Apples, Bananas, Peaches, and Pears

On Tuesday morning we drove through Mount Rainier National Park. Knowing it would be a very cloudy and rainy day, as well as the government shutdown, we knew we would not be able to see much. We were amazed at the amount of snow there was at the top of the pass!

We drove further south through Mount Saint Helens, and again there was not much to see except for clouds. We got back on to I-5 to continue on to Mount Hood in Oregon. Unfortunately, Chris did not see the speed limit sign and was pulled over to receive a speeding ticket. The policeman was extremely kind and lowered our ticket to only one over, the lowest ticket he could give us. He was very frustrated because he hated the thought of throwing away the money his Aunt and Uncle had just given us. We continued driving and found a spot near Mt. Hood to set up camp. We ate some of the Somalian left overs for dinner and went to bed. The next morning we headed out to find a couple of trails to get good views of Mt. Hood. As we began hiking the clouds started to roll in once again and took away any views we might of had. It was still a fun hike and towards the end we were able to get a few glimpses of the impressive mountain. Chris thought it would be fun to throw pine cones and acorns at me the whole way down.

 We got back into the Jeep in search of the second hike to inspiration point. The roads were not well marked and we made quite a few u turns as we kept going down the wrong roads. As we began to get frustrated and wanted to give up we noticed how many orchards there were in the town of Parkdale. We also noticed signs indicating that pickers were needed for these orchards. Chris turned to me to ask, "What do you think?", in which I promptly replied "Lets do it!". We could not work for the first orchard because they needed us to stay for two weeks or more, but the second orchard we found had only five or six days left of harvesting. The orchard was called Benjamin Orchards. We talked to a man named Nathan who was the son in law of the owner and soon to be taking over the business. He asked us if we had ever picked before, we smiled and said no, and then he asked if we had college educations. We replied that we did and he chuckled and said, "Well, this will at least be a learning experience for both of you". He said we could fill out the I-9 and W-2 forms later and he would see us at 7 am in the morning. As he walked away, his mother in law, Bette, walked up to us and asked if we needed a place to stay. We said that we needed a place to park the Jeep so that we could sleep in it. She told us to follow her and hopped in her truck. We drove to a gravel lot right next to the orchard and she told us to wait for her there. I assumed that this lot would be where we would be sleeping for the next week. She came back and said she had called Nathan's mother, Jackie, who owned and operated Mt. Hood bed and breakfast, and would like us to stay in one of the rooms for the night. We were BLOWN AWAY! Jackie came to find us in her car, we said thank you to Bette, and followed Jackie to the bed and breakfast. As she showed us the room she asked how long we would be picking. We replied five or six days. She thought for a moment and said I am going to put you in the bunkhouse so when our other guests arrive you will not have to change rooms throughout the week. Once again, BLOWN AWAY! Not only had this family given us a job, but they wanted to provide us with room and board for free! In the short amount of time that we had talked to Jackie, it became obvious that this family loved the Lord and are amazing at showering strangers, like us, in his love. She told us to do whatever we needed to do and they would be having family dinner at 5:30 and would love for us to join them. From that moment on we have felt like part of the Rice family. We ate dinner with everyone. This included Nathan, his wife Vanessa and their four children, Rick and Bette, Mike and Jackie, Caleb and Meagan and their two kids. It was a full house! It was fun to talk with everyone and hear their families stories and share a few of our own. The meal was delicious as well! As everyone started to leave we also went to the bunk house to rest up for the ten hours of hard work that awaited us in the morning! When we awoke, Mike had made oatmeal for us for breakfast. We both ate and headed to the orchard. Nathan gave us our picking bags, ladders, and showed us the row we would be working on for the day and we began to pick. We could not ask for a better view! Mount Hood was in plain sight every time we climbed up the ladder in between the branches! This mountain is 11,250 feet tall, but is only surrounded by farms and valleys that only reach the height of 1,700 feet. It towers over all the landscape!

The first day the trees were soaked from the nights rain and we were given trash bags to wear to keep from getting soaked. It is safe to say that we now how have a new and deeper appreciation for pears! I had a lot of difficulties with the ladder. It was a fight every time, while all of the other workers set theirs up with ease. I watched them enviously as I smashed, pushed, and pulled my ladder to get it where I needed it, all the while being smacked in the face constantly by the branches that were unwilling to move!

