Grandma’s farm sees an annual abundance of strawberries.
However, the strawberries, which are not harvested for sale, are not particularly important to Grandpa and Grandma, given the effort they require.
Moreover, within just six months, Grandma’s dementia has worsened, and her previously injured foot hasn’t fully recovered, leading to an overgrowth of weeds.
Vegetables grown for personal consumption now coexist with weeds, creating a somewhat neglected state.
Naturally, Second son’s weekend visit to the countryside was informed by this strawberry situation.
Will the strawberry fields be restored? (laughs)
Yes, it’s really a strawberry field!
With Second son’s post-surgery ankle gradually improving, we decided to weed around the already blooming strawberries.
Second son, who habitually roams the farm to check the Japanese honeybee hives, had been increasingly concerned about the weed-infested strawberries since last week.
On Grandpa and Grandma’s farm, strawberries are treated as an afterthought.
Every year after harvest, the strawberry runners for the next season are moved to the spaces where no other vegetables are planted.
Due to this neglect, the strawberries are often hidden by overgrowth, making it hard to recognize them at a glance.
Ideally, the runners should be harvested meticulously from the parent plants, but honestly, no one really knows how Grandpa handles it (laughs).
This year, the overgrown weeds indicated that no maintenance had been done at all.
Despite the lack of intention to sell, Second son decided that without weeding, even harvesting would be impossible.
Naturally, regret set in within five minutes of starting, with Second son cursing his diminished post-hospital stamina.
Nevertheless, he managed to clear the weeds around the strawberry plants and between the rows (laughs).
Asparagus, Dandelions, and Strawberries
In the strawberry area, other vegetables hide among the weeds.
A closer look reveals overgrown asparagus that missed its harvest time.
And what seems to be a hard object in the soil turns out to be a carrot.
While Second son was weeding, Grandpa and Grandma were working nearby.
Grandma, forgetful and needing constant reminders from Grandpa, who lacks a gentle touch in communication, highlighted the challenges they both face. Despite understanding their struggles, Second son felt helpless.
After several hours of minimal weeding around the strawberries, Sunday—his only day off—was nearing its end.
On the way back, Second son picked a few carrots from the weed-filled carrot patch for home.
He also decided to harvest the asparagus that had started growing last week, heading to the asparagus area.
There, amidst dandelions, the asparagus sprouted.
Reflecting on how typical this was for Grandpa and Grandma’s farm, he harvested the asparagus, concluding his weekend in the countryside.
