Something to do....

I want this to be an awesome summer for my kids, this is our last summer before ALL of my kids will be in public school or college. That said, I had planned on travelling and camping! I want to go to Eastern Washington, Idaho, and down hwy 101... to a point in Oregon then come back north. BUT, ya know what? camping might be cheaper than a hotel, but dang it still is expensive!! Then you have the cost of petrol, propane, briquettes, and food.
So, today, we went strawberry picking up at Harvold's Farm. It was AWESOME!!!  I am so bummed I forgot my camera, our hands were pinkish red from juice, We were all flushed from the heat (ya it's warm and sunny today, amazing in itself) and we had fun! So today we will be making pectin FREE jam, and maybe some ice cream and have strawberries at dessert tonight.
We go through so much fruit over here with all these kids it is amazing! In the 10 years I have been going to Harvold's this was the first time we picked from this field. So the kids learned about how they rest the ground, rotate and that it takes 2 to 3 years to have good berries on the plants, and usually the 4th year is the peak harvest, then they put the field to rest. Wow.
I love Nancy's berries, the flavor is amazing!!! No we don't go to Remlinger's. Every time we do, their berries are small, hard and well, cardboard has more flavor.
Before going to Harvold's, we used to go to Grandpa's Farm in Hobart, but we haven't seen signs for a few years, so we think maybe he passed away, and his kids and grandkids did not do the berry fields. Which is sad, his berries were the absolute BEST we have ever had. Harvold's are a close second.
We will be saving some tops and planting them, and hope we get a nice strawberry patch of our own, even if small, it will still be ours :)
So the rest of today, we are making jam with OUT pectin.. And tomorrow the kids want to go on a hike. I am thinking we might go to Snoqualmie Falls, or maybe we'll do Tradition Plateau.. I don't know. We'll wait to decide tomorrow, after we see if we really do still have sun!