Blackberry picking

Yesterday the girls picked four quarts of blackberries. So today was my turn to go pick and I can testify that we had some prickly fun.

Meanwhile, Braden found some sticks for a substitute belt. I really don't know what he was pretending, but I do know that he likes to find all kinds of sticks in the form of a pistol. Boys and guns - you don't even have to mention guns and they think of them. Just like little girls play doll. It's like an ingrained thing.

Amber and Zach got started before me.

By the time I got outside, Zach was done picking berries and was busy building his fort. Yesterday he had helped the girls carve a path down the steep short bank.

This patch of the biggest berries of the day was a workout to reach. Usually the plumpest berries in the patch are in the center and hardest to get to. And that's what was challenging, to go after those big ones.

I started my trek uphill. Pictures do not do justice. This is a steep bank with potholes to boot. Numerous times I thought there was a step up but it was actually a step down. There's enough of gullies to twist or sprain one's ankle.

But I HAD to reach those plump berries. I just had to! In plodding forward, I got caught by the pricking of a briar. Ouch! It grabbed my shirt. Another one poked my finger. By then I grabbed another briar to free me from these two only to have a dozen more prick, poke, and scratch! I forgot how prickly they were. By the time I was free, my arms were burning with the combination of sweat and scratches.

Where there's a will, there's a way!

Finally they ended up in my pail. And they took by far the most effort of the day. Can't you just see the smiles? Yes, it was worth it! The scratches on my arms will remind me for the next two weeks.

Amber was having a challenging time, too. She also managed to find some good ones.

With berry stained fingers and no briers to grab us, we took time to embrace. I just LOVE my daughters. I know I don't tell them often enough.

In comparing berries, the ones in my hand (right) ranged larger than the berries in her hand (left). There was a price to pay for the big ones as stated earlier. They were so big this year with all the rain we received in the spring.

In this mode, we had to have a little fun.

By now, we were both smokin' hot.

We had a few more to pick and then we could shower and change. The motivation spurred us on. Amber was hot, too. Her oldest dress was totally snagged and ruined from all the briers.

Allison didn't pick berries today. She said she had done enough of that yesterday! So she was the photographer and then was in charge of making supper - burritoes.

After combing the edges and picking all the berries in the middle that we could reach, we opted to walk along our property line in the shade and found a few more. We ended up with a total of 8 quarts of blackberries.

I am so pleased. We made seedy blackberry pie filling and canned 10 quarts and 1 pint.

The best music of the day was the popping and sealing of the jar lids! That is the best sound and music to the ears of the one who does any sort of canning. Sweet!