A couple of months back we moved the Amoeba headquarters to the lush and more populated (civilized, some would say) side of the Cascades. The years spent at elevation in Central Oregon’s high desert were good, but it was time to uproot and tumble across the brittle landscape to new horizons.
Fear of Portland’s rainy reputation slogged earlier attempts to relocate. I grew up in Seattle, you see, so I know what it’s like to live in cloud-to-ground weather for most of the year. Growing moss on your body like a Chia Pet is okay when you don’t know any better. Seemed normal. But having lived in sunnier places for an equal amount of time, now, I know better. The amount of precipitation synonymous with the Pacific Northwest has its good points though. It produces lush landscapes, soft air, tons of spring blossoms, and giant shade trees. And with all that vegetation comes a host of birds that sing their songs of gratitude throughout the day.
If I could carry a tune without scaring the neighbors, I’d sing about a few things I dig about this place too. For example, there’s a bucketful of u-pick produce farms within minutes of the new pad. Strawberries are big around here but we have access to so much more: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (though we’ll pick those wild), and more obscure varieties like golden raspberries, gooseberries, tayberries, marionberries, and boysenberries. Unfortunately, the strawberry harvest is almost over; but that just makes them cheap. The last batch we picked was 75 cents a pound. Seventy-five cents!
Here are a few pics from our last picking party, not counting what we brought back in our tummies.
This was my first opportunity to try gooseberries and golden raspberries. If you’ve never had the pleasure, gooseberries are pretty tart, or can be, and remind me of small, firm grapes.
Golden raspberries are sweeter than I can describe, sweeter even than tiny Hood strawberries, which taste like candy. They’re pretty enough not to eat … but that’s not what happened.
Since it’s berry season here in the Northwest, we’re taking a poll: What’s your favorite berry?
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