After days of gloomy, rainy weather, the sun came out
over the weekend, reminding me how much I'd missed a baby-blue sky and the
warmth of the sun.
The grandchildren immediately headed outside after
arriving, and my eldest noticed there were still pecans on the ground. We have
a native pecan tree in the yard, and those limbs have put out quite a bounty
this year.
Last year, we sold the pecans she picked to the Bailey
Brothers in Fulshear, and Kylie enjoyed receiving money she earned through hard
work.
Noticing all the pecans on the ground yesterday, she saw
dollar signs again and we all got to work. We put a big plastic bucket near the
tree and 3-year-old James and 2-year-old Katherine helped their big sister drop
small pecans in the bucket.
While we worked, we talked about our favorite pecan
treats – pecan pie, pecan cookies and pecans sprinkled on ice cream.
I'm not a farmer, but I wondered if the pecans on the
ground were still good after all the rain we'd had. So I suggested we open a
few.
Kylie resisted, as every pecan out of the bucket was less
money in her pocket, but she agreed after I told her we might be picking up bad
pecans and all that work would be for nothing.
I remembered how my family used to crack pecans, and I
grabbed a couple of small hammers out of the kitchen junk drawer. With a gentle
tap, tap, tap, we opened a few, and they were perfect.
As we cracked the shells and pulled out honey-colored
pecan pieces, I thought about the satisfaction that comes from harvesting and
then eating something that grows in your own back yard. It's sad so few
children these days have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables or eat
the fruit from something they've picked with their own hands.
I remember the truck garden we had in our back yard one
year. My dad challenged each of his seven children with having their own row to
plant, tend and harvest. My brother, Joey, won the contest, but we all enjoyed
vegetables from that little backyard plat and learned we could grow what we
wanted to eat.
Last year, my son and his family made over two dozen jars
of jam from blackberries they picked growing behind where they were living. Their
children loved searching in the bushes for blackberries, learning valuable
lessons about wearing rain boots and looking out for critters lurking in the
leaves and branches.
They were so proud when they presented me with their jars
of jam, and that only comes from, literally, the fruits of one's labors.
My grandchildren love visiting nearby Blessington Farms in
Simonton. Owners Lynne and Dave Johnson live in Fulshear but drew upon their
memories of farming in Iowa to turn some acreage into a delightful destination
spot for children and adults alike.
Visitors get a bucket when they arrive and can pick their
own blueberries and strawberries right off the vine.
Recently added is a catch-and-release fishing pond where
children can experience the fun of catching a fish, getting their picture taken
and then watching the fish swim away to be caught again another day.
Year round, children can enjoy old-fashioned activities
such as the hay maze, giant slides and a petting zoo with barnyard animals. For
youngsters wondering what a real farm's like, nothing beats holding a gentle
hen as she clucks on your lap or listening to a rooster announce his presence.
Blessington Farms' website has up-to-date information
about hours of operation, and, weather permitting, plans are to open the gates
this Saturday. Note they're closed on Sundays.
There's a great lesson to be learned when one harvests
nature's bounty and there's no greater feeling of satisfaction than seeing a
bucket filled with blueberries, strawberries or native pecans that you picked
with your own hands.
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