My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...
Those are beautiful photos. I guess I didn't know that the name of this bird really included "Baltimore" -- I thought that was just for the baseball team.
ReplyDeleteActually, the team took the name of the bird. The bird itself was named for an English nobleman. They are wonderful birds. It's always a pleasure to welcome them back.
DeleteWhat beautiful pics, Dorothy! The birds that I'm always talking about in my backyard have disappeared; I don't know why. I would love to see Baltimore Orioles there too! :-)
ReplyDeletePerhaps your birds have moved on to their nesting areas, but no doubt others will show up to take their place. After all, it is migration season. Maybe you'll even get orioles.
Delete