We have a bumper crop of black raspberries this year. They grow wild all over the back forty. Some years, we’re busy and we forget to pick them, but this year we’ve been on top of it. Don went up there yesterday and came back with a bowlful.
Oh my goodness! They are so good!
I managed to capture (digitally) this catbird in the birdbath this morning:
You can see the water splashing as he dunks himself in the water over and over again. Catbirds are known for loving baths, but it’s been so hot here that we’ve had a constant line for a dip in the pool. I see finches, robins, catbirds and mourning doves. Finches are polite, they share the bath. Robins take up all of the pool space and don’t want to share. Catbirds are a little less territorial, but since their bath rituals are so exuberant, no one can get in there anyway. Mourning Doves, like the classy birds they are, sit on the edge of the bath for quite a while, then take a dip. Then they sit on the edge again and rest.
All of them are very careful; they check for any possible predators several times before they jump into the water. Then they check again when they hop up onto the rim.
Post dip.
Birds, bunnies, groundhogs – often they’re all out there at the same time, just outside our window.
Speaking of creatures…
What kind of bug do we think this guy is? I saw him on this coneflower the other day. The next day, he was on another coneflower. There was no damage that I could see. He is incredibly tiny (this was taken on Macro) and I’m fascinated by him.
As I said, it’s been very hot and humid here, so apart from watering the baby plants in the chicken wire fence garden and the memorial garden, adding water to the birdbath several times a day and watering the potted plants, I’ve stayed inside. I’ve been restless, though. I don’t do too well in humidity and I’m having trouble concentrating on anything for any length of time. I did finish my third Jo Nesbø mystery and I made a special trip to the bookstore to get the next one in the series. I’m reading them in chronological order.
He is a wonderful writer who hails from Norway and his protagonist, Harry Hole, is flawed and human and fascinating. These police procedurals are so well crafted! I recommend them highly. I knew of Nesbø, but hadn’t read any of his books until I overheard a conversation at The Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan. A young woman who is a book blogger (I don’t know her name) was talking to another customer and she raved about this series, even going so far as to say it was her favorite series.
“Hmmmm,” I thought. “Perhaps I should check him out.” The Mysterious Bookshop conveniently shelves books in chronological order (but if you’re unsure, they are a fount of knowledge) so I grabbed the very first one and now I’m hooked.
I love those overheard conversations in bookshops. At The Mysterious Bookshop, they are often between staff and customers, with the staff recommending some author or another. I learn a lot that way.
Another hot one ahead.
Happy Saturday.
Claudia,
The other day I was driving down a very busy divided two lane highway, when I spot a groundhog ambling down the side of the road going opposite of the traffic. I yelled “Henry!” and thought of you. I also said a prayer that he would meander back into the woods and not into the traffic. That is one of the only times I have ever seen a groundhog in this area.
I too have been picking blackberries and also blueberries from 2 plants I put in a few years back. A mixed berry crisp is on the To Do list though due to the heat I’m researching crockpot recipes so as not to make the AC have to work any more than it is!
Stay cool and happy reading!
I worry about them, too. They get very close to the road and often get hit. Breaks my heart.
The blackberries look delicious. I learn about new books from you ! Enjoy your day!
They are! Have a lovely day, Doris.
Oh Claudia, the birds sing so sweetly every morning in our oak trees. I also see butterflies nearly every day. My dear uncle has been moved out of ICU and is doing much better. It is hot here in Fl too but we are used to it. Our friends recently moved to Alaska and say it’s even hotter there than here sometimes. Allergies developed into a throat infection that I’ve been fighting for two weeks, finally with the help of meds it has stopped hurting. I think it’s going to be a good day. Hope you and Don have a great weekend!
So happy to hear about your uncle, Janie. Good news! Feel better, my friend.
I loved reading your descriptions of the birds and their bathing habits!
We are off to Massachusetts to see my daughter in her play tonight – very excited! (And a bit nervous, too, as the Mamma.)
What play is she in, Sylvia? And where? Have fun!
She plays the part of Lainie in “Two Rooms” at The Sloan Theater in Greenfield.
