i had a julie andrews moment today. it has been gorgeous, with a bright blue sky and fluffy clouds, that sort of day where you can't even feel the weather because it's so perfect. i had been stuck inside working, so after dinner, i grabbed a bowl, put on my ipod, found my summer favourites playlist (which includes iron & wine, turin brakes, the magic numbers and other great music), and wandered across the road from our house to runnymede fields to pick blackberries.
my obsession with picking blackberries started when we lived in seattle. london and seattle have similar climates, wet but temperate weather that himalayan blackberries just love, and much to the chagrin of gardeners, they grow wild everywhere. as long as they stay out of my flowerbeds, i love them, and have a terrible time passing a bramble with ripe berries without wanting to pick some to make some homemade jam. in seattle, i would threaten to bring containers along on ten-mile runs, because i felt so bad leaving the unpicked berries along our jogging routes.
tonight, armed with my blue mixing bowl and music, i walked alone across the green fields to find the perfect blackberries. other than a whole complex of bunny rabbits and a pheasant, i was all on my own, and rather than being lonely, it felt great, like the whole countryside belonged to me. i spent an hour out there, filling my bowl with fruit. something about the whole experience just felt right.
if i had subtracted a few cow pies and added hills and a couple of spins on my way home, i would have felt just like maria.
Now I'm jealous. Growing season is too short here and what passes for blackberries here in Finland are too sour for my taste. Hmmmm...I can taste my grandma's cobbler!
Posted by: Michel | August 11, 2005 at 05:16 PM