picking everyone has mounds of berries and bright red fingers and lips. The sign in the weighing stall says "sampling is ok but grazing is prohibited" I think that we are a hair short of the forbidden fruit.
We move to the strawberry fields, where picking is easier- no prickles- and harder- more bending down.
12 lbs later we decide the thighs and backs are dead, and I have a good sunburn coming up. I have a whole new respect for people who work out in the fields. I can't imagine that as my job.
We reconvene at the pie shop, sampling the dutch apple berry pie. The whole group of 23 heads to Phil's for lunch. It's so crowded we can't even find parking. So we find a new place that overlooks the harbor on the northside, just down from the mexican pottery place and the kayak place.