Lovely!
Blackberries look so good! I love watching the birds bathe! I have put out a feeder and a bird bath but it doesn’t seem that the birds have found it yet. Hopefully they will. It is so hot the plants are wilting as am I!! Wishing you a peaceful day my friend.
Hugs,
Linda
It takes a while for birds to find a bird bath. They will. Since I’ve had one in this same place for years, they all know about it now!
Those blackberries look luscious! I enjoyed reading the Birdbath Diaries…very interesting! We feed our birds black-oil sunflower seeds…and it seems the birds have thanked me, with sowing some seeds in my patio garden. While I’ve grossly neglected it this year, I do have about 20 sunflowers happily growing there! I am tickled! It’s the small things you know! ;)
Gosh, I think 20 sunflowers growing in your garden is a big thing! Thank you birds!
Our wild berries haven’t ripened here yet, you’re look delicious. I’ve been meaning to tell you, birds are finally using my birdbath, it only took them 3 years to discover it. I’ve changed the water often in hopes they’d finally come. I’m so over this hot humid weather, I have a hard time breathing and feel lethargic all day when it’s humid. I too am staying inside in the AC, hate it but it must be done.
I hate it, too! I owe you a phone call – I’ll call in the next few days, my friend. It will be good to catch up. So glad to hear the birds are finally using the birdbath!
Those blackberries look so incredible. My favorite berry, I think – and that’s saying something. When I was about 12, my Dad was poking around one Saturday in July behind the old, small & badly-neglected apple orchard on our property – and found a massive blackberry bush. Also long-neglected, but just swarming with HUGE blackberries! He walked in the kitchen door half an hour later with his baseball cap spilling over with berries and said “Jackpot!” to my mother. Later that afternoon, my parents and all 6 of their kids were out behind the orchard, picking blackberries. And getting their hands and forearms well-scratched up in the bargain. Let’s just say picking blackberries is not like plucking apples from a tree. But you probably know that already. Anyway, for the next 6-7 Summers, we had the BEST wild, organic blackberries – and plenty of them. Mom made dozens of jars of jam each year & froze lots for pies and cobblers. Most years there was even enough to give some away. Sadly, something happened eventually that pretty much curtailed berry production – to maybe only about 10% of what we had been used to getting. Don’t know if it was some kind of disease, or just a tuckered-out plant, or whatever. But the bush never did “come back” – even though my Dad would faithfully trudge out behind the orchard every year to check on it in the Spring. So enjoy those yummy wild berries while you can. Super-easy to freeze for Winter cereal bowls too. 🍒
I love blackberries, too, and that’s what I thought these were when I discovered them a few years back. But they’re black raspberries! I did a little research because a reader of the blog thought they might be black raspberries – and sure enough they are. I love all berries, though, and that bush your dad found sounds magical!
Yes, actually ours were black raspberries too. Dad learned this from a co-worker of his who had 2 full-time jobs, the second one being a farmer. None of us had ever known there was a difference before. My Dad was so disappointed when berry production started dropping off. He kept hoping that even if the big bush never came back, it might have seeded another one nearby. But no such luck. ☀️
I love wild berries, when I can find them. So much more difficult these days in my urban area. Enjoy those luscious sweet berries, Claudia! I’m battling sciatica, so not much walking or bending for me today. But, I can supervise the daughters’ garden work! Also, working on the quilt and needlepointing while watching an Ironsides marathon, love the 60’s high fashion that Officer Eve wears!
Feel better, Wendy! I’ve had sciatica before and it’s not fun. But it sounds like you’re taking care of yourself.
So glad to know that I am not the only one who does not like to stay stuffed away in the AC. Sometimes I just soak my tee-top and hair and head out to get things done anyway….in the cooler part of the day. It just feels so good to be out there where Life is. The birds and bunnies are doing where ever birds and bunnies do and I can feel the breezes, hear the sounds, smell the scents, and feel alive. Though, as you mentioned, when it is so hot and humid my concentration is diminished though.
How did people get through summers without AC etc. in the years prior? And wear all those beautiful and yet HOT and cumbersome clothes? Of course they didn’t live so long either.
