We had another record smashing year. The sunshine, good rain, and overproducing plants kept us open to the public until I shut it down in mid-September, just because I was spent. A good problem to have but exhausting! The weather held and the berries continued to ripen as I picked with frenzied obsession until leaving to visit Sabrina, Ben and little Ellie in Alberta at the end of the month. Imagine – blueberries fresh off the bush at the end of September! My plan was to have the fields winter-ready before heading out, but equipment failure and life junked that idea. Oh well!

My daughter Sabrina and I finished our book this year. That was so exciting! It’s full of delicious recipes, stories of starting the blueberry farm and beautiful pictures. I wrote it and Sabrina edited it, designed it, and did the photography for it. It’s been a labor of love that has been four years in the making. We are super proud of it and both the sales and feedback have been great. It sells for $27.95 and if you would like to purchase any for Christmas gifts, let me know. It will also be for sale at the upcoming markets that I’m doing; the Perth Christmas Farmers Market on November 16th, and the Timber Run Christmas Market on December 7th. Maybe I’ll see you at one of them.

We also put 400 more plants in the ground this year. It’s hard soul-crushing work and after five months with stiff muscles and a dirt caked face, I woke up early one morning knowing I had only one more planting day left in these old bones, and that was the day. It was six degrees outside and raining when I headed out to the field. I came in 14 hours later, shivering, wet and wobbly, the last plant planted. Sometimes I curse my inability for moderation and sometimes I embrace it. I did both that day. Anyway, the planting is finished forever and ever. And Angels sang!

Between a successful season, new grand-babies, finishing the book, planting, overwhelming busyness, and family adjustments combined with some significant losses, my emotions have been racing between extremes and I feel untethered and worn. And my damn eye won’t stop twitching! So I have closed the gate to the field, even though there is still work to be done, and I’m looking toward to my winter adventure. As Ferris Bueler says, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in while, you could miss it”.

This year I am flying to the south of Spain in January, then immediately taking a ferry to Morocco where I will spend a few weeks on my own exploring and hiking in the Atlas Mountains. I will head back to Spain in February where I will meet Sabrina, Ben, Ellie and Ben’s folks. We have a three-bedroom house rental in the mountains, and for a month we will spend our time hiking and exploring, combined with restful days reading, writing and soaking up the joy of being together in Spain. I will keep up on my blog and share the adventure. I think it’s going to be a good one!