Birds, Blueberries, and Bartlett Pears: Sauvie Island

About this event

**The Elliots are ripe!** Deep blue, late-season [Elliot blueberries](https://thegardenmagazine.com/elliott-blueberry-growing-care/) are incredibly sweet with intense blueberry flavor. They're excellent in pies, muffins, pancakes, and smoothies--or straight in your gob! *Om, nom, nom.* [Grandma Dee's Blueberry Farm](https://www.grandmadeesblueberryfarms.com/) is a quiet organic farm tucked on the east side of Sauvie Island away from the crazy pumpkin patch crowds. (If you know, you know.) Right now, the bushes are so heavy with clusters of fruit, many of them are bowed down to the ground. You know the fruit is good when clouds of cedar waxwings are fluttering around, snacking and squabbling. The farm provides marked buckets to fill and then weigh your bounty at $4.50 a pound (or about 3.5 cups of berries). They prefer cash, but you can also pay by check or Venmo. Complimentary rigid containers are available to take your berries home in, but I've found the tops don't stay on very tight, so you might want to bring your own plastic containers. We'll start picking at 7:30 AM to take advantage of the cool morning air. You'll be standing under the full sun and brushing up against plants, so a hat and insect repellent are recommended. Bring some water to rinse off your hands afterwards, baby wipes work well, too. If you finish early, bring a camping chair to hang out under the trees. No parking fee. No restroom on site. If you head home from here, you won't need a parking pass. If you want some birds and pears, too, read on.... At around 9 AM, we'll head up the road to the Eastside Viewing Platform to see what birds are out on the lake and pick some gigantic [Bartlett pears](https://thegardenmagazine.com/elliott-blueberry-growing-care/) for free. I have permission from the ODFW staff to access a special area with massive trees and so many pears, you have to watch where you step. We're doing this early in the morning because the wasps come out for the feast once it…