Of rain and raspberries

We've had an abundace of these two things around here lately. The rain is taking its toll. With such a short summer, we tend to feel cheated if it's less than perfect. And though this rain has only been a thing of the last two weeks or so, it's taken over our telling of this summer's story. We'll remember it as the rainy one, even though it started early and crept on slow and lovely. We'll only recall that it ended abruptly, with lots of puddles.

The raspberries are in season, rain or not, and the clearing around our house has been overtaken a bit more each summer. In another year or two I think we'll be hacking back the canes just to get into the front door.  Usually I pick all that I can, and make jam or freeze them. But this year I am feeling decidedly unmotivated. Aedan and I venture out every day, grazing along the little hillside like a mama bear and her cub, combing the small red fruits into our mouths without discrimination for under- or over-ripeness. We store what we can in our bodies and leave the rest for the birds. 

The rosehips blush scarlet, the ground is wet and mushrooms silently explode out of the forest floor. It feels like autumn is here, but I'd never say that out loud for fear of being run out of town.

Gathering rose hips

After a morning of grey skies and rain, the sun broke free of the clouds and cast its warm rays into our yard, illuminating the birch and poplar leaves, and making the damp grass glisten. The wild rose hips, a vibrant red and a little shriveled from the first hard frost, hung like precious jewels from the prickly rose bushes.

I left Aedan playing contentedly on the porch while I filled my little bucket with these juicy, vitamin C rich wild fruits. I could hear the Sandhill cranes winging far over head, their grr-oo call softened by the distance. The golden leaves were falling silently around me: such a peaceful autumn moment.

I was surprised to learn that 3 rose hips contain more vitamin C than an orange! It's so strange how we immediately think of oranges when we think of vitamin C...but there are many rich sources of this important vitamin! In her book "The Boreal Herbal", Beverley Grey writes that rose hips are antispasmodic, and can be used in a decoction to treat menstrual cramps.

The seeds inside the hips can be irritating to the digestive tract...traditionally, they were used to help expel parasites. People sometimes call rose hips "itchy bum" for this reason!

I'm drying my rose hips to use in tea over the winter, but they can also be used in jams and jellies, or made into a syrup. I might try that next year!

Blueberry Picking

One of the things I love about summer where we live is the berry-picking. From strawberries in June, to raspberries in late July, to blueberries and cranberries in August and September, it seems like every week, ladies (and gents!) are heading out to their favourite patch to fill their buckets with tiny, tart wild berries.

This summer I've managed to freeze some strawberries, and loads of raspberries (and made raspberry-honey jam, too). I knew the blueberries were ready, but I had no idea where to go to get them. Today, my friend Lynne took me to her spot along the Top of the World highway.

I get my thrills, on blueberry hill.

It was a really beautiful afternoon: warm sunshine on our backs as we picked our way along a hillside covered in fragrant Labrador tea, mossberry, lichen, and of course, blueberries! 

Every so often I would stop just to gaze around us. I never get over the Top of the World highway...the scenery is stunning. The rolling hillsides are just beginning to deepen with autumnal colours, and the distant mountain ranges behind those are seen as though through a haze.

I discovered that Aedan loves wild blueberries! He couldn't keep his hands out of Lynne's bucket, grabbing up handfuls and smushing them into his mouth.  

I have to admit, I was worried a few days ago when I overheard some of the women at my yoga class talking about how the patches were all picked over. I thought for sure I'd missed out. No need to worry, though! I suppose there are millions of blueberries ripening all across the territory this week, along highways, in secret forest clearings, and deep in the back-country where only the bears will have access.


What have you been foraging for these days?