Nick and Hallie arrived at 10:30 Thursday night, telling tales of the whitetail deer they had seen down on the river. Nellie had gone to bed but she arose to greet them and claim her “pig ear.” Hallie always brings treats for Nellie – one for arrival and one for each morning of the visit. It’s fun to watch Hallie and Nellie interact over the dog treats. And the time that Hallie was short a treat, Nellie moped all day.
Friday after breakfast we headed for the elderberry bushes behind the house. As we picked the clumps of berries, Mike zipped them off the stems. Even so, there was more to be done, and Nick finished up at the house while Hallie and I processed the first batch of juice.Friday afternoon we hiked down the lane to Mike’s tree stand. Nick helped him take it down and move it to another tree while I showed Hallie the elderberry bush at the neighbors’.
Then Hallie and I explored the gully where an old car sits abandoned and rusting away. Hallie, more sure-footed than her mother, climbed to the other side for a better look and took a couple of pictures of the old coupe. She was able to remove a manufacturer’s metal identification tag and then used that information to research the model online. She found it was a 1939 Chevrolet “Business Coupe,” a nice-looking little car.
Having determined this much, I decided to call my half-brother, Chuck, in Utah. Back in the ‘50s, Chuck drove a similar coupe back and forth from Orofino to the University of Idaho in Moscow. No, he said, his car had been a 1936 Pontiac coupe and he parted it out at a junk yard. He said he didn’t know where the car in the gully came from, didn’t know if my dad knew it was there. Further research showed that the 1936 Pontiac was very like the 1939 Chevrolet – even the same color. Seems like a big coincidence, but as all researchers learn, coincidences do happen.
I made a batch of elderberry jelly. Hallie and Nick made a syrup of honey and elderberry juice and also experimented with some whole-berry elixirs. Those have to age for five or six weeks before being taste tested, the idea being to use the liquid a teaspoon at a time for its health-giving properties. The elderberry and honey syrup was tested on waffles both Saturday and Sunday and one bottle was pretty much gone.
Saturday afternoon, friends arrived for a visit with their new German shorthair pup, Mack. Here’s a picture of Mack taking a nap on Nellie’s pillow after playing with Nick and Hallie for an hour. Nellie found him a bit of a pest and dubbed him “Little Twerp.” She was glad to see him leave.
Sunday was the final opportunity for picking and cooking. We had used most of our berries, and Nick wanted to do more whole-berry experiments, so I suggested we visit some elderberry bushes I had seen on the road right-of-way. We practically had to drag Nick away from the bush on Miller Road. The berries were so large and juicy – almost like blueberries. He spent hours de-stemming the berries. In the end they took four gallon bags of elderberries back to Seattle for the freezer.
Monday morning we had just enough time for me to help Hallie crochet a granny square motif, the prototype for Nick’s Christmas stocking. She’ll have to tighten her gauge but she shouldn’t have any trouble with the pattern.
Nick and Hallie left about 10:00 and shortly thereafter the tech from Wild Blue arrived. The box on the dish had failed, even though it was just replaced four months ago. Well, it’s fixed now.
It was fun while it lasted and we were sorry to say good-bye, but you know how it is – there’s more fun coming up. KW
6 comments:
Four gallons of berries. Wow! That's quite a souvenir to take home. You all had so much fun that the lost internet was soon forgotten, I'm sure.
I wonder if the car's roof was dented after it was pushed down the gully. Must have been. Do you think the car is in family photos?
Hi Leah! Yes, four gallons is quite a lot of berries even if they just juice them. I'm sure they put them in the freezer for now.
Oh no! By Sunday night I was missing you and Chris and the internet, but I was a good sport.
I can't recall seeing pictures of Chuck's '36 Pontiac or any other car of that vintage. Chuck says the roof of his was dented when he bought it and had been filled with body putty. It's a given that the car in the gully had been parted out -- no engine, wheels, etc. And it's bent up.
Man, I swear I checked your blog on Tuesday and Wednesday and didn't see this post!! It's happened before and I can't figure it out. Hmmm...
Anyway, glad to read all the details even though I asked yesterday. (You probably wondered why I asked when you'd written about it!)
As you say, good times, with more to follow. :-)
Actually, Chris, I had trouble posting this. It appeared to post Tuesday evening and then I couldn't see it until Wednesday morning. They seem to be changing the interface and working with the photos was maddening.
I thought nothing of your questions --just figured you'd been busy.
I wish the elixir was ready because this is the worst time of year for colds. We'll probably mix up a batch of syrup this weekend and I'll start taking a spoonful a day. It really is delicious in a cup of warm water.
I don't think it has to be an elixir in order to be beneficial.
I bought some *real* cranberry juice the other day. Expensive -- and horrid! Now I'm trying to figure out how I can make it palatable without adding a bunch of sugar. Well, laying the sugar issue aside, I thought of sparkling cider. I couldn't believe what they wanted me to pay for it! I though it was expensive at $2.69.
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