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!

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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!

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Multipurpose Canoe...

Jim's canoe gets a lot of use even though it hasn't been tagged in 24 years.

What fantastic fishing trips Talon and I (and Gram) have been on in this canoe! Talon catches delicious rainbow fish, red headed fish, catfish, tuna and a few old boots and tires too. We cook and eat the fish right away: Talon insists.

Only a sturdy canoe could survive hurricanes and shark attacks!

During the monsoon summer of 2008, the canoe doubled as a wading pool.

A redneck wading pool, that is.


What a little imp!

And during the artic blast of 2010...
it became a mini ice rink!

We waited till the temp warmed to 22 to go out and frolic but still could only stay out a few minutes at a time. Way Way too cold for humans--- made our skin hurt.

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