Last weekend was the Huckleberry Festival in our little town of Trout Creek. The annual event brings in lots of outsiders, along with locals. They served 2,500 huckleberry pancake breakfasts at the fire hall over the weekend. Other activities included a parade, "Miss Huckleberry" contest, auction, and many craftsmen selling their hand-made wares throughout the festival park.
Oh yes...there was a huckleberry dessert contest...in which I won SECOND PLACE! I made some huckleberry coconut bars I modified from a recipe on a Western Family oatmeal box!
My dog Lizzie and I also hosted an agility demo on the festival grounds. It was a popular event, and we generated a lot of local interest in the sport of agility. Lizzie even got her picture in the weekly newspaper for her efforts!
Obviously huckleberry season is in full swing, so Don and I set out today to find some for ourselves. We did. It's a secret location, of course. And there are lots more out there that we didn't get picked in the short time we were up there on top of the world, just over the Idaho state line.
This was my first venture at huckleberry picking, and I must say it was surprisingly enjoyable. We now have 10 whole cups of berries vacuum-sealed in our freezer (from two hours of picking!). And I now know why Robin Simmons' pies are so expensive when they're auctioned off at the Yakima animal banquets!!
