they call this a weed?

did i mention lately how much i love the northwest? i went for a nice middlin' long walk this evening after church. decided to take myself to juanita beach and then over to juanita bay park. the weather was beautiful; a little overcast but the sun would play peek-a-boo from behind the clouds and kept it pleasantly warm. while i was meandering down the path from the beach towards the park, i kept pausing to enjoy the beautiful view of the lake and wetlands: ducks, herons, lily pad flowers and blackberry brambles abounding.

it still astonishes me how the blackberry bush is disregarded as a weed 'round here. every ditch along the road is replete with the berries; now found in early august in various stages of ripeness. on my way back, i noticed a particularly tempting clump of 'black' berries (tho still intermingled with unripe greens and semiripe reds) and couldn't resist snagging a handful to pop into my mouth. as the juicy sweetness burst into my mouth, i berated myself for not bringing a picking container. who would've guessed i'd need "a-berry-ing" accoutrement on my impromptu wander? ignoring the semi-curious stares of passers-by, i quickly joined the growing ranks of those fool-hardy enough to brave the brambles (though i have a few prickly wounds for my efforts). my improvised container? none other than my right hand. walking back down the street, i thought, geez, people are probably wondering what i've got in my hand. and then i realized, who cares? practically everyone here has engaged in roadside berry picking at one point or 'nother.

'course, they were probably all smart enough to have thought to bring a container to hold their blackberry bounty.



oh, so delicious over my vanilla ice cream tonight. . .