Hello friends,

Here today with some more cherry picking but this time @cmplxty got to come with us! It was his first time picking them, but only my second time because I never did it before this summer either!

# Go Local

One thing that’s been so great but important is the local farms. If there’s one thing that this situation has shown us it’s that locally, many places can sustain themselves without the big box stores. The farms near us have better prices and far better quality but lots of people don’t bother visiting them. One of our favorite farms is literally *directly* across the street from a big grocery store and a Walmart. The lines are always out the door to get in! A shame, really. 

This is a new farm for us to visit but we will definitely be coming back several times this summer! We’ve never picked grapes before, walking through the little vineyard reminded us of when we spent a few amazing weeks in Italy! :)

![CE079CB10DD5466DA812EF339B2DFCE0.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cmplxty/AWK4bDw4-CE079CB1-0DD5-466D-A812-EF339B2DFCE0.jpeg)

It was literally the very first day of blueberry season! We’ve never been that early so it was nice. The berries weren’t that flavorful yet, he likes them a little tart and young but I like them when they are sweet. 

![E74EEE2632824E7F98929CFE8AB4846D.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cmplxty/zfIPZUGa-E74EEE26-3282-4E7F-9892-9CFE8AB4846D.jpeg)

The blueberries were several hundred great Bushes. It was a plentiful harvest for sure!

![2199AE8CE67E4162B5CEF9CC0E88FEEB.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cmplxty/9SywAaxi-2199AE8C-E67E-4162-B5CE-F9CC0E88FEEB.jpeg)

We of course couldn’t pass up another opportunity to grab another great harvest of these delicious Rainier cherries! These ripened nicely, they are supposed to have more of the right red than their dark red cousins. 

![41B343BDC07D451480EDF583D12B13BD.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cmplxty/YtqSYtjv-41B343BD-C07D-4514-80ED-F583D12B13BD.jpeg)

Fun DIY little hack here. If you love cherries like we do, this is going to change your life!! You have to use a thick straw like the reusable ones, so it doesn’t bend. Just pull the stem off and press down and turn the cherry back and forth pushing it down and bam! Cherry pit is gone! The hubby learned of this one and sent it to me! Incredible. 

![922AAE13954B43779FF57135E33C22DC.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ssiena/c4IvPKmv-922AAE13-954B-4377-9FF5-7135E33C22DC.jpeg)

## Nom Nom

Never seen a chipmunk in a bush like this lol he was loving the blueberries but he was like a little raccoon, froze and is like ‘what? I want to eat them too!!’ He promptly jumped down once the little one screamed and ran at it lol

![98BCC13720D34893B683DF2617F1E3AB.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ssiena/OqTQ32k5-98BCC137-20D3-4893-B683-DF2617F1E3AB.jpeg)

Stay well and enjoy the warm weather up in the north, but stay warm to our friends in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ssiena [A Hive original and exclusive]