Thursday, May 13, 2010

Dewberry Musings

"Gonna pick dewberries today, Susie?" Big John asked as he headed off to work yesterday.
"Nope. I'm going to rest my back and finish up some yard work. Not today."

Well, that was the plan anyway. My mission was to tackle the Flower Bed from Hell (it actually has a name). I didn't want to - for reasons that should be obvious from the name - so I decided to get the camera out and capture some moments in nature. Look how gorgeous this prickly pear blossom is!


We must have lost the cannas from our hard winter, so I got those replanted. Big John is convinced the dogs and chickens had a hand in the death of the cannas. (There were a lot of holes wallowed out in that bed.) I've since added a chicken wire fence around the canna bed - sort of kills the overall effect.


Here's the main reason I'm not a flower gardener - the hens are SURE that anything in the yard, or trap, or pens, or garage ... is meant to be eaten, or scratched, or laid on ... but most assuredly POOPED on.


A close-up of a wooly worm (can you see that I'm REALLY not wanting to tackle that flower bed? I'm taking pictures of WORMS!)


A shot of the house from the back - sure would look better with barn red working shutters all around. (And no, we don't live on a hill - we live on the Coastal Plains - I have tilt issues when cameras are involved!)


Tick and Daisy cooled off in the tank.


So, one thing led to another and I found myself deep in the middle of an as-of-yet-undiscoverd patch of some big, juicy, plump purple-black berries. And I just couldn't resist! I made off with just enough for one more little pie. Can't wait to get home and have a bite.


So I got to thinking as I was picking... maybe some of you haven't ever had the pleasure of picking dewberries. There are some general guidelines that make it a lot easier and a lot more productive. They aren't rules, per se, just some helpful tips. And everyone has their own style of pickin' - this is just what I've figured out over the years.
  1. Bring a stick. A big, long, sturdy "walking" stick comes in real handy, in several ways. You can use it to part the vines for easier access to the berries. It's a great weapon against snakes while you're waiting for someone to come runnin' with the hoe. When you get tired of bending over to look for those little jewels, you can use it to rummage around in there and see if you find anything worth bending over to pick. And finally, when your back gets REALLY tired, you can use that stick to help you stand back up!
  2. Carry a hoe. Snakes love dewberry patches, too.
  3. Bring a dog - or three! If your dogs are like mine, they won't let you go without them anyway. Dogs are good for a couple of reasons. They're great snake detectors - they'll usually let you know ahead of time when they've found a snake. (That's when you holler for the person carrying the hoe.) Once in a while, the dog won't know there's a snake until the snake tells him. That's still good for you. Trust me, their vet bill will cost a lot less than your hospital bill. And if you've got a berry-eatin' dog, like Daisy, just listen for the sound of a hog rootin' around - that's Daisy finding berries. Run quick to where she's at or she'll eat all she finds!
  4. Look for red. More times than not, if you see a red berry, you'll find a ripe berry. And if you find one ripe dewberry, look just a little harder. I've yet to pick just one ripe dewberry from a vine. Look close and you'll find at least one more.
  5. Once you've picked all you can from a bush, walk away, turn around and look from the other side. Mother Nature has a wonderful way of hiding her ripe dewberries. You'll usually find just as many looking at that same bush from the other direction.
  6. Don't get a manicure in the middle of dewberry season - it's like throwing money down the drain. Depending on the circles you run in, either everyone will think you have dirty fingernails - or all your friends will have hands that look just like yours. It's the sign of a good crop! And don't be afraid to compare battle scars! Real women don't mind a few scratches now and then!
  7. Live by the Bluebell motto: Eat what you can and freeze the rest. You never know how next year will shake out. You might need some of those berries next summer!
  8. Follow Big John. His dewberry philosophy is simple - he only goes for the big fat ones right on top. He's not going to dig around and pluck every single ripe berry from that vine. If you follow right along after him, you're sure to find several he's left behind. Just don't let him know what you're up to. He doesn't think it's "berry" funny!
Hope you're having a great day wherever you are. We're off to pick some more dewberries. "Make hay while the sun shines."

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