• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • A+ Blogs
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Blueberry Picking in the Mountains

August 18, 2013 By Rhoda 54 Comments

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

The blueberries are ripe and ready up at my parents house in the mountains and they needed some extra hands to pick the berries, so they wouldn’t go to waste.  So, my sister and I (and her 2 dogs) headed up for a day of blueberry picking last week.  We both brought some home to freeze too and they will come in handy during the winter months when berries are not readily available. I’m so glad my dad loves to garden with veggies and fruits.  All the bounty is a part of our growing up years and it’s been so nice to have all of it around.  We know that this bounty will not last forever and if we want to grow our own, we will have to learn to do it ourselves.

But, for hopefully a few more seasons, we will pick blueberries and enjoy them.  I’ve shared my parents mountain home several times in the last 6 years, but I’ll do another recap for you here.

mountain house

My dad built this house about 30 years ago in the Murphy, NC area and they originally planned to retire up here permanently, but when their granddaughter, Lauren, came along, those plans changed. They wanted to be close to see her often and they did.  She spent a lot of time with them in her young years in Marietta and up here at the mountain house.

name plaque

In fact, her name made it on the name plaque outside the front door.  Renee and I are missing, but not Lauren!  Smile  They love that girl.

flagstone

We’ve been coming to this house for so many summers and it is such good memories for all of us.  My dad’s imprint is all over the house and everywhere I look, he’s there.

porch sitting

So, this trip was just for blueberry picking, but it was raining when we got there, so we sat on the porch as we do every trip and talked and watched the rain drip off the leaves.  My dad knows that they will not be able to take care of both houses for too many more years and we talked about that too.  It will be a sad, sad day when the house has to be sold.  It’s been such a part of our family’s lives for so long.  But, we girls really do not love the mountains as much as our parents do and so wouldn’t want to take on the upkeep of this house too, which means the house will have to eventually be sold.  They have done so well to still be able to take care of 2 houses all these years, but time is catching up with them.

mom and buster

We have enjoyed many family times on this porch over the years.  Buster is a lap dog and will gladly hop in anyone’s lap who will let him.

Buster the Boston

Buster the Boston.

tomatoes

During the summer months, tomatoes are always bountiful. This year, the abundance of rain has kept his crops to a minimum. There is such a thing as too much rain on a garden.

ferns

I love the lacy ferns growing wild up in the North Carolina mountains.

leaves

I took my camera and did a little photoshoot while I was sitting on the porch.

mountain laurel

Mountain laurel is abundant  in these mountains and they bloom in the spring.  So pretty and peaceful up here.

hummingbirds

One of our highlights on the porch is watching the hummingbirds come to the feeder that my mom keeps filled up with sweet nectar.  I always try to catch them with my camera and succeeded this time.

hummingbird wings

They are so fast with their fluttery wings but I snapped quickly too.

hummingbird close

They are fun to watch and are so fiercely protective of their feeders, fighting among themselves.

hummingbird on  limb

I caught one little guy on the tip of a branch.

Dad and Buster
Dad and Buster.

birdbath

Birdbath hidden among the ferns.

antlers on the porch

Dad is trendy and doesn’t even know it.

frying okra

Mom fixed a completely vegetable meal for lunch. This kitchen has seen  many a meal over the years and she has cooked up scrumptious food for many family members out of this kitchen too.

canning tomatoes

She still cans her tomatoes when they all start coming in.

fried green tomatoes

She fried up some green tomatoes for us, cause she knows we like them.

veggies from garden

Peas, fried okra, fresh creamed corn and tomatoes and cornbread.  It was a meal!

parking to the creek

The rain finally stopped and the sun came out, just in time for our blueberry picking.

bridge over creek

Dad built these steps down to the creek many years ago too.  It goes over the creek and into the flat area below.

creek

The creek is as full as I’ve ever seen it with all the rain this summer.

blueberry bushes

Here’s the huge blueberries bushes that have been growing here for years. We’ve enjoyed this fruit for a long, long time too and it’s a treat when they get ripe.

garden

Dad’s garden is winding down for this year.

