| The 60s were a magical time. Magical and unique in so | | | | went on a blueberry picking outing. Our cousin, Karl, |
| many social aspects. and changin' time all over the | | | | was in the same berry-picking group. He brought Marie |
| world. Life on the Island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia | | | | to a rich ripe blueberry patch and let her pick a full |
| had a particularly unique social climate for children and | | | | container of berries before telling her that he had 'peed' |
| teenagers of that decade on that island oasis. | | | | on that berry patch! Was he telling the truth? He hasn't |
| August was the time when blueberries were ripe for | | | | said a word to this day! |
| the picking and moms all over the island would send | | | | There was one rule of blueberry picking etiquette that |
| their children out to pick this miracle blueberry. One of | | | | remained the cornerstone of social order. A simple |
| nature's most healthy foods. In the fields and on the hills | | | | phrase that was respected by all berry pickers, no |
| of Cape Breton blueberries flourished. This little miracle | | | | matter their age. Simply, when a picker found a |
| of nature grew in low brush areas; especially, areas | | | | berry-ladened bush, he or she was able to claim is as |
| that had sustained a brush fire in the previous 2 years. | | | | their own. In an authoritative, but polite voice, the picker |
| The blueberry picking venture could bring you to the hill | | | | would call out, "TIC-TOC, THIS DEN IS LOCKED!" |
| near the Sydney Radar Base, the secret-to-this-day | | | | Once spoken, it was clear that the blueberry patch |
| location called 'Blueberry Hill' in Whitney Pier, or the | | | | was singularly owned by the picker who called out "Tic |
| woods near communities like New Waterford. | | | | Toc this den is locked". For the most part, this real-time |
| Blueberry picking was almost always a group outing. | | | | land claim to a blueberry patch was respected. Others |
| Ages 5 to 25 ventured out together in the early | | | | in the group might move nearer to the newly claimed |
| morning, with lunches in hand and dressed to protect | | | | patch. But, unless invited to pick, other pickers stayed |
| against the heat of the noonday sun. | | | | away from that 'Tic-Toc'd' area. They would go off a |
| Each person in the picking troupe was assigned their | | | | find their own private blueberry bush. Soon you would |
| own container into which their blueberries went. The | | | | hear that cry repeated throughout the day "Tic-Toc |
| youngest would likely have a plastic margarine | | | | this den is locked!" |
| container. The older ones would pick right into a 4 | | | | Now this cry of the wild blueberry picker was |
| quart basket. I remember other people whose berries | | | | common in Cape Breton. Its origin is unknown. Was it |
| went into those old glass 1 quart milk bottles. The | | | | unique to blueberry picking in Cape Breton? Did it filter |
| basket was open to the air and stopped the berries | | | | out into mainland Nova Scotia and on to the continent |
| from sweating and getting mushy, a problem people | | | | of North America? |
| had with the glass milk bottle. | | | | Respect for rules. Respect for others. Growing up in |
| Tall tales of weird nature sightings or stories of | | | | Cape Breton Island was full of these tidbits of social |
| pranks-pulled were lively dinner table talk after a day | | | | order. Nice memories! Blueberry picking memories are |
| of picking. There always seemed to be a practical | | | | still being made today on the 'Island of Islands', Cape |
| joker in every crowd! Like when my older sister, Marie, | | | | Breton. |