Dragons and Blueberries

So I finally relented to the request of my friends, Laura and Kristen, and joined them and Houston Heat (that's the team, not a description of the current weather) out on the lovely brown waters of Clear Lake (really the bay, not a lake) for an adventure in Dragon Boating. Wondering what that is? Well, since I didn't take my camera (Melissa+camera+large body of water=...seriously?), here's a picture from Houston Heat's site:

It's basically a long boat with 20 people in it sitting side by side, paddling at the same time. What's interesting is that the way you paddle is completely different from canoeing or kayaking. You use your back (leaning forward when you put the blade of the paddle into the water and sitting up for the stroke- a technicality I struggled with). Judging from the loud protesting of my lower back and um, posterior, today, I must have done it it right at some point... I had fun. I am going to try it again after the mission and see if it warrants paying the membership fee. The practices are every Saturday and since I didn't even buy season Dynamo tickets because I knew I am never in town...well see.

Next it was on to Moorhead farms, north of The Woodlands (south of Conroe) for some blueberry picking. My friend Pam and I have been planning this for oh...since last year. The only time that worked for both our schedules was yesterday at about 2pm.

Yep, that's right...standing on a muggy Texas blueberry field during the hottest part of the day frantically trying to fill a 4 gallon bucket with berries to rationalize the 1hr+ drive to the farm before we melt or die of heat stroke.

I pulled the wuss card first and called it quits...with 7.04 lbs of blueberries to my name. Pam beat me with having picked a little over 8 (it's that medical school efficiency I tell you!). Anyways, I am excited to make all sorts of blueberry goodness goodies.

The bags are getting frozen...the bowl contains endless possibilities of baking experiments...

My friend Lisa and I are planning on going blackberry picking as well. Hmm...my freezer is groaning at the hinges. 3 lbs of strawberries (Walmart had a sale), 7lbs of blueberries...and now blackberries? I wonder if they make TARDIS freezers? (For those who have been British science fiction deprived, that's a Dr. Who reference for you- old school, not the new one)