Lazy Days of Summer and Blackberries

Well, we had quite a heat wave a couple weeks ago, then we enjoyed some milder temperatures [merely in the 90's and no longer in the 100's!]. Today the heat is rising again. Luckily it cools down overnight here. When we awake in the morning it is cool enough to wear our fleece wear...long sleeves and pants! We change into light and short clothing once the sun is overhead and warming things up.

The dogs, old boy Toby, Garner and Penny, like to walk with me out in the front field. The past few weeks we've been enjoying blackberries! Toby loves them, Garner acquired a taste for them last summer, but Penny still turns up her nose to them. Garner and Toby like that: more for them! :-)

I'm trying to teach Garner that it is not wise for him to pick the berries himself....I think he'll finally figure it out. Right now he gently bites the berries at his nose level, but cannot get the berry off...at least he doesn't seem to be getting mouthfuls of thorns! Oh, and I'm only picking berries HIGHER up on the bushes for our consumption! No pre-licked berries for ME!

Toby's very patient. He has trained me over his 14 years to pick the plumpest and sweetest berries to hand feed to him. The other day I gave him a berry that was apparently not sweet at all! The look on the Tobster's face was all-telling, and he refused my next offering. But, it's hard to resist for long, and Toby truly trusts me, so took many berries after that sour one. Berry picking has become a MUST DO for Toby on our morning and evening walks.

Penny, dear Penny....just doesn't know what she's missing! She has tried to enjoy the berries like the 'boys' do, but just doesn't care for them. She'll lick them, take them from me and drop them on the ground! She happily lays down and watches us pick and nibble and then walks back home with us afterward.

I'm going to pick enough berries to bake a pie tomorrow...it's a first-morning chore--gotta bake while it's still cool in the morning. Maybe I'll pick enough extra to freeze some... yummmmmmmmmmm! A little bit of summer tucked into my freezer to enjoy later when the rains and snows come~~~~~ :-)