I spent some time outside today picking raspberries in my over-run overgrown raspberry patch. I love it. I cut back the dead canes every year but other than that do very little with it. It’s a joy that each year they come back so happily and prolifically.

Originally they were only in one section of the garden but they’ve spread now to three different areas. It’s a bit of a forest now, but I have no desire to cut it back.

There’s enough for me to pick and for the birds to have too. When I was reaching in earlier to pick some, I heard the sound of a young bird with an anxious call either to alert others of danger or perhaps letting me know that they didn’t want to share the berries.

I picked berries for about half an hour and having a lovely time enjoying the weather and just being in the moment. I recently finished The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier & More Creative by Florence Williams. It was a very interesting book on the positive effects of being in nature but also a little funny. I’ve never read a book about so many walks and hikes with monitoring equipment done in the name of research.

Fresh air, the sound of birds, picking berries and letting my mind wander. What a great way to take a break in the middle of the day.

How do you take breaks to refresh yourself?