Mmmmmmmmm....

The fields at Dog Days are filled with wild edible delights, and I am hoping to take advantage of these culinary temptations and make lots of old-fashioned goodies! While Oscar was hard at work painting the house, Claris and I disappeared down the mountain to check out what was ripe, or going to be ripe soon.

There are black raspberries (note the empty stalk in the middle- it was delicious!) along the driveway and the dirt road.


















Claris was a bit impatient and wanted to keep traveling.
She kept giving me scornful looks when I stopped to look at things and take pictures.
She has her own agenda and felt I was hindering her. I found out soon enough what she was wanting, and as usual, it required a hosing before she was let back in the house...

The daisies and swamp roses are now starting to bloom, adding color amongst the fields and wetlands along the bottom, and add color to the green palette that makes up that area!









There are lots of blackberries but they will not be ripe for at least another two weeks, and I am afraid I will be fighting the bears for my supply, as I have seen signs of them around the best patches (as if they too are checking the status of ripeness). The berries make great preserves, sauces, muffins, cobblers and pies so I will be picking and freezing as many as I can to get the supply I need for my gastronomical plans... As you can see, as long as the bears do not take everything, I should have plenty. This is from just one patch:


We also have a good set of apple trees, but I am not sure what kind they are, or how well they produce. Like many things, our first year here will be an adventure. I am hoping that we will get enough apples for me to make some country apple butter. The apples do not have to be pretty to make apple butter, just full of flavor. The smaller, heritage varieties seem to be perfect for this, and I think that is what we have.












On the way back to the house, I finally discovered what Claris was so anxious to get to:



















I really should have known what was on her Labby-mind!

We found a spot where the wild turkeys take their dust baths. Claris was very interested in this, and carried a feather around for a few minutes. I am sure she was thinking about how yummy the turkeys would be if she could only catch one (but they are too smart for her to find, much less catch).

There was a bush with green berries on it I have never seen before, and I wonder if they are going to be edible or ornamental. Hopefully I will find out what they are soon with a thorough search of the internet, so I can make plans if they are something edible...