Saturday, June 11, 2011

Black and Blue

I can hardly keep up with these beautiful blue beauties right now.
Even with an unrelenting drought, they deliver.
I love them for that.
So do the cardinals.

The blackberry bush I planted nearby is finally old enough to make a decent quantity of berries. It's one of the thornless varieties for the south, but I can't remember.

I need to, because I bought two varieties that day and one of them has thrived while the other has barely clung to life.
One is Arapaho and the other is Navaho ... I think.

Arrrrghhh.

MUST.
WRITE.
STUFF.
DOWN.

The drought continues here, which is a good thing today as the girls are doing a big yard sale and I am running back and forth to my old classroom, hauling my stuff home.

It can rain tonight.
That would be lovely.

16 comments:

Caroline said...

Yummy looking berries! Never can tell from your post titles whether you have wrecked yourself or your quirky sense of humor is showing again!
I know some folks in eastern South Dakota who would gladly share some or their Missouri River offerings with you. We crossed the Big Muddy yesterday, unbelievable amount of water in the system.

The Florida Blogger said...

If it would rain for an entire week south of Tampa, you wouldn't hear me complain a bit. I'm thinking these meteorologists need to re-adjust their rain predictions. We haven't seen a drop in almost four weeks.

Island Rider said...

Yesterday, it rained a quarter mile from our house, but we didn't get a drop. Hope the yard sale was a success! Can you put your teaching materials in your new classroom or do you have to keep it all at home until August?

Miz S said...

Hope the girls make some money at their yard sale! And yeah, we could use some rain up here in Maryland, too.

R.Powers said...

Caroline,
Ironic, but we are dreading that water down here at the Gulf. Not so much the water, but what it's carrying.
We did get an isolated short,short rain yesterday.


FLblogger,
Same here essentially. No good soaking for over a month.

Cathy S,
Yes I can get in there as soon as I have a chance to get out and get the keys. Extra work this week will prevent that (curric.mapping).
That hit and miss rain is frustrating, isn't it?

Miz S,
I shall speak to the lovely Stephanie Abrams at the Weather Channel and see if she can do something about it.

Dani said...

*sigh* It's been so long since we've had a good rain.

LaDivaCucina said...

Wow, I love your berries! A small punnet of organic blueberries (about double of what's in your hand) goes for $4.99 at Whole Foods, so you know I'm bummin' cuz I eat so many in a sitting! Enjoy! (wish we lived closer! I'd be fighting with the cardinals for 'em!)

Yes, the rainclouds keep threatening but never quite produce. Wonder how Lake Okeechobee is doing?

PS: love the new layout!

lisa said...

I just love both berries! I also want to say very good luck on your new job and adventure (more of an appropriate word I think)!

Deb said...

My (low bush Northern variety) blueberries are doing better than ever this year. I think it has something to do with the generous layer of pine needle mulch I gave them last fall. I may get a pint or so out of them!

Love the new look, by the way!

Pablo said...

From an Ozark perspective, deliberately planting blackberry is an odd act. I'm glad they're thriving though.

R.Powers said...

Dani,
Not to worry. I will take the top off the JEEP.
It's sure to rain then.


La Diva,
Wow! I must eat about 25 dollars worth of berries a day then!
Glad they are free here.
heehee
Thanks regarding the layout! I just got tired of basic brown wallpaper.


Lisa,
Thanks!


Deb,
I bet that is it. They love that acidity.


Pablo,
People in the Ozarks don't eat blackberry pie?

Ericka said...

one thing i miss about north carolina is the pick your own blueberries. i'm looking, but the pickins are slim around here. sigh. yours look delish!

R.Powers said...

Ericka,
They are! I was grazing on them yesterday evening.

MamaHen said...

I've been meaning to ask you, Oh Great Blueberry King: my bushes were loaded with berries this spring but they gradually shriveled up and fell off before they became ripe. About 1/4 of them made it. I fertilized them, with the appropriate blueberry ferty, this winter (about the same time you did) and have mulched them well with pine straw. I have watered them but not a whole lot. Do you think it was the lack of rain? or something else?
Oh, love the new blog look! Really makes me want to go to the beach now! (whine)

Pablo said...

FC - Sure they do! They just don't need to deliberately plant the canes. They grow anywhere and everywhere.

R.Powers said...

Annie,
If it has been as dry there as here, then I vote for the lack of rain hypothesis.
I have been scrambling to keep mine watered in this long, long drought and have some of the same shriveled berries.
Everything you did sounds exactly right.

Pablo,
Gotcha.
I figured it was something like that.