Blackberries - kissing summer goodbye

We are so blessed to live where the blackberry vines are prolific (to the point of being labled as "invasive" - silly people), verdantly healthy, and easy to find in our own backyard.

As kids, we were able to earn pocket money, and sometimes more, by picking the wild berries by the bucket and dishpan, hauling them down to our little local grocery store, where they were weighed, put in large flats, and hauled out to the Willamette Valley canneries.

Only the brave could get those big, juicy top berries. It involved either a plank (filched from dad's scaffolding pile), or a ladder. We would haul them up to the edge of the blackberry patch, stand them on end and then let them fall into the vines. THEN - then the kid with the most guts and determination "walked the plank" out through those grasping thorns to reach the jewels at the tippy tops of the long vines. Berries are always best just out of your reach, doncha know?!

Besides money, the other wealth from the blackberries was the scrumptious pies mom made. There is not a lot better than slightly warm blackberry pie, with a scoop of Tillamook Vanilla Icecream floating on top! World Peace, coming right up.

Last week we had 8 nieces and nephews show up on our doorstep; they were camping at Bar View and came by to pick just a couple cups of blackberries to add to the dutch oven peach cobbler they had on the menu for the evening. 30 minutes later, this was the result of walking along our block. About a gallon and a half of end-of-summer kisses!

Sun-warmed black gold! If you've never had a perfectly ripe, slightly soft, tangy juicy blackberry right off the vine - well, put it on your Bucket List! And bring the bucket...

The only thing that is possibly better than Blackberry Pie - is Blackberry Cobbler! Depends on whether you like thin crispy, sugary crust, or thick buttery, biscuit-y crust! The icecream is a given...

Wanna bite?

PS We joined the gang around the campfire that evening. We had Blackberry Pie AND Peach Blackberry Cobbler. Just call us Oink!