Frontier Dreams: It's almost....

Friday, April 29, 2011

It's almost....

the beginning of berry season, and if you couldn't tell by this post we are excited! We plan on going strawberry picking the end of this month and I am dreaming up some special dresses for the girls already (I do think it's time to get that sewing machine of mine back out from under the dust bunnies), as well as sweet sugar free yummies to make with said strawberries, of course.

But blackberries, oh blackberries - those are our sweet treasures. We only discovered the free wild blackberries at the end of the season last summer (a big thank you to Kyrie!)which was enough time to harvest a few baskets. This year, however, we have been making our plan of action much in advance and searching weekly for all the wild blackberry bushes around us. I am thinking of making a map with information on how many bushes we found in each area... would that be too much?

Those sweet stained fingers from harvesting...

and cute messy faces from enjoying their harvest.

Anyone else as excited as us, or are we the only berry crazy family? Oh and yes, to clear up any confusion, these pics are from last summer, so no weird early blackberry season here.

I almost forgot - Happy May Day (Sunday)! We have our school celebration next weekend and you can be sure pictures will follow here.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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jumbleberryjam 58p · 727 weeks ago

Me! Me! I'm very excited, too :-). I have grand hopes of making strawberry and marionberry jam (and maybe even jumbleberry jam ;-) this year. As a geographer, I think mapping your wild foraging spots is a fine idea! We may do the same - starting with nettles. Happy May Day to you, too!

1 reply · active 727 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 727 weeks ago

Do I see a berry picking date in our future??
Oh please tell me about the nettles! What do you use them for?

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Melanie · 727 weeks ago

ME! YAY!
Oh Nicole, those blue eyes. . .
And May day is really sneaking up on us this year too.

1 reply · active 727 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 727 weeks ago

I get so lost in C's baby blues. I can't get over how big they are!

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Kristy · 727 weeks ago

OH yummo - enjoy!!!

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catballou24 25p · 727 weeks ago

i miss wild blackberries soooooo much! we are actually going to plant some thornless varieties on our property as the only place to go picking is far from here and not cheap..:( so we'll just grow our own!! LOL

but i do miss just walking down a path and finding a mountain of bushes just waiting for someone, or some bear, to stumble upon them..hehe

xoxoxoxco

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thiscosylife 81p · 727 weeks ago

Yes! I was dreaming of sweet, fresh strawberries just this morning, thinking how good they were going to be in our oatmeal. Happy May day to you!

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Melanie · 727 weeks ago

Well, I have to say that if our June is as wet as last year here in Oregon, you might not be picking much until July! But, yes it is a precious and delicious season we're heading into...and looks like some sunshine for Sunday!

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Nahuatl Vargas · 727 weeks ago

I love them too and as a child I remember that we picked here in Costa Rica in the mountain, but now I don't know were.
Love the idea of making a map.

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Kyrie · 727 weeks ago

We are starting to get excited for berries too!!! We also have raspberry canes in the backyard for lots of snacking, in addition to all the wild blackberries (heavenly!). The blackberries freeze well, so pick all you can :) xo!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 727 weeks ago

I am very jealous, Kyrie - yum! We froze what was left of our blackberries last year and had them in our pancakes. We ran out a couple months ago so we need more this year for sure.

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Kory · 727 weeks ago

Oh we are definitely excited, though our season is a little later than most! My daughter eats so many berries that we bought stacks upon stacks of flats at the end of the day at farmers markets and froze them... we made it to about december, lol.

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Traumkraut · 727 weeks ago

We love blackberries ... but still have to wait a few months to pick them :-(

Love,
M.

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Joe · 727 weeks ago

I grew up in Portland and wild blackberries are intrinsically part of my self! Unfortunately I am living in Southern Cali for a year and am about to purchase blackberries for the first time ever! They are all over the place, but the best places to look are along water sources: drainage ditches, the Columbia or Willamette, or pretty much anywhere in the valley.

1 reply · active 727 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 727 weeks ago

Thank you for that tip! We will look in those areas. I wish I could send you some blackberries. I used to live in southern Cali, too (Los Angeles) it has it's good points and it's bad ones, as well, but I would love to go back and visit.

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Tanya · 727 weeks ago

We are huge berry lovers! Thankfully, strawberry season is here for us!!!!

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TenderHeartMomma · 727 weeks ago

I used to have wild blackberries grow in the woods behind my house where I grew up. I would just eat them right off the bushes. Planting some this year so we will have to wait a season to enjoy them. Enjoy yours ;)

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Ronnie · 727 weeks ago

Is that a new tooth I spy on K? I would love to know what traditions you started - tooth fairy or otherwise because I just know that they will be beautiful and inspiring. My biggest is now five so it could be any time for us and I want to be prepared

1 reply · active 727 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 727 weeks ago

Thank you for your kind words. That is actually just blackberry on her tooth. She hasn't lost any yet - I have a feeling she will be like her Mama and loose them later than most. I had a beautiful tooth fairy pillow/doll to make her when the time comes. I haven't put too much thought into it yet ( but I probably should be thinking about it soon - she's 5 1/2 now ) but I plan on keeping it simple, perhaps a gold coin and some fairy dust as her gifts from the tooth fairy.

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Healing Hillary · 727 weeks ago

we love berries...I posted a little pic on facebook last week of the *first* strawberry from our garden...yum!

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Myrnie · 727 weeks ago

Ha! You had me going there for a minute with your blackberry pictures....I already feel forlorn about our weirdly cold Spring.... :)

1 reply · active 727 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 727 weeks ago

Ha, ha, sorry to confuse you :) C is still wearing her snowsuit but oh the beautiful sunny day today made it all better.

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Crystal R · 727 weeks ago

Look at those sweet little things! The berries look sweet too, but not as sweet as those precious girls. I can't wait for berry season here, ohhh my yes!

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heirloom seasons · 727 weeks ago

We used to pick so many blackberries in northern CA, and of course that was so many years ago, but we are still not over it and often reminisce about the blackberry picking days...

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Thank you for joining me here. My name is Nicole Spring AKA wife, Waldorf homeschooling Mama to four sweet little ones, homemaker of the radical kind, knitter, cook, seamstress, student of life as well as my children, crafter, girl of all trades... and always with a camera in hand to document our days so we may look back at these glorious yet exhausting times.

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