So, among other things, this happened in the garden while I was gone -- the blackberries began to ripen!
I went out yesterday afternoon, when I was trying to find ways to keep myself awake and fight my jet lag, and I picked a bowl of them.
Those aren't all of them, either. But I'm trying to be especially selective, leaving even slightly underripe ones for another few days, because the longer they stay on the vine the sweeter they are. I also want to leave some behind for birds and whatever else might eat them.
I wrote about blackberry time around this same date in 2014, 2015 and last year. It's a big deal to me! Picking berries wraps itself in a perfect cloak of nostalgia for my childhood in Florida, as well as an appreciation for the warm (but ordinarily not super-hot) high summer days in England.
I managed to stay awake all day yesterday, after landing at 9 a.m. I finally collapsed into bed around 9 p.m., and let me tell you, sleep is a wonderful thing. I slept right through until 6 a.m. this morning.
Today I've got to do a few more things for our immigration application before our meeting next week. I'll be glad when that's over!
Your brambles (blackberries) are well ahead of ours two hundred miles north in Sheffield. I guess that's a good reason for living in London - can't think of any other reasons.
ReplyDeletemmmmm blackberries!
ReplyDeleteHow glorious! Your own blackberries!
ReplyDeleteIn North Carolina I was introduced to wineberries. They are incredible but seem to only grow wild.
Sleep...well. It's simply my favorite thing.
I love berries but I don't like picking them.
ReplyDeleteWow, those berries look so wonderful. When I was a kid we had a boysenberry bush in our yard and my sisters and I would pick them and eat them right off the bush. Sweet memories!
ReplyDeleteYou're right about blackberries - they need to be fully ripened. But then they are so good. We picked lots of berries in my childhood, all of them wild. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. It's a central memory of my summers, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely blackberries! And is there anything better than the sleep after a jet lagged day?
ReplyDeleteyour berries are very pretty. Ours are still green and pale red. They will be nice this year because we have had sunshine! Loads of it- something I could get used to! Glad you are back and that you are immigrating, that is the best news possible.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy and good luck with your immigration meeting.
ReplyDelete