Thursday, July 21, 2011

A Blackberry-Picking We Go!

Dear Friends,

Yay, Google let us post photos today! :) Thank you so much for all the happy birthday wishes for Tasha; she says "thank you" to everyone.

And here she is with some of her turtle birthday presents!

This morning we took a drive to a local wildlife area, where we heard there were lots of blackberry bushes close by. Most of the berries were past their prime, but we did manage to harvest a couple of cups of sweet treasures. We harvested lots of the leaves to use for daily nourishing infusions.

~This was one of the best bushes~



We also harvested lots of Queen Anne's Lace to try our hand at making jelly (we also used some in peanut butter sandwiches)~

 We were greeted by two fields of cheerful sunflowers, looking as if they were playing hide and seek.



 The ponds and lakes were quite beautiful, although the water was a bit too murky to tempt us to go in wading!

Frankie found a "snake stick", just in case!

We were grateful that Mr. Graham had the day off, so he could enjoy it, too!

It was a lovely outing, and we took note of the many elderberry bushes that will be ripe in a few weeks. as well as a couple of row boats that are available to rent at one of the lakes.  We hope to be able to return and do some more exploring and harvesting!

Thanks for coming along with us, and may you have a beautiful day.

Love,

Marqueta

12 comments:

  1. Wow looks wonderful!! we had a canoe when we lived up in Alaska and we loved taking that out. There is something about floating around on the water that really is so nice.....Tasha looks so cute with her turtles :) I think Frankie is ready to catch the Anaconda with that stick for sure. Little button nose looks just like her daddy :) ~Looks like you are having some wonderful summer adventures it really is beautiful where you are~Love Heather

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  2. Great photos, as usual. I mailed off your books today--plus a bonus I hope you like.

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  3. What a delicious treat Marqueta!

    Esas ninas tuyas estan tan lindas!:)
    Como han crecido... Nuestro Senor te ha bendecido con mucha abundancia querida amiga :)

    con mucho carino,

    Maria

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  4. Your pictures are just lovely and so is your family.
    Smiles, Dottie

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  5. Looks like you all just stepped right into a classic book. Anne of Green Gables maybe? What a wonderfulway to spend a summer's day!

    And Queen Anne's Lace on PBJ sandwiches? I'm paying attention!

    Blessings, Debbie

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  6. Looks like a wonderful outing....your sweet Tasha is beautiful...as is all your children...blessings

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  7. Ahhhhh... thats a day so well spent! Family, and God's own Nature!
    Beatiful pictures!!!
    Blessings Hugs and LOVE,Linnie

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  8. Do you just eat the Queen Anne's Lace raw? I'll have to go outside a taste some. The baby looks just like her father. So cute!

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  9. Thank you for the information Marqueta! I'm always surprised that the jams taste like honey but then I had a DUH! moment. The bees get the nectar from the blossoms that give the flavor to the honey. I think Queen Anne's lace will be easier to pick and prepare for jelly than dandelions which are pretty labor intensive. If it cools down I might give it a try. Thanks again! Maybe I'll try a salad of purslane, lambs quarters and dandelions for lunch todaY!

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  10. what a lovely outing! So glad to see its still green around there. Hope it hasnt been to hot for you guys in Mo. Its pretty dreadful in Oklahoma at the moment. But luckily I can paint the day away indoors! :D

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  11. Marqueta, I went out and tasted the Queen Anne' Lace. It taste a little like carrots, but I guess it should because it is wild carrot after all.Thanks for introducing me to it! It will make a pretty addition to salads.

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  12. Dear Mama,

    I like the post!

    ♥Audrey

    p.s. the word verification is "SKIES"!:)

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