Picking Blueberries

I picked the very best of Maine's blueberries this month - wild, free, full of zingy flavor, and accessible from my kayak. 

Yes, it took a long time to get a yield of 4 cups to make jam and blueberry pancakes, but part of that was because I found many distractions along the way. 

Look at who was at the blueberries too, a hornworm caterpillar.

I was quite taken with its markings and exquisite detail - look at how its feet cling to the branch

I was also spied harvesting nature's bounty by this lazy little Painted turtle, which didn't seem to be alert enough to scamper off when I got close, but it sure looked grumpy.

And this was my view from under the blueberry branches - some deep cloud, but it wasn't raining, so I'll take it.

A most worthwhile venture indeed.