This past weekend it was all about subsistence in the Saltonstall world. On Saturday I helped harvest meat, and dug up half the garlic from the garden. And then on Sunday we collected something like 2 or 3 gallons of blueberries.
The berry picking expedition was like something you'd see on the Serengeti Plain 100,000 years ago. A band of hunter gatherers, followed by a pack of dogs, traipsing into the woods to collect dinner.
Every couple of minutes Stuey would yell, 'I found the best blueberry bush ever!'
I couldn't help but think of optimal foraging theory - how dense do the berries have to be to get me to stop and pick, and when do I move on to another bush? It was also clear that many of the bushes had been picked before we got there, and I got to thinking it's all relative. Early in the season when none of the bushes have been picked it needs to be a pretty good bush to hold my attention. But as the season progresses we lower our standards because the densely packed bushes are difficult to find.
It certainly was a good time.
Nora wants to fill our spare 'elk' freezer with berries, and she is well on her way!
Patrick
 |
| Tank likes to pick blueberries too! |
No comments:
Post a Comment