Early Morning Brambles

August
When the blackberries hang
swollen in the woods, in the brambles
nobody owns, I spend
all day among the high
branches, reaching
my ripped arms, thinking
of nothing, cramming
the black honey of summer
into my mouth; all day my body
accepts what it is.  In the dark
creeks that run by there is
this thick paw of my life darting among
the black bells, the leaves; there is
this happy tongue.
Mary Oliver

 Above: Mary Jane reaching for the berries.
Below: the beautiful sky.

 My berries

 Mary Jane's berries.

 Mary Jane and I only spent a couple of hours picking berries across the river. This year the berries were not as plentiful or as big. Must be the dry, hot weather. But, there will be enough for a pie and a lovely Clafouti.

We arrived at about 7:00 a.m. and it was so beautiful. Cool and overcast...  clouds from the Monsoon weather in the southwest.  We could feel the humidity in the air. Later, it would be another hot day and humid... which is different for us.

 By 9:00 we were done. We went up to the owner's home, said hello and thanked her, then drove back over the Mokelumne River.

On the drive back to my house we saw a baby King snake stretched out in the middle of the road. We stopped and had a talk with him about being out there by himself and what happens to snakes who sunbathe on the road.
This little guy didn't seem impressed. It just shook its rattleless tail at us and got very agitated.

I followed it to the side of the road, where it raced up the hillside...

 and disappeared into a hole.

 "Mommy, mommy! Those humans are picking on me."

"Yes, well, little guy". I said as I watched him disappear, "You're safe for now and not this morning's buzzard food. Learn to look both ways before you cross the road and listen to your Mom. Someday you will be a big rattlesnake killer. You might be famous. You are a handsome snake."
He probably didn't hear me.


So I have blackberries in the fridge. Can't wait to bake something.
These berries will make for "... a happy tongue."