Baby, We Are Jammin'

Day 325: It's been more than twenty years since I made jam or jelly, and I thought it was about time I did something about that. On my way home from town, I stopped at a small blackberry patch on a quiet road, emptied one of my shopping bags and started picking. The best ones are always just out of reach, so braving life and limb, I tromped on a cane as big around as my thumb and began working my way toward a nice cluster. More than once, I had to extricate myself from the grasp of thorns; more than once, I swore at prickles which pierced the sturdy denim of my jeans. I'd collected half a gallon or so and had pretty well worn out the patch, but as I turned to start back to the car, an angry cane took out its revenge. The bottom of the plastic bag ripped and about half my provender tumbled into the thicket.

Not to be outdone, I swung past the hardware store and bought a small tin bucket, then went seeking a different patch. I arrived home with about a gallon of luscious, ripe berries. Baby, we are jammin' tonight!