We have a lot of wild black raspberry bushes on our farm. They only produce for a short amount of time and they are the sweetest most delectable berry! A friend of mine that moved to North Carolina said that they don’t have them down there and people look at her like she is nuts when she talks about them. I am oh so sorry for those of you that don’t get black raspberries.
Black raspberry bushes grow best in areas that aren’t…. well aren’t easy to get to. Thick brush that has bugs, spiders, and probably black snakes in it. My grandmother told me that her mother always took a hoe with her so she could whack the head off of any black snake. My view point is that black snakes are just doing there purpose in life, eating the things that can be a nuisance to us- bunnies, mice, and other rodents. That being said, I most definitely do not want to come across one (Sorry those of you that love snakes-I am not one of them. They rank right up there with spiders. I get their purpose in nature, but they creep me out). Also if I did take the hoe with me, I can still assure you that I would not be able to kill the the snake (I’m a healer-not a killer). I would most likely scream, possibly poop my pants, and then run away. The brush requires you to wear muck boots, jeans, and long sleeves. It was so hot and humid that I didn’t wear long sleeves. Much to the dismay of my arms. I look like I got into a fight with a feral cat! My husband also had to help me dig a raspberry thorn out of my finger. But listen, those berries are worth all of the hassle.
I managed to pick a large amount of berries. After the kids ate a bunch of them (Usually the kids have purple mouths when they get back from picking. More berries go in their bellies then the bucket!) I decided to make raspberry pies. So I pulled out my mom’s recipe for pie crust and made up some crusts and a few extra to put in the freezer. I like to use cookie cutters to make designs for the top of the pies. My youngest decided she wanted butterflies on the top-so that’s what we did. I didn’t follow a recipe per say so my pies didn’t quite set up after being baked. But oh well, they still tasted delicious. My husband requests a cobbler be made with the next round of berries. He actually complained I had made pies since we had pie already this week. I told him he better just be grateful I did all that work. LOL
So the gratefulness I found in this day was the memories of my mom, not running into a snake, and being able to enjoy the beautiful weather and make memories with my kids. I was able to tell them about things my mom did and said. They helped me use her recipe, and I was able to take a big bowl of raspberries to my grandma. Hope you can find the gratefulness in your day today!
Grateful Grove 