BERRIES AND CHERRIES

The long-anticipated event is over, and leaving us very quiet at the farm. I knew it would be. I’m not surprised. I’m even ready for it.

Milo and Clint left Sunday morning. After that, Hallie, Nick and I went berrying on Gilbert Grade. I didn’t know about thimbleberries, so Hallie and Nick enlightened me. I love this photo of Hallie in the midst of the thimbleberry bushes. I think it has a vintage look to it. As you can see, many of the berries aren't ripe yet. No, I don't think I'll return to pick on my own.

We picked about a quart of thimbleberries and a cup of black caps, finding the berries riper as we progressed down the grade. Sunday evening I made a batch of freezer strawberry jam, using berries left over from the picnic event. And Hallie and Nick made thimbleberry and mixed berry (thimbleberry, black cap, raspberry) jams. We’re beginning to admit to ourselves that we really don’t eat that much jam / jelly, but we still can’t help it. We love to make the stuff and try the new / old flavors.

Once I knew what thimbleberries are, I remembered that last year on “cherry tree lane” I had seen thimbleberry bushes. I just didn’t know what they were or whether the berries were edible. (Remember the old rule – don’t taste until you identify.) Recently I realized that “cherry tree lane” actually belongs to a logging company, rather than to the farmer from whom I sought picking permission. Evidently the logging is finished, so yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon Mike and I rode there on the 4-wheeler to see if the operation had totally obliterated the wonderful fruit -- cherry trees, thimbleberry, black cap, and bear berry bushes.

On the way we stopped at Neighbor Pete’s. I mentioned to his wife that I only have 30 cherries on my little Montmorency pie cherry tree. She nodded knowingly and said that some years they don’t get any. It just depends on when and where the frost hits. That’s what I thought, but I was glad to have confirmation from a country wife. She also said that this year we don't have the large flocks of birds that eat the cherries before we can pick them.

 

Arriving at the aforesaid cherry tree lane, we found the thimbleberry bushes on the bank had been cut back but are still intact. Sadly, the area just doesn’t inspire the imagination the way it did last year when the road was overgrown with trees and bushes and it looked like someone's abandoned orchard. Limbs of the cherry trees had been whacked off unceremoniously with no regard for their wonderfulness, but we saw ripe cherries in the trees left standing and we picked a few. “Just tell me when we have enough,” Mike kept saying. (Mike is not a fruit picker.) In the end we only got a cup and a half, but most of the fruit was too high to reach. I’ve never seen such tall cherry trees. I suppose that's the effect of fertilizer run-off from the field above. I think the vegetation will make a comeback.

 

I found this cute little frog resting quietly on a zucchini leaf as I performed the morning watering. I think it's a Pacific tree frog. KW