Blackberry Patch Invaders

[Leigh Costello]

I have a cultivated blackberry patch in my backyard. And, as some of you may recall, I live very near some wooded areas. Only on 3 sides. We get critters. Some have legs and some don't. My least favorite are the ones without legs. At peak picking I don't always observe nature very keenly. I just want the berries. soo...

About a week ago, I went out to pick berries. Kept hearing what I thought was the resident turtle in my patch. Got cloudy and began to hear thunder so I just moved a bit quicker. Still hearing the rustle of leaves but I just knew it was the turtle. Went from one side of the patch to the other. Thunder is closer, so I just pick what I see. No lifting canes or leaves. Step, step. What the...!

My flipflops were moving under my feet. This can't be good, I think to myself. Then the rain began and so I decided I should look down. Nope, should have just jumped. I had managed to pin a black snake with one of the fallen blackberry canes and my own feet!

His head was at the edge of one flipflop and I have no idea where his tail was but it was not in sight. I had a bucket full of berries, which I hoard worse than chocolate, and only one option. Jump. But, where to? As I was contemplating my move, my loving dog decided to take matters into her own teeth. (I had no idea she was even outside, much less near me.)

All I know is I saw a blonde blur that scared the hoohoo out of me so I jumped, completely forgetting about the snake. She caught the snake and ended its days on this earth. I managed to not spill all of the berries or break anything.

After her canine instincts of "protect the hand that feeds you," she cowered under the deck until the thunder stopped. I love my dog.

[Dick Strauss]

Ahhh, the deadly shake of death! My sister's little pup instinctively does this when she finally gets her toy squirrel loose from my grip.

[Lee Schierer]

Years ago we were picking blackberries in the Allegheny National Forest up an old logging road with my grandfather. We had spilt into several groups. My Dad and I had gone one way and the others were in another patch further up the road. As we worked along we kept hearing a rustling from the other side, which we assumed was another picker in our group. We continued picking along and as we reached the end of the patch we could hear the other picker moving in the same direction. At one point we noticed a lot of thrashing and saw canes being bent over so my Dad spoke to the other picker saying to take it easy on the canes. To our surprise, the other picker stood up and had furry black ears and a long Black nose...it was a black bear enjoying the harvst as well. We departed quickly and so did the bear.

[Ben Martin]

Haha, great story. Man's best friend lived up to his name!

[Matt Schuman]

This spring spring, I went to turn the compost pile. After a couple forks full, I noticed a dark movement. After some careful investigation I found a 3' water snake bedded in my compost. Guess he was trying to warm up, or maybe finding some rodents over the winter. Scared the bejeesus out of me!

[alex grams]

As a kid I was playing with some friends in the woods behind our house, and stopped to hide in some bursh. Next thing I knew the ground under my feet was shaking all over the place. All of the sudden this armadillo takes out at full speed going one direction with me going the other. I guess he wasn't too happy i decided to stand on him while he was taking a nap.

[Steve Clardy]

"scared the hoohoo out of me"


I'm gonna be laughing on that one for quite a while. :D:D:D



We have lots of berry patches. Usually pick and freeze in quart freezer bags. Blackberry pie in the winter. Good stuff :D

Have to put up with the chigger and tick competition though.

[Leigh Costello]

Steve,

Try my Blackberry Dumplings recipe in January (or when summer seems sooo far away).

1 quart Blackberries
1/2 to 1 cup sugar

Simmer on low to medium heat, stirring now and again, just until thickening starts (45 to 55 min).

Add more sugar to taste, continue simmering.

Mix 1 part sugar to 1 part Bisquick, I use 2/3c each, add a touch of vanilla, add milk 1 tbsp. at a time until sticky dough forms. Drop in simmering blackberries and cook until dumplings are fluffy. Do not stir after adding dough to blackberries.

If you do stir, then you have leaped over to my Famous Blackberry Soup recipe, which is let soup thicken and serve over ice cream.

If seeds are a problem, run blackberries through a sieve after simmering for 30 minutes, then proceed with recipe above.

Hope you like it as much as we do!

[Matt Meiser]

Mmmmm sounds good. We just discovered that a large patch of brush I didn't get around to bush-hogging is actually blackberries. Good blackberries....

[Steve Clardy]

Steve,

Try my Blackberry Dumplings recipe in January (or when summer seems sooo far away).

1 quart Blackberries
1/2 to 1 cup sugar

Simmer on low to medium heat, stirring now and again, just until thickening starts (45 to 55 min).

Add more sugar to taste, continue simmering.

Mix 1 part sugar to 1 part Bisquick, I use 2/3c each, add a touch of vanilla, add milk 1 tbsp. at a time until sticky dough forms. Drop in simmering blackberries and cook until dumplings are fluffy. Do not stir after adding dough to blackberries.

If you do stir, then you have leaped over to my Famous Blackberry Soup recipe, which is let soup thicken and serve over ice cream.

If seeds are a problem, run blackberries through a sieve after simmering for 30 minutes, then proceed with recipe above.

Hope you like it as much as we do!


Thanks!!! I'll save and print