Trips: Raspberry Picking at Riley's Farm

As luck would have it, my mom and I finally went apple picking. Of course, she badgered me to go cherry picking but at that time, I just couldn't say yes. I finally caved and dragged along my camera in hopes of getting really good practice shots. Because the cherry season came and went, we had no choice but to go apple picking instead.

Saturday was a fine day to go picking whatever fruits were in season. It was sunny but not too hot, although I still had to wear a light jacket because I'm not quite used to this weather yet. We [read my mother] had our hearts set on picking apples but in reality, we picked raspberries! It's quite different when you pick the fruit off the plant and eat it right then and there and I couldn't help but be excited. Seriously though, I didn't quite love the taste of raspberries.

Raspberries

Granny Smith Apples

Strawberries
Yes, they're out of season

The farm that we went to, Riley's Farm, in Oak Glen, California, is a family run farm that offers a wide variety of activities set in the Pilgrim times. Of course, the highlight of their farm is the picking of certain fruits that are in season, like apples, raspberries, strawberries, and pears. It was a bit too late in the season for the others but we managed to get the last of the raspberries before they went off season.

The fruit pickings aren't free though, but all you need to do is purchase a container and the prices depend on their size and then you are free to pick the fruit. Certain rules come with the picking of the fruit though; to safeguard the trees and plants.

What hit me was the little cottage where you can make your own apple cider by hand. Simply place the apples and turn the crank on your own to get your very own fresh cider. Of course if you didn't want to go to all that trouble, you can buy them at the General Store.

Naturally, I took a few shots of the insects that I found hanging around the farm (I seriously need a macro lens!). I did have a hard time photographing them because I was just using an 18-55mm lens that came with my D40 kit but I think the photos turned out great, considering my limited equipment (note: I did have to go really, really close to the insects to get them this big). Oh, and I'd like to think that the horses loved me and posed for the camera!

Did he just stick his tongue out at me?

I give my experience 3.5 stars.

Location
Riley's Farm
Oak Glen, California
Entrance to the farm is free but you have to purchase Riley Farm containers to pick the fruit

Sproutwells and Soccer Moms

The Sproutwells are a fruit and vegetable family who are living among us. This short episode currently shows Mom watching Ruby’s soccer game. I enjoyed this short clip and I didn’t even expect it!

I have heard of a lot of crazy soccer mom stories, some hilarious and some pretty disturbing but it all boils down to them being stage mom’s. I know all moms would love to see their kids succeed and they would also want to encourage their kids. Some have gone waaay overboard though and have picked fights here and there. Cat fights, anyone?

The Sproutwells are also fond of freshfunds, a website similar to Ebay where you can rack up points, bid online and make donations to charity online. Not only that, you get to learn more about fruits, vegetables, read about healthy tips, and know more about your health.

Want more Sproutwells? Check out this episode and tell me what you think!

Food Friday: Nectarines

What are they, you ask? Well basically, Nectarines are a kind of Peach that has a hairless skin; Peaches are fuzzy by the way. It is said that nectarines are erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and plums, although they do belong to the same species.

Quite frankly, I have never tasted Nectarines before because I'm really not a fruit person. However, grapes, apples, oranges, and grapefruits are another story though.

Food Friday is a weekly meme by Maiylah.
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Info: Wikipedia