1.  We visited the hands down, no holds barred, without a doubt coolest farm this weekend.

2.  Listen, I’m not normally one to push bios but you should really check out the story behind the Eno River Farm in Hillsborough. Cool stuff.

3.  If you’re intrigued maybe take a minute and check out their photo gallery. Really cool stuff.

4.  So what drew me to visit the farm this weekend? The strawberries looked doggone amazing and weather predictions were good…what can I say, it seemed like a sign.

5.  Our Saturday plans were derailed but that was fine, I wasn’t giving up, we still had Sunday. In the end, though, it wasn’t until I was looking out at the fields that I realized why I wanted to go strawberry picking on Mother’s Day weekend.

6.  This was one of the things I really loved doing with my mom. I specifically remember piling out of the car and getting my own bucket to gather blueberries and strawberries. Maybe we picked other stuff, too, I don’t know. But blueberries and strawberries left a longterm impression.

7.  There was something special about those outings. The heat of the sun, how the bucket got heavier as the hour passed, the temptation to alternate putting berries in buckets with popping them in my mouth.

8.  I’m sure there was bickering — no family with three kids escapes it — but my memories have the hazy quality of carefree fun.

9.  Not only does this place offer pick-your-own or pre-picked fruit, they also sell plants, local honey, jams, and more. As if that’s not enough they also make homemade ice cream, a lure bolstered by the heavenly smell of fresh waffle cones.

10.  I don’t pass up homemade ice cream. As luck would have it the line wrapped around the building but it was a pretty day with a nice breeze so we didn’t mind. As we moved along the porch, gazing out at strawberry plants under a clear blue sky, I felt the strongest sense of home. Childhood. Joy. What an incredible gift for Mother’s Day.