Local Strawberries Are In.

Mmmmmmm... Fresh local strawberries!! Yesterday, armed with the knowledge that the berry crop is in, Rachelle and I headed out to Westham Island in Delta where we know of a few strawberry farms.

Once out of Vancouver, and into the broad, flat Fraser River delta you would never guess you were only 15km from the bustling Vancouver metropolis. Fields of crops stretch out, hemmed in only by the ocean and the Fraser River.

The crop workers are almost exclusively Sihks. Men with long white beards, loose linen tunics, and turbans of yellow anbd red. Women with colourful scarves over their heads. Many of these workers are on the far side of middle age. What sort of toll does that take on the body? Its a beautiful and somewhat disorienting sight. What country am I in?

Along the banks of the river, as it flows around Westham Island, is a village of floating houses. Standing on the bridge, as the river flowed underneath me, so flowed the inspiration. All of the people in these floating houses have divested themselves of all the junk that gets collected when you live in a large place for a long time. These people are able to live happily in a small house. So can we!

We picked up 3 flats of delicious berries. Our neighboors, Rick and Barb, took 1 flat and our other neighboors, Bob and Suzanne took a couple of quarts out of the second flat. Rachelle washed and hulled the remainder and today I'll freeze some and dehydrate a bunch.

Jam will wait until later in the season when there over ripe berries go on sale as jam berries at half the price.