The chestnuts are in full bloom. They have a very musky smell; somewhere between two day old road kill and a freshly cut durian. Makes the pup put his snoozle into the air to find something to roll in.

Lots of rain this year. At my station, we are already over the yearly average. Things are full of fruit. Blueberries, black raspberries [these are native], red raspberries [these I planted] and strawberries [some I planted, some are native] are loaded. Mulberry trees are hanging full. We have three species of mulberries. We have the red mulberry [it is native to North America and is actually black in color], black Russian mulberry [which I planted; much larger berry but less taste] and the white mulberry [someone in the late 19th century decided to import this to raise silk worms and it is now, for all practical purposes, native; by-the-by, it is high in sugar and makes a great wine]. So, where am I going with this.

When I was growing up, each spring, my grandmother made a spring pie. I keep the tradition alive. I cut some fresh barb and cooked it up. I then simmered it with all of the above, added some corn starch and poured it into a pie shell. Now, I wait to see if it will solidify. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. That is fun around here. I have to leave and watch the paint dry. ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002

Answers

Your place sounds cool Z and you obviously appreciate it. That's cool too. Enjoy.

-- (lars@indy.net), June 21, 2002.

Don't you miss the big, fat wild blackberries of the PNW?

The past few years have been too dry and they dried up on the vine, this year we have had a lot of rain (I actually saw a slug at dusk last night) so we should have tones of Blackberries. They invaded my compost bin (10 year of clean yard waste) and they're mine, MINE MINE!!! If my little one invites her friends over to pick them this year she will forced to fill the cups with beer to drown the slugs!

-- Cherri (whatever@who.cares), June 21, 2002.

Cherri:

I have lots of blackberries here. They are pathetic creatures compared to the ones in the PNW. After years of consuming the ones there, I don't even bother picking the ones here. There is no comparison. Of course, you know that. ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.

Cherri:

It looks like I won't be back to Washington again until late Oct. Eat some of those berries and enjoy them for me.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.

Cherri, do you know Tammy?

-- (lars@indy.net), June 21, 2002.

Well, it gelled perfectly. If you haven't had spring pie you haven't lived. What a treat. ;<))

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1x4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.

Z, will do. The rainy summer will provide us with many fat juicy ones, I may get the kids to pick enough to freeze some for winter holidays.

Lars, OMG! It's bad enough to step on one barefoot (have to rub your toes in dirt and scrape it all of without puking) but to EAT one??? Yuck. I was offered escargot a few decades ago while out for the evening. I closed my eyes and managed one, I looked at the second one, saw the two little antenna and headed for the head! Barely made it, I don't care if they are considered a delicacy, all I could see was a slug at the end of a path of slug slime.

I did manage the worm at the bottom of a bottle of tequila once though, after a few slugs (sic) of the tequila. I don't let the kids torture slugs with salt, but have no qualms in letting them drown in beer. (If I can keep the neighbor's dog from drinking the beer first).

-- Cherri (whatever@who.cares), June 22, 2002.

I'm sure there are wags out there who will tell us that slugs are a low fat, high protein health food that are delicious when properly prepered.

Personally, my closest connection to slugs is ex-wife calling me a slug-a-bed.

-- (lars@indy.net), June 22, 2002.