Elderberries in Leetonia

I was reminded by Fran to send you a picture of the elderberries. My grandmother used to make jam from them and I have had others who have made pie and wine from them. It seems they are usually ripe around Labor day, but different plants ripen at different times. As you can see from the two pictures taken from plants less than 20 foot apart the first one is still green and the second turning red.

They seem to be a little smaller than last year to me but maybe my memory was jarred too much from the accident. The trouble with getting them is the bears take the whole plant in one night the
second they get ripe so you have to be ever so vigilant.

I have been motivated by Fran's email to try a pie this year. The tartness of the berries lends itself well to such a pie and according to Fran they are wonderful. So this will be a first for the mountain girl I will let you know how it turns out.

The apples on the property make the world's best apple pie for the reason of their tartness so I am thinking the same will be true of the elderberries. The apples won't be ready until October so the elderberries will be a nice fill in.

I think being in this brace has given me a sweet tooth lately. Something I hope I am not sorry for when I have to get back into shape. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out and looking forward to an elderberry pie.

Blackberries and Black Bears

It's that time of year and the wild blackberries are numerous on the mountain this year. It takes a while to pick a pie's worth especially for me since I am a little more limited as to where I can climb this year.But a nice patch was close to the road on the way back to our pond and not much climbing was involved.

There are numerous spots were the bear have pushed their way through the scratchy plants to get their share of the tasty fruit. Bears don't seem to digest fruit well and when they eat the berries it comes out looking much the same as it went in only in large mushy piles. The piles are to be avoided stepping in and slipping. The smell and stain of the reprocessed berries are not pleasant.

While picking the berries I am keenly aware of the bears love of them and keep an ear and eye open. For such large creatures they can be amazingly quiet while eating and walking. Usually when finding a bear it is as much shock to him as it is to me. The bears so far have scooted off quickly at the sight of me. Although, in my turtle shell brace I do feel a little more vulnerable especially after Leo got smacked this June. Not the first time I have seen a black bear act aggressive but it was the first time they have challenged any of my dogs.

Well, it got down to 36 degrees last night. It is gradually creeping toward the freezing mark. I am sure my neighbor Mick has a fire going this morning. He seems to like it warm and he loves to cook on his cast iron stove. Lee is like a polar bear to her the weather is just right. I know I will be wearing a sweatshirt long before she agrees to start a fire in such warm weather. I am planning on making a pie out of these berries today and enjoying the fruits of the forest.

Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.