090

Blueberries waiting for us to pick.

creek foliage

A few more shots of greenery around the creek.

mossy tree

I love the mossy lichen growing on the trees.  There’s nothing like the North Carolina mountains for beauty.

picking blueberries

The 3 of us picked, me, my dad, and sister and filled up this pan with blueberries in about an hour or so.  Picking goes a lot faster with 3 people.

fresh blueberries

Our beautiful bounty of berries.

dad and the blueberries

Dad is very proud of his blueberry bushes.  He planted some cherry trees up there last year and is waiting for those to produce too.

mom and blueberries

In the meantime, mom likes to pick out the bad berries and stems before they go in the freezer.  We freeze these berries to use later on.

freezing blueberries

I took a good amount home to use myself and here’s how we freeze them.  I do not wash them first (and mom doesn’t either).  I didn’t take time to de-stem mine either, but you can do that as you use them.  Spread them all out single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze in the freezer. Then put them in freezer bags. They will freeze like little marbles and not stick together if you freeze them like this.

That was our day in the mountains picking blueberries. Hope you enjoyed going along with us.  It’s a special family place for us.

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Family Friends and Me, Travel 54 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SheilaG @ Plum Doodles says

    August 20, 2013 at 9:08 am

    I am such a mountain girl- I hope to retire to the mountains someday. Your parents are amazing people, doing so much more than I can possibly even think about doing. You have obviously inherited that energy gene! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Tina says

    August 20, 2013 at 10:32 am

    Hi Rhoda,
    What a great post. There’s nothing like those fond memories . Reading this reminded me so much of my summers as a city girl in Alabama picking blackberries. I so miss my aunt Gladys’ Blackberry Cobbler. Thanks for taking me back to those good old days.

    Reply
  3. Kay says

    August 20, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    Your mom’s veggie dinner looks great. Do you think she would share her recipe for cornbread and creamed corn?

    Reply
  4. Ann says

    August 20, 2013 at 8:48 pm

    Great post Rhoda!!! Beautiful pictures and not only do we get Mom and Dad (we can all call them Mom and Dad, no?) but we get sweet adorable Buster too! Such a beautiful, tranquil setting and the blueberries and your Mama’s food looks awesome!

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      August 20, 2013 at 9:39 pm

      OF course you can, Ann! I’ll share them with all of you.

  5. Patricia says

    August 20, 2013 at 11:41 pm

    I feel there is no end to the talent, creativity and just pure goodness of that Mama and Daddy of yours ! They never cease to amaze and inspire me, with all that they do….. What a wonderful inspiration they are to all of us – you must be so proud of them !

    Reply
  6. Connie says

    August 21, 2013 at 7:15 pm

    Rhoda,
    I love reading about your parents. Mine have been gone for a long time. I am so happy that you are able to share so many things with your parents – and all of us benefit from reading about them. God has blessed your parents with good health and they continue to Bless Him with their wonderful harding working hands.
    Love all of you,
    Connie, IN

    Reply
  7. Patricia says

    August 24, 2013 at 5:46 pm

    Hi Rhonda….What a great day with your parents. You lucky girl! They are an awesome couple.
    Blueberry picking reminded me when as a kid we picked wild blackberries. So much fun! My Mom would make jellies etc. and a big cobbler in a turkey roaster! Ha! Just a great fun for us kids back in the day.
    The mountain home is lovely…a wonderful memory filled place for you all. Hugs to you and the family!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Click Here

Click Here

Email Series
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2023 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

Get my FREE Email Series How to Decorate in Classic Timeless Style....without breaking the bank!
After years of decorating my own homes, I've learned a few tricks on how to create a classic home on a budget. Hope you'll join me!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.