Of course I use “grab a handful” very metaphorically.  We’ve been perfecting our technique the last few years to minimize tears from prickles and the stains from handling.  You have to grip those berries enough to pull them off, but not too hard that they instantly become jam in the hand (known as ‘mushers’ in Ella lingo).  As for prickle protection, our trick is to use a glove on one hand to grip the branch and then angle it in such a way that your bare hand can easily get at the berries.  Result?  Less tears, more berries!

Another tip is to use your shortest child as the spotter.  Quite often, the nicest berries are the ones hanging underneath leaves – they’re hard to spot unless you get right underneath.  Ella has become quite good at her scouting job, though she gets a bit tyrannical when she spots a batch:  “There it is, get it!” or “I see some, pick them now!”

Being the taller of the two, Grace is more focused on the highest berries possible.  When she saw at tip on Shaw TV about using a step ladder to compete with the birds, she was all for it; when she had to carry the ladder, the enthusiasm waned.  I suggested to her that Daddy would make a very good step ladder.  Grace thought that was great, George not so much, until I told him it was kind of like a free massage.

Now it’s a frenzied race to do something with all these berries.  Jam is the old stand-by (good for Christmas prsents!) and then there are the pies, and the crumbles, and the syrups.  But this year, a little something for mummy and daddy, which is fermenting as I write.  Gotta love those blackberries!

After the girls went gah-gah over Emilee’s goo-goo’s it was time to explore.  That meant the concession stand first because a morning of marketing requires fueling up on popsicles and giant cookies.  I went for one of the cinammon buns that every other person seemed to be eating (now I know why!)  David – who’s two – tested the 10 second rule a couple of times with his popsicle, and Ella was happy to pick it up and brush it off for him (for a child who’s very particular, she’s never been very particular about food on the ground).

Errington has plenty of space in the field next to the market, so you can lay down a couple of blankets (I chose to lay down with them) and enjoy the great music from their fab new bandshell while the kids run around and burn off their treats.  I suggested a bandshell for our backyard, but before George could suggest anything back, Grace pointed out that we didn’t need one because it’s easy to drive to Errington.  Bless her young, irony-free heart.

Then it was off to the market stalls.  I suspect there may be some magpie somewhere in George’s family tree because our girls flitted from shiny object to shiny object at the jewellery tables.  There was a wide range of styles and one table in particular featured some amazing pieces by two young girls.  Then there were the hats, and of course the baking.  None of this was impressing David, until he pointed to the brightly-coloured hoola-hoops.  We’re not talking about the plastic kind the girls have had in the past, but properly weighted, hand-made hoola-hoops.  The moment she tried one, Grace could tell she’d never really been hoola-hooping before.  We’ll take two, I said.

A few plants, vegetables, and another cinammon bun later and we were ready to head home, but we’ll be sure to head back to Errington the next chance we get.  It’s not very far, as Grace says.

Ella was fascinated by the fact that they stir the cheese with a large shovel, though we explained it’s different than our garden shovel! Grace had a ball petting the very friendly goats and watching them walk overhead on the special ramps that have been lovingly built for them. We also saw the area where the pregnant cows were waiting to give birth to 80 lb. calves. Grace turns to me: I guess you had it pretty easy with us, eh mom? I turn quickly and point “Oh look, isn’t that a Red Highland over there?” cleverly avoiding an answer.

Their self-guided tours let you roam through the barns and milking sheds to see what’s behind the wonderful cheeses and meats found in their store. Or if you put together a group of 8 or more you can get a guided tour. Then it’s off to the store where you can sample some of the delicious cheeses. Grace loved the Berry and the Normal, while I was particularly partial to the Brie. Lactose-intolerant Ella was compensated with some of their famous bacon and some jerky.

We didn’t get a chance to walk the trail or see all of the animals, but we’ll be back for a full afternoon, perhaps during Spring Break. And hopefully we’ll get a clear day for the spectacular views of Mount Arrowsmith.

The pomegranate mousse, for instance, was highly moussey without a drop of dairy! And the Kale salad with the house dressing – yum! Zucchini spaghetti has no pasta in it, but you’d never know! Did I mention the truffles? Did I mention they do all this without baking or cooking? Did I mention we’ll be back?