RicelandMeadows

Hoss and Knight discussing work

August 10, 2011

 

     It looks to me like my horses are talking in this photo. I bet they are talking about me and the work we are doing. There is a chance, however, that they are asking if the other knew that the blackberries are ripening. They sure are, I ate a few yesterday while checking on their progress.

 

     Blackberries are a free gift from nature. They grow on their own. They don’t have to be weeded, trimmed or cared for in any way. They just come up, blossom, set fruit and then die. They self seed leaving a new crop for the next generation. They bloom and fruit the second year, so don’t trample the lush new growth as you pick the berries.

 

     The price we pay for the fact that there is not much work involved in growing them, is that they grow on prickers. I suggest a long-sleeved shirt and a hat for the serious picker. It makes the whole experience better as you fight the thorns while sweating in the heat of August.

 

     I have picked blackberries since I was a boy. My grandpa and grandma Rice were the most accomplished pickers that I ever knew. My grandpa was no doubt a picking champion. He would pick with a bucket hung on his belt. His fingers flew over the fruit and his bucket filled rapidly. I still remember his purple hands, scratched arms and full pail. I mostly had purple lips, cut fingers and a sweaty brow.

 

     Berry picking is just one more chapter that fills my memory book. I have passed this skill on to my children. My oldest son is showing his kids how to pick … they learned how to eat them all by themselves..just like I did  😮 

 

     The berries make awesome pies. Many I know like to eat them in a bowl of milk or cream, but not me man, blackberries are for pies! I hope to march out into the woods, armed with my bucket, long-sleeved shirt and plenty of resolve. I will fight the thorns, deer flies and God only knows what else, to pick the free fruit. It is worth the effort … really it is!

 

     More rain here, mixed with sunny skies. It is a beautiful day for work, play or berry picking. The humidity is low and the temperature is in the mid 70’s. A cool breeze blows upon your skin and your whole body is comfortable. This is the summer weather that I like. It is days like this that make the freezing, deep snow of winter all worth it.

 

     I guess living in the land of ice and snow, working in a garden, picking sweet fruit among the thorns, is a lot like life … the reward at the end is the real prize 😮