We went strawberry picking today. It was my first time. We went out to Pungo to a place called Henley's. Memaw knows where the good berry picking is. We went a little late in the season, but luckily enough the berries were still plentiful. I already knew they were delicious because Brandon picked some for me last week. The moment we turned onto the farm, I knew I'd want to come back. I immediately loved everything about it. I loved the smells and the way the dirt road made everything look smokey. There were goats and chickens and ducks. It was just one of those places that made my soul smile. I wanted to explore every inch of that property. I wish we had the time.
The strawberry picking was fun. As with everything, Brando and I made it competitive. He was losing by a long shot at first. He was being way too picky. He didn't allow any room for imperfections. I, in typical Amber nature, could see past a bruise or two. But then the chickens and ducks waddled into my row, and I got distracted. He won by half a pound, but by the time they were being weighed out, I didn't care. There were cats. There were many, many cats. And a barn. Have you ever looked at a building or structure and just didn't want to leave? You'll laugh at me when you see it. But, honestly, my obsessesion with this barn is kind of one of my favorite things about me. I see beauty in places others don't. Others would look at the barn and think "Gosh, what an eye sore." And I'm not saying this to be weird or different or artsy. I genuinely mean it. Brandon was probably so annoyed that I couldn't stop talking about this darn barn. It was perfect. I can't wait to go back just so I can sit and stare. Also, the colony of farm cats didn't hurt.
Unfortunately, some of the cats that were on the farm were quite sick. I heard a lot of wheezing, saw a lot of runny eyes, and felt a lot of skin and bones. As an animal lover and veterinary professional, it was so hard for me to just walk away. But, this is just the reality of farm cats. I was pleased to see they all had their ears tipped. This is done as a signal to let us know that they've been fixed. So, the people who live on the farm are attempting to keep the populations down. The colony was still pretty large, though.