When picking the pears we would start at the bottom, fill our bags, then empty our bag into the bin. We had to be gentle because the Danjou pears have sharp stems that can puncture other pears in the bag. Then you would work your way up the tree until you had picked every pear you could see. As we ate lunch, one of the other workers made the comment, "Wow, the white guys are picking!". We definitely stuck out! We were 2 out of the 5 Caucasians working (Rick said that this was the first season they had that many, usually there is only one at any given time) and I was the only woman picker. At the end of the day we had picked 7 bins full of pears, which totals about 7,000 pounds! All the workers get paid per bin, so it is important to work fast and efficiently. We were in constant motion all day! Our backs, neck, and shoulders ached, but it was good to work again. We went back to have another delicious dinner. The next morning was the same and we picked 7 bins again. In watching a few of the other workers it was amazing to see how quickly they moved and everyones movement was planned so that time would not be wasted. We could fill 7 bins in a day together, but most others filled that many bins or more by themselves! They even had a worker once that would fill 14 bins in a day, he could pick 3 pears at once with one hand! Pretty amazing! I also loved all the music, singing, and yelling amongst the workers. I could not understand a word of it, but it made the environment so cheerful! 

That evening, Nathan and Caleb invited us to go to their small group dinner night. All the small groups of the church get together one Friday of the month to have dinner and fellowship together. Everyone was incredibly welcoming! I think every single person there came to introduce themselves and talk with us. Dinner was great and the conversations were even better. We headed home and tried to massage out the huge knots that had formed around our necks. Saturday morning was beautiful and provided another great day of picking. We picked seven bins again, but we were getting faster and able to leave when everyone else did, instead of staying late. That night we helped Mike and Caleb cut up their latest kill. They now have a lot of Venison steaks and roast! 

Bet you can't guess what he has in his mouth!

Sunday morning we ate breakfast, picked 7,000 pounds of pears, and showered. We were starting to get used to this routine and felt like we were getting a little faster and more efficient each day, but tomorrow would be the last. That night we went out for pizza and dessert with Caleb and Meagan. We had a lot of fun sharing about what God was doing in our lives and stories from our past. Monday morning was cold and wet. It rained the entire time we picked. We only picked until noon because the work was done! We picked 4 bins in that time. So in total we picked 32,000 pounds of pears! The most that were picked during the winter harvest was a man who picked 186,000 pounds! We were ready to go back and take a hot shower! Lauren was soaked to the bone and Chris had completely ripped out the butt of the rain pants he was wearing. He looked pretty ridiculous climbing up the ladder in those! The rest of the day we spent getting warmed up and relaxing. Monday evening we had another delicious dinner. Tuesday was another rainy day so we spent it relaxing, blogging, and talking with everyone. It was a very low key day. We said good-bye to Jackie, who left in the morning to help out with her sons surgery. Later in the evening, Caleb had learned that I always wanted to can my own jams, but had never done it. He insisted that this was the night to learn and him and Chris went out to pick some elderberries. We made elderberry jelly and used some of the other juice to make elderberry milkshakes! Delicious! Wednesday morning, Mike, Caleb, and Chris went out to a junk yard to get some scrap metal. Chris found a 99' Jeep Cherokee and removed the fuses from the fuse box to use in our Jeep, just in case something else unexpected happened. Lauren explored the property while they were out. Their property is beautiful! They have a cabin that they call the homestead that was built in 1904. The inside is amazing and very rustic! They also have a chicken coop, horses, many gardens, a pond, and much more. It is a very charming home! If you are ever in the area and are looking for a place to stay or a wedding venue I highly recommend Mt. Hood Bed and Breakfast. It is a outstanding area with amazing views of Mount Hood and the owners have the most incredible hearts. Jackie's gift is definitely hospitality and it is a blessing to experience it to say the least. We have felt at home this last week and will miss this place and the people and hope to visit again. We were told, by Bette, that spring is a beautiful time to come! The blossoms are breathtaking and people from all over the world come to witness it! 

The Homestead

The inside of the Homestead

Wednesday afternoon we went mountain biking and came back for family dinner. It was again a fun night, full of uplifting and great conversation. We said good-bye to most of the family and went to bed. Thursday morning Mike made these delicious German pancakes, which I think Chris will never stop talking about (they are made with egg, flour, and milk, and baked in an oven)! We blogged, did laundry, and got ready to leave. We said our good-byes and left after lunch. We have made some wonderful friends and memories here, which we will treasure forever!