Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Wild Turkeys!

Sunday morning we took off early to pick raspberries.  I am starting to get into the hunting/gathering mode.  Raspberries are high on my list.  I put them on cookie sheets inside the freezer, when they are frozen I put two servings in a Ziploc freezer bag and then I put six of those bags into another larger freezer bag and next winter we will enjoy raspberries!

I had an appointment to pick berries at my cousins over by Frazee.  Jen and Andy went along, they were good sports getting up early and entering the sauna that met us all outdoors.  It was really warm and humid, the Deer flies were biting something fierce, the hum of bugs serenaded us as we picked.   My cousin got a new pup..he eats raspberries right off the bushes.  We almost filled our quota..we picked 23 pints.  I wanted 30.  It will do.  It was miserable, sweat was dripping off my nose..and we about picked the entire patch.  Lots more berries are coming on.  We can go back again some other day.

On the way home we saw Wild Turkeys in the field..Jen wanted to see them up close and personal.

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They were down in a ravine..hiding..  Her Father said “She better look out..Turkeys can be vicious.”  So Jens Hero took off after her..

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Here is one turkey..headed for the fence line.  There were little turkeys too..and the little ones could fly!

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Here is a big turkey:)

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21 comments:

Gail said...

Even with deer flies and heat stroke, sounds like a wonderful day.

Anonymous said...

Had to laugh at that big turkey!

I do love wild raspberries!

Intense Guy said...

Picking your own berries has always made me very appreciative of those that do it for low wages. It's a brutal job.

Did the big turkey gooble-gooble at ya? :)

DJan said...

Probably one of the better looking turkeys I've seen. Wild raspberries have to be the best ever. I might go out to a farm to pick my own, regular raspberries are so expensive!

Country Gal said...

I hate deer flys they always go after me lol
Yup even with the heat it sounds like a good days of pickin lol . MMM raspberries !Yup the wild turkeys here are nasty critters. Have a wonderful cool day today !

Alan Burnett said...

Good gracious - wild turkeys. You would be safer sticking to raspberries.

troutbirder said...

I picked my domestic versions yesterday. It was hot but no deer flies or the possibility of black bear competitors. :) And froze them just like you did.

Laura said...

I have a funny turkey story...maybe it'll make a good blog post! No good pics though as it happened some 20 years ago...
We have a small raspberry patch that has never done well till this year, plus wild blackberries have moved in. So I've been picking both. It's fun...picky stems, mosquitoes, deer flies and heat. And more of the same when our blueberries are ready!

West Side of Straight said...

Ya, what a big turkey! Did Jen get a close enough view?

Changes in the wind said...

That turkey looked a little scrawny...not like our Plump Thanksgiving turkeys.

Lanny said...

Raspberry season is upon us! But the strawberries are still lingering, and the pie cherries are coming along as well, lots of picking to be done. Lots.

Karen said...

We picked three ice cream pails of raspberries yesterday right here at home, and thankfully no bugs to fight. The pails are 4 litres, so about 24 pints:)

LindaG said...

Haha. I love raspberries. Lucky you, in spite of the heat.
Loved all the turkey pictures, too. ;)

EBet said...

Fresh picked raspberries yummy! Our raspberry plants didn't do to well this year, its time to replace them. I'm picking cherries today....I love cherry pie!

One time my turkeys ran away from home and I could hear them in the woods gobling and blerping it was kinda cool, but only one came home and I never saw the others again! That part was sad. I wish we had real wild turkeys!

EBet said...

Fresh picked raspberries yummy! Our raspberry plants didn't do to well this year, its time to replace them. I'm picking cherries today....I love cherry pie!

One time my turkeys ran away from home and I could hear them in the woods gobling and blerping it was kinda cool, but only one came home and I never saw the others again! That part was sad. I wish we had real wild turkeys!

Just Stuff From a Boomer said...

Love the wild berries. They always taste so good. Probably because they are so difficult to get.

We had wild turkeys in our neighborhood in Mi. I was attacked by the male and so was the elderly neigbor lady. I mean he jumped at me with talons out and hit my hip as I dodged him. The neighbor's husband called the DNR who told him they were protected. Only after that male turkey "disappeared" did the DNR come out to see the talon marks on my back door. No one knew what happened to that bird, but I have an idea. lol

Jeanne Estridge said...

Tee-hee!

CiCi said...

I like you way of bagging and freezing the raspberries.

We have mulberries. Have you eaten them? I read about them but we have not tried them yet.

Pamela said...

the turkeys that were "introduced" in our valley and mountains have messed with nature. They took over the environment used by our native birds (grouse, etc) and now you can find very few. makes me sad.

So -- as much as I enjoy seeing them strutting down the street, I truly would prefer that the balance of nature had not been shaken.

Pamela said...

we don't have wild raspberries around here. We have huckleberries up in the mountains but I'm sure they are not ready yet. Most of the wild blackberries are not native -- but last winter killed off a lot of them. That was such a surprise.

I don't have enough freezer space to keep many berries there. My elderly neighbor is into drying stuff. He made his own racks and props them on his laundry lines. This week he dried zucchini.

Lynda said...

Did Chance teach the big turkey to pose for the picture?
You are an energetic family getting and freezing all the berries but you sure will enjoy the taste of summer in the middle of winter.