Oct 8, 2009, Multiply, We made Blackberry jam

Think I mentioned I took the grandchildren blackberrying and then made jam………………………
Ok so here are the pictures of the day. There were quite a lot of fallen trees and the burn was high and fast, remember this is just three days after the high winds and dust storm I was caught in on Saturday, the evidence of this was every where. I did notice that we’re getting our autumn colours which is lovely.
I was standing watching small brown trout in the burn, and you would have had photos, but as I was about to click the dog decided to go for a swim and disrupted every thing. After that there was no chance of seeing anything in the burn.
I heard bird song, so loud and clear and then I spotted the little robin singing its heart out on the branch just a few feet away from us. This time I decided to concentrate on pointing it out to the kids rather than trying to take photos, I didn’t want to scare him away.
It never ceases to amaze me how little modern children seem to know. For all their education they don’t know a robin from a thrush and until I pointed out the blackberries they had no idea which berries you could eat.
They think berries for eating come from the supermarket wrapped in plastic. As for identifying trees, not a hope in hell, they haven’t a clue.
I’m sure I was taught the difference between a beech leaf and an oak leaf when I was at school, seems modern educators don’t deem this necessary.  Not the kids fault I suppose, just a sign of the times but how sad. Anyway, we had a great time, they made jam and went home happy.

Tags: environment, blackberries, jam

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delete reply veroniquemariquita wrote on Oct 9, '09 I do my best to keep my children, grandchildren (and anyone else who will listen) informed as much as possible on the wonders of nature. Nothing found in the stores can even begin to compare with one of your jars of blackberry jam. And the pride in saying , "I made it myself", is priceless.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Oct 8, '09, edited on Oct 8, '09 thanks every one, funny how people seem to enjoy the simple things in life.............I've just spent hours and hours taking tiny stalks off of about 5 or 6 pound of rowan berries. Thought I would try rowan jelly, never made it before but think I'll give it a go.

delete reply regalfemale wrote on Oct 8, '09 You are very welcome. Yes, I keep my page closed to the general public. I sent you an invite so it would open for you. Stop by anytime.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Oct 8, '09 regalfemale said Those are memories I cherish. What a wonderful post. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by, tried to leave message on your page but its a closed page, thanks any way.

delete reply regalfemale wrote on Oct 8, '09 I grew up visiting my Grandmother....picking blackberries with her along the country road....so we could make blackberry cobbler while we were there. Those are memories I cherish. What a wonderful post.

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Oct 8, '09 mmmmmmmmm! b;blackberry jam :)

delete reply djdx wrote on Oct 8, '09 I think we had to bring in leaves to school. I seem to remember pressing them in waxed paper. It seems rather basic to me to be able to tell an oak from a maple, for example. It's quite reassuring to know which plants are edible. Maybe "the system" would rather we depend on it for our needs.

delete reply spiritjewelz wrote on Oct 8, '09 As a kid, some of the best fun I had was barefoot in my grandmother's creek, poking sticks in the dirt, skipping rocks on the pond-- oh, and water skimmers... you can't catch one of those... finding a crawdad--- Junebugs--- on a string; this will tell you that A-- I am a country kid! B-- I was in a warm climate! LOL but it's true-- younger kids need to be curious about the outdoors... cooped up for too long-- they lose that vital spark of curiousity about things of nature....

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Oct 8, '09 seanymph3 said But I feel school is sadly lacking in many areas today. yeah me too, and I work in a school............seems by the time the get to senior school (high school) they have so much o learn they can't go over general stuff............I think its the primary schools that mess up, that's where they should be out and about and learning about the world around them

delete reply seanymph3 wrote on Oct 8, '09 Oh yum......they need gramma to teach them about nature and making jam. Todays moms dont have the time to do this anymore it seems. But I feel school is sadly lacking in many areas today.

delete reply wulfshado wrote on Oct 8, '09 Fun!

delete reply spiritjewelz wrote on Oct 8, '09 kathryn had a teacher last year (a sub) and she was like us-- a nature chik-- and she actually did a series on leaves and flowers... you'd be surprised at how many adults can't tell you which berries are edible-- not just children... But it looks and sounds like a fun day was had by all! esp the dog!

delete reply tendrils wrote on Oct 8, '09 This is why children need their grandparents and great grandparents so much. They remember the old days, old ways of teaching and doing with the children...in Nature. OMGoodness!!! What a concept! I love blackberry jam. I made a small batch again this year from mine. I would have had more, but my friends and I just had to share a big bowl of fresh ones!

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Oct 8, '09 it is good that your grand kids have you to teach them all the fun stuff. i'll take a jar of that jam, please. ; D

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Oct 8, '09 A lovely lovely day :-)) I agree with you about how patchy modern education is. It seems that a good working general knowledge is no longer thought of as necessary, it's all about specialising in a 'set' of subjects. It's rather sad.

delete reply starfishred wrote on Oct 8, '09 love that jam I make it to love your little walk and the picture are just lovely

delete reply kathyinozarks wrote on Oct 8, '09 a wonderful day, I enjoyed all the photos and reading about your day

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Oct 8, '09 At least they have you to teach them! I'm sure they must be proud of their blackberry jam.