The Van Dyk Family: Summer Visitors: Hanging out with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pat

This was Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pat's sixth visit in the past 12 months- man are we spoiled! We worked them to the bone the past five visits, so the theme of this trip was having fun.

And relaxing...

Photo by Tom (thanks Dad!)

Grandpa and Grandma made it here for the best of Washington summer. The weather was perfect, raspberries were still ripe and blueberries were just coming on. Fresh blueberries are so good!

Berries have always been a large part of Whatcom county agriculture. Nearly everyone I know that is native to this area spent at least one summer working "in the berries". For my generation that means riding on a picker or driving a forklift. But for previous generations that meant being a part of a crew that picked by hand. When I pick alongside Hilda or Susan I can see their past experience- they pick twice as fast as me! Grandma Hilda knows that to pick efficiently you really need two hands. Hand pickers used to wear containers around their waists ("belly-busters" I think she called them?) and this summer Grandma fashioned her own. It helped a bit in the blueberries- but she REALLY gained an edge in the raspberries where the berries aren't grouped together and are often hidden.

We enjoyed a lot of pool time while Grandpa and Grandma were here. They were good sports and spent a lot of time in the pool with the kids.

Photo by Tom (thanks Dad!)

Merritt hung out pool-side and enjoyed not being bugged by older siblings!

Photo by Tom (thanks Dad!)

We took lots of walks to the farm because Hale loves to be out on his new bike! The hill between the raspberry fields is a particular favorite. Since Hale can travel a lot faster on his bike than we can walk, he has time to do it at least three or four times while he waits for us.