Strawberries

Picking strawberries.....just one of the many must-do events in the spring! And this year was a first for my almost three year old daughter, Savannah. We planned our day to visit Smith's Nursery in Benson. A friend had recommended the farm after taking her children and having such a memorable experience. We didn't mind the 40 minute drive from Pikeville because we knew a good time would be waiting for us! And a good time we had!

It's much simpler to drive to your local grocery or roadside fruit stand to purchase a container of the juicy red fruit. Chances are, however, no lasting memories will be made. When we arrived, the parking area was full of minivans....a tell tale sign that moms/dads with children were present. Looking out across the rows of thousands of strawberries, little heads bobbed up and down as buckets were filled. Standing not far off, adults with camera in hand gave endearing remarks to their youngsters as they made a lasting memory together!

The experience with Savannah and me was no different! She sauntered down rows and rows of ripened strawberries as the sweet, fresh aroma permeated the entire farm. You don't get that experience in the grocery store. I followed close behind, with my camera of course! I had to smile as a few unripened green strawberries found their way into our bucket. And then, after picking all she wanted to pick, I watched as her hand reached in the bucket. She pulled out a strawberry and threw it back! She did this a few more times and I finally asked the obvious question, "why?" She simply said, "Mommy, I need to put 'em back." We talked about how we would enjoy eating these at home and that they would...well...rot if left on the ground. She didn't like that idea. So off we went to pay for our fruit! But our day wasn't over. We enjoyed a long walk down the farm to see chickens, goats, and even enjoy a leisurely swing! Savannah was a tired toddler, but I think we both agree that everything was well worth the energy spent! We have so many memories from our day, ending with a bowl of fresh strawberry shortcake after supper!

So, skip the store and make the memory!