More Brambles: Blackberries

Got'cher bonnet and bucket... got'cher deet? Don't forget long pants and sleeves? Yes, yes , I know it is hot and humid... OK.. Let's go berry pickin'!

Whenever my East Texas 'country' grandmother did anything out of doors in the summer... picking berries/plums, fishing, gardening... she always wore a homemade poke bonnet and long sleeves.. no matter how hot the temp. And of course, when visiting, I had to wear the poke bonnet and sleeves too. Oh, how I moaned and groaned and whined: It's too hot!

Now thirty years later, when I go out to wade through the brush, what do I wear? A big straw hat, long pants and sleeves and even muck boots.

Yep, Ma knew her business!

Like the wildrose in the previous post, these briars bloom with pretty white flowers too... then show off with bright red berries. There are blackberries and dewberries along our fence line.

What a gorgeous red!

Starting to turn...



Looks good enough to eat!

Slide Racing!

Peek a boo!

Talon begged and begged and Jim caved--- Of course, I helped by mentioning that Mama, Gram, Pa, and Uncle Torrey all slide!


Jim: Hey, that's cheating!

Talon: You snooze you lose, old man!

Stuck?

Ready, Set, Go!

And the winner is....

Wildrose

Our fenceline is a deadly mix of brambles, honeysuckle vines and thickets of sandplums and poison ivy. (yes, poison ivy turns woody and makes a thicket) Couldn't walk through to save your life-- well, you could in winter but in summer you'd need a machete and would end up loaded with chiggers, scratches and a oozy itchy rash. Doesn't sound nice does it? But gaze a little closer-- there is actually much beauty to be found amongst the thorns.

This is a bramble the locals call wildrose-- not wild rose or wild roses-- they run it all together as one word. Deadly thorns but isn't it lovely. Oh and the rose fragrance is divine! These all white ones bloom first.


The pink and white ones bloom a few weeks later and are my favorite. All wildrose blooms are small and dainty but these are the largest. And they smell even more rosy-- no need to sniff a bloom-- just walk by and you'll be surrounded by the delicious aroma.

Notice the little bug-- didn't see it till I cropped the photo.

Wish these little guys bloomed all season!

Which is your preference: the early smaller all white or the later larger pink/white? Do you have brambles on your property? Is it a love or hate relationship?

It is ok if you hate them because as much as I love the flowers, I must admit I do hate getting snagged by a thorn!

And You Too Can Be A Princess!

During our bedtime routine last night, Talon said: You look beautiful like a princess.

Just as my heart melted from the precious sweetness of my little angel, he added these qualifiers:

Well, if you had on make-up... and if you had a ponytail... and if you had yellow hair...

What a toot!! I can't match Belle's princessly beauty but I can manage make-up and a ponytail.

However I draw the line at 'yellow' hair!

By the way, I have indulged Talon's StarWars obsession by fighting the darkside as Princess Leia with over the ear hair buns-- teeny tiny hair buns but Talon was absolutely thrilled.

But really, I do draw the line at 'yellow' hair... maybe I can find a wig...

Wildflowers and Pup

Remember me saying the dog gets in my business...

Could not get pup to move...