Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Ordinary Magic (Or, Blackberry, Blackberry, Blackberry)

Such tenderness,
those afternoons and evenings,
saying blackberry, blackberry, blackberry.
-Robert Hass

I wiggled out of bed Saturday morning just after the sun rose. After pulling on clothes, pulling back my hair, and pulling a $20 bill from my purse, I jumped in the Jeep and rumbled and bounced my way down to the local berry farm.

Glossy gloriousness. I'm sure I entered another world as my swinging pail and I sauntered into rows and rows of perfectly-manicured blackberries under that brilliant, painted sky.

I lost myself in those leafy, bejeweled vines. My pail and I wandered forever, snatching glossy berries the size of a thimble... no, bigger... and dropping them one by one in the bucket.

You should have held one too. I'd never seen blackberries so juicy. Or so enormous. I could only cradle three at a time without losing one to the soggy ground.
I know I speak often of magical days, but truly, it was. Dew glistened and dripped. Soft grass mushed underfoot. Plump berries tumbled into pails. The sun shone. And butterflies fluttered about me and landed everywhere - on my shoe, in the wagon, atop my buckets.
Next time you'll have to come with me. We'll make a day of it, you see, and eat a picnic lunch under the blue, blue sky and count the butterflies winging by....
... And of course, have a picking contest. Although really, on a day like this, the destination is secondary to the journey.

Blackberry, blackberry, blackberry. Now you close your eyes and say it. No... you have to say it like you're there with me... among the berries and breeze and butterflies. Yep... see? Ordinary magic, isn't it?

(My Blackberry Crumble recipe coming soon!)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

You penned it perfectly Brin and as my granddaughter just said recently "the getting there is as much fun as being there". She is now in Switzerland on a student exchange program.
Your photos of the blackberries are wonderful...just like I could pick one right out of the pail.
I did close my eyes and said blackberries 3x and all that resulted in was "drool"..lol
Suddenly I want some of that Crumble...

Adrienne said...

Brin - I could taste those blackberries! I'm ready to go pick our Oregon wild blackberries that will be ripe all along the backroads and lanes soon. Oh, the pies, cobblers, sauces we will have. The best? Lightly sugared over vanilla ice cream! Your pictures were wonderful. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I didn't know blackberries could grow that big! Yum-o!

It sounds like you had a truly wonderful day! That butterfly was just gorgeous and all the colors in your photos just gripped me and helped me to feel like I was having that berry picking contest with you! LOL

Sherry

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

What a wonderful adventure picking blackberries, Brin! Those are about the biggest ones I've ever seen. Love those berries & wish we had some like those nearby.

Rhoda

Debra from Bungalow said...

What a beautiful post! I have NEVER seen blackberries that big. My mouth is watering, sure wish I had some :)

Anonymous said...

that's it, i'm coming to see you, i don't care if i have to crawlon glass all the way there and back, when can i come? connie

BellaColle said...

oh my! such lovely berries! I have red ones half that size in my garden...those lovely jewels you have shared make my mouth water...yummy! What can we say, everything is bigger in Texas! enjoy your yummy berries!

Brambleberry said...

That sounds like the perfect way to spend a Saturday. I cannot wait for the recipe!

Unknown said...

Oh, I've got to check our blackberries out, we have tons growing wild by the pond, the trick is getting to them before the birds do. The crop out here should be good too after all the rains. I can't wait to see the recipe and I must say it again, I wish you would turn your whole blog into a book, I"d love to have a copy! I love your writing!

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a delightful treat those berries look :)

Lallee said...

I was sharing about blackberries in part of my post, so I shared a link to yours. Hope you don't mind. Those are some giant luscious berries!

Brigitta said...

those blackberries look sooo yummie, over here' they're just not getting enouhg sun at the moment to grow big and juicy, just hoping the weather will change soon!!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm... Makes me want to make my favorite Lipton Blackberry Tea...

love you!
sw