A marvelous day on the farm, as usual. The Fuzzies took Rufus and we walked down to the bottoms by Long Man Creek to pick blackberries. Less than 5% of the berries are fully ripe, most remain entirely red, but in about two hours we picked about 7/8ths of a gallon of tasty berries.
Mr. Fuzzy's ADHD is really punishing in a berry patch. Imagine if you will, spotting a luscious, full black, juicy berry but as you reach for it, another catches your eye, and now you reach for it. Repeat this scenario ad infinitum. Get my drift?
Mr. Fuzzy's old and dear friend, Terry, many years ago gave him two pair of dojo trousers made of a heavy canvas. Literally, it takes a year of wearing them to break them in. After that, they are comfortable and indestructible for the next decade or more. They allowed Mr. Fuzzy to wade amongst the fiercest of blackberry canes with total impunity - from the waist down, at least. From there up, all was at risk. Thank you, Terry!
We are once more grateful for the bounty here on the farm. After picking another gallon in a few days hence, the blackberry jam factory with be in full production with Mrs. Fuzzy in charge and Mr. Fuzzy performing the menial tasks. Should all proceed apace, jars of jam will be under our friends holiday trees this winter.
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Judging from the readiness of your blackberries , you are at least two weeks ahead of our cool and wet summer's crop of wild blackberries. We are grateful to wait for their ripening as it gives us sufficient time to keep our cultivated raspberries picked. We have three varieties--one the everbearer "Fall Gold" that yields two crops- now, and in early October. Its color is deceptive: yellow with a pink blush when ripe, but just shut your eyes and savor the difference--such sweetness and flavor! They are not nearly as prolific as the usual red raspberries so we savor them for fresh eating rather than freezing them or making them into jam. With a wide 40 foot row we have our hands full and have begun to dry them for winter keeping. I have the task of monitoring our freezer's contents and we still have to finish using up last year's raspberries, blackberries and elderberries! Even making fruit smoothies nearly every day and the occasional fruit pie or cobbler doesn't keep up with their abundance. Time to invite the neighbors over to pick their own.
I know just what you mean about ADHD in the berry patch: so many choices, which do I pick first?
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