Berries

 Far Guy used to raise Strawberry Baskets...it was in the edible department...so it became his "thing" along with all the vegetable starts and Native Plants.

When the neighbor kids came by selling coupons for hanging baskets for school sports programs he bought one. 

It is a beauty it has both flowers and fruits. 

For now it is out on the patio being moved in an out depending on our night time temperatures.  

Sure hope we get some rain soon as it is very dry here. 

Far Side

Bad Berries and Plants

The poisonous berries are out.  The Red-berried Elder is full of beautiful bright red upright berries.  Let the birds eat them!

Here is the entire tree/shrub.

As you can see it is a real pretty plant.  My baby brother has an abundance of these plants down at the lake.  Birds probably ate the berries and deposited seeds in the area.

He has another bunch of plants down there that are questionable...I think it may be very poisonous...but I have to do some more research.  Last year with the construction the plant was not there. Now it is blooming like crazy.  Very pretty too but then most poisonous plants are good looking. 

Be aware of what is on your property that may be harmful to children.  Poison Ivy, Stinging Nettles...are just the beginning of a long list.

Far Side

High Bush Cranberries

The High Bush Cranberries are ready.  (Viburnum trilobum)

 

I really don’t have time to make jelly but I sure would like to. You can make jelly, jam or sauce from the berries.

Leaf identification; three lobed leaves with veins that are well defined.

 

The fruit is tart and tastes much like the true cranberries.

This one bush in our driveway may yield one jar of jam…maybe….jam is faster than jelly!  I would need to scout out more to make a batch.

I need more hours in my day…and it gets dark earlier everyday.  Welcome Fall I guess, but I am not quite ready for you.   The lawn was mulched for the second time yesterday 5-8 more times and then it will snow.

Berries and Buggies

We went to pick berries at my cousins.  He and his wife live on the farmstead where my Maternal Grandfather was born and raised.  I always call it Great Grandmas place..because she was the one that farmed there.. for many years she also took care of my Great Grandfather who had rheumatoid arthritis.  He died before I was born so I always associate Great Grandma with that farmstead.

Picking berries in one of my Great Grandmother’s fields I always listen for sounds.  Sounds that she may have heard..the Red Winged Blackbirds..children laughing..then there was this clop clop swish swish sound and then an aroma.  I was intent on picking my containers full as fast as possible in the midday sun.  Sweat was rolling off my nose in huge plops.  I held the container almost at arms length so I could pick with one hand and steady the container with the other and not ruin any of the berries with sweat.  I want to eat them next winter!

The clop clop swish swish with aroma..that aroma is what my cousins children call “buggy poop.”  It was the Amish and their every other Sunday…they were either going or coming from church.

I wished that I had brought my camera into the raspberry patch…I didn’t ..but I did get some photos on the way home.

The swish swish sound was the buggy tires on the loose gravel that was on one side of the road.

The berries were plentiful.  I am not convinced that we have enough for the whole winter yet.  I may have to go back again on a cooler day.

I don’t make jam and I don’t make sauce.  I freeze them in single layers on cookie sheets and then package them up into servings.  They will be great next winter:)

Gathering Berries

Raspberries! They used to be my second favorite..with Strawberries taking the lead. Then Strawberries had to bite the dust when I became allergic to them. It was them or me..so I decided life without strawberries was OK. Sometimes during shortcake season..I get a little cranky. No more fresh strawberries on my toast in the morning, no bowls of berries for lunch, no freshly made Strawberry Jam, and no more fresh strawberry pies. Sometimes I think I am still grieving for those berries.. I walk by the containers of Strawberries in the grocery store and just inhale their essence...sometimes I just stare at them and I can imagine how they taste. I do taste them in my dreams..chocolate covered strawberries in your dreams have no calories or ill effects. Raspberries are now my number one favorite non lethal berry.

Yesterday, we headed over to one of my cousins. they started a Raspberry pickin' patch..so far they are only open to relatives and neighbors. The berries are wonderful, I love hunting and gathering..well the gathering part anyway.

My cousin and his wife have eight children, the oldest might be ten years old. When we drove into their yard, the children came out of the gardens one by one, and kept coming.. Far Guy said "How many kids do they have again? " He swore that there were way more than eight. They all had their rows that they had been weeding in the garden..onions and corn were the focus for the morning. These children of my cousins are very well behaved, they call their mother "Ma"..she speaks to the children softly, and they listen. She does not raise her voice, her phrases are sprinkled with please, yes, thank yous, good job and would yous. She is like a mother hen gathering those chicks around her seeing to their needs. It was heartwarming to watch. I felt like suggesting that she start a summer camp for some young Mothers I have observed in the grocery stores dragging screaming children around in their grocery carts.

I brought home lots of berries, I froze them on cookie sheets and then I packaged them in individual servings suitable for winter time consumption. We always use an old set of custard cups for our berries, so I used those to measure the portions. Then I thought, hey what better time to have a few neighbors over, so I made some phone calls, and in the evening we had a little get together. Nothing fancy mind you, but I made a quick trip to town for some Dairy Queen in quart containers..it was just perfect topped with the fresh raspberries. It was an enjoyable gathering, one long overdue on our part, one of those things you think "I should do that soon" ..so I finally did.

Gatherings..berries, thoughts, and friends...what are you gathering? :)