One of my favorite things to do in the evenings is to go either on a Gator ride or 4-wheeler ride with my littlest treasures. As we troll along I often will quiz my 4 and 2 year olds about the different wild flowers, berries and plants we see along the way. So far they have gotten pretty good at identifying Honeysuckle, Clover (purple and white), raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, blueberries, as well as "poison berries" (red nightshade) that they are NEVER to touch. Still working on poison ivy identification with them.
I relish in these cruise alongs because my boys still hold the wonder of all that they don't yet know and mom is still seen as the uber wise sage that knows all the answers. (boy do I still have them fooled). We ride on trails we have made both on our own property as well as a few vacant properties of just land near us that we are careful not to do damage to.
This particular evening our goal was to check the progress of the millions of blackberries that are in bloom all over both our property as well as 2-3 neighboring properties that we have permission to pick from. These are all wild berries so the importance of regular spying on their development is of the utmost importance as we have competition. The birds.
As we passed through one of our "secret" trails (a little slip I made through the pine trees) we were almost belted in the face by the bounty. I had forgotten to be on the lookout at our normal honey hole for mulberries because it is of course mulberry season for us. There they were like glittering, juicy amulets of perfection. The boys just about flew off of the 4 wheeler to begin picking and stuffing their chubby little cheeks full of the sweet goodness.
I relish in these cruise alongs because my boys still hold the wonder of all that they don't yet know and mom is still seen as the uber wise sage that knows all the answers. (boy do I still have them fooled). We ride on trails we have made both on our own property as well as a few vacant properties of just land near us that we are careful not to do damage to.
This particular evening our goal was to check the progress of the millions of blackberries that are in bloom all over both our property as well as 2-3 neighboring properties that we have permission to pick from. These are all wild berries so the importance of regular spying on their development is of the utmost importance as we have competition. The birds.
As we passed through one of our "secret" trails (a little slip I made through the pine trees) we were almost belted in the face by the bounty. I had forgotten to be on the lookout at our normal honey hole for mulberries because it is of course mulberry season for us. There they were like glittering, juicy amulets of perfection. The boys just about flew off of the 4 wheeler to begin picking and stuffing their chubby little cheeks full of the sweet goodness.
I know that my husband and several local "old timers" have always told us that you shouldn't eat too many mulberries because they will cause you to "run" (to the bathroom that is). It seems to me that any fruit in excess can cause this so I don't generally offer any severe limitations on consumption and this day was no exception. Therefore we had a long soak in the tub to remove all of those amethyst stains.
The soak however didn't come right away, we first had to spend nearly an hour picking every juicy bit that they could fit into their mouths. Since that day there have been daily requests to run to the mulberry patch, so off they go with visions of granduer regarding pies and cobblers, only to return with their berry receptacle empty and hands and faces stained.
I thank God that I am able to raise these children learning about nature and enjoying all of his creations out here off the beaten path.
I thank God that I am able to raise these children learning about nature and enjoying all of his creations out here off the beaten path.
