A Day in the Bukid: A Harvest of Blessings

Good Morning Hives 🦋💛☺️! May today embrace you with abundant blessings. Today, I'm taking you on a journey back to a simpler time, a day spent in the bukid (countryside) with my kids. We spent that day appreciating farm-to-table fruit deliciousness while exploring reserve items and learning about country living.

Our journey started at sunrise. Our journey led through forested paths showing off beautiful sight seeing nature alongside little towns before we got to the farmhouse belonging to my family.

A cool refreshing breeze carried natural sounds between singing birds and moving leaves and distant rooster vocalizations.

^{Ninong celo picking papaya}

We started our tour at the papaya tree. My daughter watched through wide alert eyes as I chose the ripe yellow-orange skinned fruit. We enjoyed eating the fresh papaya while its aroma carried through the air to our delight.

^{kids enjoying their buko or coconut}

After visiting the papaya tree we inspected the coconut tree that followed. After receiving guidance from my uncle we successfully gathered several young coconuts. Curiosity took over my kids who wanted to experience drinking the coconut water directly from its actual source. The experience made such an exciting memory that they found it hard to forget.

Moving onto the pomelo tree was a priority for our team. Large juicy pomelos presented an obstacle to our harvesting efforts thanks to their substantial weight. Our collective efforts allowed us to gather a few batches. Our pomelo-tasting experience delivered a fantastic combination of tartness and sweet, juicy delight.

Every visit to the country area requires banana harvesting as part of an essential rural experience. Banana trees measure only human height, so we found it easy to pick their fruits, which we chose from a line of yellow ripeness. My daughter repeatedly tried to grab the upper bananas while her joyful laughter bounced through the banana trees.

The highlight of the day occurred when people gathered sambag or tamarind. The highlight came when my daughter watched Ninong Celos reach the tree's branches to collect sambag or tamarind.

Then, as fruits dropped from the tree, she gathered them. Both individuals then spent time checking the bushes for the small delicious sambag or tamarind tendrils. Their eyes shone with pure happiness after discovering the sambag groups while they picked them gently from the leaves using their tiny fingers.

We continued our exploration throughout the farm after that. The dip well revealed its cool, clear water, which produced a deep impression as it flowed up from underneath.

Worried by the darkness and depth of the dip well, I first hesitated, yet I convinced myself to get water from the well.

During our time in the field, We encountered a goat. My daughter moved toward the goat, though she was nervous at first, yet she handed a banana to the animal. The goat picked the offered fruit from her hand without forceful movement and enjoyed it. A chance encounter with this animal resulted in both happiness and expanded animal affection for her.

Our day ended while we shared the food we obtained from our work. The fruits of our work made our day special as we tasted fresh papaya and refreshing coconut water with pomelo and sweet bananas. My daughter spent her afternoon talking about her goat encounter while her face showcased the joys of sambag.

The end of the day arrived, and we gathered at our table to eat what we had grown. We shared our meal with fresh papaya while we enjoyed coconut water, sweet pomelo, and banana. Together we reminisced about her day through stories about the goat, and how she picked sambag or tamarind.

When we departed the bukid we carried a strong sense of serenity and happiness. We were astonished by how nature thrived in the area combined with loving encounters among the generous local people and pleasurable rural experiences. Our day became one of profound gratitude because we received both the earth's gifts along with our chance to bond with nature as well as our special time together with my child.

My children learned the value of hard work, the meaning of enjoying the abundance of nature, and their enjoyment of small pleasures from this experience. They will always remember that day as a reminder of the simplicity and beauty of life outside of the city.

I hope this glimpse into our day in the bukid has inspired you to connect with nature and appreciate the simple joys of life. That's all for today's journey, Ciao ✨.