'tis the season

AUGUST--'tis the season for berry picking! i've been thinking about berry picking for the past day or so.

when my coworker and i took off from the office today, i told him that if a man picks berries, and that's all he does over the seasons, something is definitely wrong. i said that if a man picks berries, he better go out and do a little hunting to balance out his subsisting activities. he laughed when i told, but its kinda true if you think about it.

you see, berry picking is generally a women's subsistence activity. let me explain. berry picking is a gathering activity that is done when the summer is almost over, when its nice out, and the weather is not too cold. it may be a little wet, the gnats may be a bitch to deal with, but the act of berry picking is not too hard. now don't get me wrong, berry picking is a pain, but women are better built for this kinda pain. women can bend over for hours, gathering fat, plump, juicy berries and most have the patience for it. women are better built, mind and body, for this activity.

for myself, you wouldn't see me on the tundra, bending over with a pail full of berries. i'm a hunter, not a gatherer. i've done some berry picking in my day, but its not something that i miss a day of work for. kinda like shee fishing. i'm not a shee fisher, i'm a kusquqvak fisher. back to berry picking, i'll do what i can to support the woman in her 'sport.' berry picking is for women, but men can do it too. he just has to shoot something to compensate.

go berry pickers! more power to you!