How I Spent My Summer Vacation

For the past few years The Boy™ has been doing contract work for a company he used to work for, on top of also working for our school district, and so for 2 summers I got to be home during my summer break. This past fall, the company decided that they no longer required his services and ended his contract. I spent several months stressing out about summer work, searching and calling and getting nowhere at all. By a stroke of luck, one of my Zoning Board members owns a Blueberry Farm, and at a meeting in mid-June I asked if they needed help this summer. It just so happens that they did, and I was relieved when his wife called and offered me the position.

I work 40 hours a week, over 5 days,  outside in whatever weather we happen to be having. This summer, that weather has been record breaking heat and humid.  Monday and Wednesday are my days off, which has been a little tricky to get used to, but The Boy™ has been taking Wednesdays off so that we can have one day to spend together each week, and that has been nice.We started work the first week of July, and I was able to have 2 weeks off after school ended and that was nice too. (*this picture is the field we pick in the mornings)

For the first 4 hours of my day, I pick berries. I average about 50-60 pounds of berries per picking, and it's hot, back breaking work. I get to be outside though, and have my iPod, so it's really not that bad, but I can defiantly tell when it's getting towards noon. I start to actually feel the heat, and my body starts to slow down. For the next 4 hours, I do one of two things. I either work in the farm stand; grading, sorting and packing berries, and checking people and their berries out, OR I work at the welcome wagon and pass out buckets, answer questions and send people on their way. We don't pick on the weekend, and on those days I just run the wagon, which is either near the farm stand, or near the rabbit house as seen in the photo. (*note, I never have a chair when I work the wagon).

Of all the summer jobs I've had, this one has been my favorite. I get to be outside, enjoying the weather, and still working and making money. I get to do 2 different kinds of work, which keeps it from getting boring, and I actually enjoy picking blueberries. Circumstances around here aren't going to change any over the next year, and most likely I will be back here next summer. It will be nice not to have to learn a new job or stress about where I will be working. And you really can't beat the view.