Just the thought of it all makes me want to make lemonade and go sit under the patio umbrella with a good book. Maybe I will put one of those you so
wonderfully recommend on reserve at the library.
Have and wonderful weekend, both of you.
Having to stay in all day makes me crazy, Joan! Don and I were just talking about how difficult it must have been many years ago with all those heavy clothes and no A/C. Have a great day.
The baby wrens are sticking their heads out of the birdhouse today, and I spent the morning watching mom & dad scurry in and out with food constantly. They are so sweet!!
We are having a beautiful day today, with NO humidity. However, by Thursday it is to be in the mid-90’s & humid again for several days. Will cherish these few days with open windows and birds singing before we are holed up in the house as if it were a winter day. ugh.
It’s hot here and it’s humid – but not unbearably so. Looks like hot temps for the next couple of weeks with very little rain. Uh oh.
Your lil spider may be a green crab spider. ;) Love all your pics…
Sandra, that makes sense! He looks like a crab! Thanks so much! Just looked – it is. He stays there and lies in wait for some bug or beetle or bee. Such a small thing to have so much power!
Really excellent photos, Claudia. Oh, those raspberries; organic and wonderful.
We have few squirrels at this house; never see a squirrel. My other home before this one, on the other side of town, had a lot of them; we had oak trees, unlike here. Anyway, a squirrel was in my driveway yesterday afternoon in a completely treeless area of the property…and then I almost drove over one today on an industrial street with hardly a tree. So, I’m curious. Why are they appearing? Are they seeking water, are they hungry, are they already storing things for winter…does it mean we’ll have early winter(?)…just so odd. We’re still in drought; the hills are bone dry. All over town, enforced weed abatement for fear of wildfire. We are 90 degrees or very near it every day, and they’re saying we’ll hit 100 next midweek. Summer is NOT my most favorite time of year, anywhere…although, as a kid, I loved it, of course.
Incidentally, in a big box store yesterday…they’ve already set out all the Fall school supplies and school uniforms. Hard still for me to get used to because all those eons ago when I was a young one, we didn’t even shop for school clothes til the end of August and, here in SoCalif, school didn’t begin til after Labor Day. We’d only go to school a couple/few days, then we’d get a day off for California Admission Day/state holiday. Nothing seemed school-ish, really, til October. September is usually still quite hot in SoCalif and going back to school still seemed like summer in September. Only one time I can remember, somewhere in the 90s, did we get rain in late September and it remained cool through March. Man, would I love to see THAT again!
Too early for fall stuff – they always rush things like seasonal changes.
Love blackberries!! The birds seem to really be enjoying the birdbath. I have so many birds in my yard. I guess mainly because of all of the trees and bushes and flowers. Stay inside when it is this hot. The heat just does me in. We’ve had terrible storms and are suppose to be over 100 for the next few weeks. Guess I’ll work indoors.
Have a good weekend.
Judy
I’ll be staying inside again today, Judy. Hot, hot, hot!
Looks like a Green Crab Spider. (I had to look that up!)
Thanks, Donna! They are rather amazing, aren’t they? xo
I have been eating wild raspberries on my way to and from work (I cycle through woodlands), delicious. It is too early here for blackberries but I look forward to making my first blackberry and apple crumble.
I love Scandinavian crime writers but Nesbø is not my favourite. I love the first two or three books but then I thought that Harry was spiralling a bit out of control as the series progressed. I am a bit biased towards the more ‘boring’ crime series because I used to work in a Forensic Medicine and Science department and I feel more comfortable with less outrageous detectives and scientists, as I got to know them at work. I quite like the Williman Wisting series by Jørn Lier Horst, also set in Norway. Horst used to be a senior investigator and his lead detective is probably the most down to earth kind of detective I have enjoyed reading about. Another favourite and local to me author is Caro Ramsay, her crime novels are set in Glasgow and some of her characters are based on people I know from my old work. I guess that makes it special. Apologies for this long comment! Have a lovely day. x
I sort of like flawed protagonists – makes the mystery more interesting for me. Thanks for this list of authors, Christina!