Blackberries are more than trendy electronics

Today we picked blackberries.

Blackberries are the cockroaches of fruit in that the wild blackberry, like the cucaracha, will survive flood, wildfire, and probably nuclear holocaust, and will still thrive. Fortunately, they are not like cockroaches in any other respect.

But, wild blackberries will grow anywhere, and do, regardless of climate or inclemency. They grow and thrive from the subarctic to the tropics. It is on pain I believe of instant execution to bring a blackberry vine into Hawaii, for example. Enough feral plants abound there that native species have been eradicated in many areas. Blackberries would only add to the misery.

But, blackberries, despite their tendency to thrive anywhere from vacant city lots, to pristine gardens, forest-fire ravaged wilderness, remain wonderful. They are tasty, juicy, and challenging enough to pick, for they pack some nasty barbs, that bringing home a bounty always seems like a task well accomplished. A victory over nature, and the fruits of the labors are all free.

We have a wonderful blackberry patch in a wooded area only a couple of blocks away. It is going to be gone soon due to the speculators and developers who are determined to turn this pristine area into an obscene mass of condos to accommodate an even more obscene mass of 'contribute nothing to the economic wellbeing of the community' retirees coming from every place but here -- but that is another rant for another time. The paved streets, sidewalks and lamp standards are already in place so we know it's on the way out.

But, for now, the blackberries still proliferate. So, we set out this sunny August morning, armed with our one big bucket and two smaller pails and we picked. It was good picking. The wasps weren't too plentiful, and the berries were still attainable at the lower levels of the vines. It didn't take us long to have sufficient of this entirely gratis bounty. I had been feeling a bit under the weather for the past few days, but the balm of the sunshine and the berries improved my sense of well-being considerably.

Bringing them home, I turned my attention to making jam and a blackberry crisp (which is still in the oven even as I write), and we still had extra left over to freeze.

And, it was all free. Not a bad way to spend a day.