Day 196 – Dreaming of Summer

196/365 (July 15, 2011) – Cherries are my favourite fruit. They remind me of my childhood. My grandparents owned an orchard and every summer we would travel to the Shuswap and work for them. Slave labour, but there were benefits. Like all the cherries, peaches, plums, pears, apples, raspberries, carrots, peas, etc that you could stuff in. And it just didn’t get any fresher. We made our own jams and jellies, canned our own fruit and vegetables, froze for the winter. No strange preservatives in anything, just fruit, sugar and water. I still make my own jams and jellies, have never bought a jar of jam from the grocery store in my life.

In the heat of the afternoon we would walk or hitchhike down to the lake and cool off, or have a family water-fight up at the farm. Or we’d hoof it down to the other grandparents farm and help out there. Collect the eggs, maybe milk a cow, help with the hay fields, pick currants, help Granny bake and freeze all those fabulous cookies she made and had available in case a visitor dropped by unexpectedly.

In the evenings we’d drink Grandpas homemade Rootbeer and play games.

Cherries – they remind me of youth, warmth, swimming, summer love, family. The taste brings back so many precious memories.

Now if the rain would just stop and allow Summer to arrive!!