Off to the Timber the Berries are Ready

The Wild Raspberries  and Gooseberries are ready. This week I am working to gather what I can before the weather heats up again later today, thru the weekend.

Our lack of rain and the heat could take away the ability of the small unripe berries to mature...

Faithful Accomplice

Sadie and I were out early this morning, minding our own picking, when we heard an unfamiliar animal sound emanating just to the east of our patch. My first reaction was, "Oh, that's nice." Apparently, I wasn't hearing things, because Sadie, sat at attention listening attentively.

A repeat of the first agitated whatever it was brought  a couple of barks out of Sadie to let the animal(s) know, it had company of a different species  in the vicinity.

That must have done the trick  - no other vocalizations or activities were heard, and a slight disappointment arose when I didn't get to see what it was that had garnered those few fleeting seconds of the unknown...

It's time to be off to the timber!

See you later.

Evidence of Spring in the Timber

This morning brought a little trek over a deer path, or two, to retrieve the trail camera card which hadn't been viewed since Friday. The weekend brought a few other things to do ;I thought maybe there would be a bunch of deer activity if I stayed away for awhile.

Our thunder chickens have been calling in the vicinity of the camera and that was another reason I made myself scarce since I didn't get a Spring license to be out sitting in wait for them to parade at the edge of the timber. Maybe they would by chance leave a digital impression for future viewing. It hasn't happened yet this season...

Along the trail I found some May Apples starting to send up their whorls. This weekend we had some summer like temperatures which seemed to spur the plant growth  already awakened by the seasonal highs.

I wonder how long it will be until they are in full flower and the morel mushrooms are popping?

Little violets can be seen sprouting above the surface of the ground...just big enough to know what type of plant it will become in the future.

Honeysuckles are sending out leaves as are the rose brush,raspberry brambles and gooseberries.

One of the concerns I have again this year is that everything will be encouraged to bloom and then an extreme cold snap will happen at the same time. A chance for snow this coming weekend still has things not totally out of harms way. The forecast said it won't last long. Here's hoping that is true.

We have lost some acorn production the last couple of years due to ill timed freezes. Fall deer food supplies were short and the winter was  frigid ....Created some stress that some hadn't overcome from the last long winter.

I did a small experiment beginning the last of February, when the snow initially started to disappear. Having some empty spots in our yard where the grass had been killed off by construction materials for our new home, I decided to seed some turnips. It is my understanding when some of the perennial broadleaf weeds start to grow you can plant cole crops and things that enjoy cooler temperatures to germinate. So, I gave it a try. This is my first seeding which became more prominent this past week.

These little turnips were planted just before the rain came last week in one of my small deer plots. The winter greens had been totally chewed away so I wanted to get something going to get some food supplied to build up for the upcoming fawning season. The wind helped the seeds clump together while I was broadcasting so might end up doing some thinning. 

My experiment leads me to believe that the turnips still need ground temperatures into the upper 40's for sprouting to occur,but pre-planting allows them to come up as the weather becomes optimal. 

I am thankful for the moderate days we have been given and definitely looking forward to the sweet scents that will soon be wafting on the calm breezes emanating out of the timber at Timber Life.

Have a good day!

The Wild Berries Ripen

As I was looking through the way some one arrived at my blog over at the BlogLog I saw the query "When do Wild Raspberries ripen in Iowa?" I would like to respond to that question.

It is very likely that there are some Wild Raspberries being picked in the southern tier counties of Iowa as we speak.

Here is what the Wild Raspberries are doing here at Timber Life today. This afternoon you can see a red tinge beginning in the middle of the group.

They are pretty predictable in that they usually begin to ripen by the end of the third week of June. The  middle black cap starts off blushing red. I begin to pick them when they turn black and shiny with juice filled pockets.

I usually eat them plain, as a garnish to several different foods or topped with Reddi-wip. Maybe, this year I will put them in some sort of dessert.


Last summer Wandering Owl Outside gave us an idea how the berries could be made into a tasty treat. Check it out.

Another berry that is making a splash in the timber is the  messy Mulberry. However, when it comes to  right off the tree sweet treats they rank pretty highly.   
The birds seem to have a homing beacon when the berries are at their best.

One of the bad things about the Mulberry is its ability to reproduce prolifically. Guess I will just have to take the good  with the bad.

Gooseberries, the first fruit that I pick of the summer season, can be picked starting the last of May, the first part of June, it is one many find to create a pucker in its early green stage.

If the gooseberry stays on the bush  and gets to the wine colored stage it is very mellow and even  becomes sweet.

Whatever wild fruit that fits your taste bud you should be heading to the woods  soon



So, to answer the question of  "When do Wild Raspberries ripen in Iowa?"
Now is the time to keep an eye on your favorite patches....

Berry Pickin' Experience

Today I was out gathering gooseberries to stock some freezers for the long, cold winter ahead. At least the fruit of summer can bring a glimmer of hope when it is to bless-ed cold outside that you would rather be sitting by the fireplace. I am searching for the "Right" size to pick. Silly me...then I finally decide that to hurry the process along any size will do to fill a pie. As I stood on a deer run below the rim of a hill a white-tailed doe came into view. I surprised her, scared the "Snort" out of her you could say. She stood trying to get my attention for a few minutes, but when I didn't move she took off in the other direction. Continuing to work my way up the slope I had another encounter...A young fawn sprung up from hiding and bolted away. I had revealed the hiding spot of a newer member of the Timber Life deer family, the second encounter in five days. My presence on the block just wasn't appreciated... There was a flashback to the second deer shotgun season last winter. I was snuggled inside the limbs of a fallen tree. Every now and then I would stand up to see if I could get a visual on any mature deer in close proximity and get the blood flowing in my legs. The older ones stayed across the ravine to the south, there was activity to the east of my location, a young deer that seemed to always be in that very spot. The funny thing was every time I stood up it would in turn stand up and move ever so slightly further to the east. I know that it isn't good to speak but I had to reassure the little critter I wasn't going to be after it that year.... Do you think it could become a generational birthing nursery??? ;)

I am not sure if this is the fawn I have been seeing...The doe was initiating it into jumping fences around my deer food sample plots early today. This isn't where I saw the baby yesterday but wanted to share anyway. ;)

Good Morning World!

Good Morning World! The crisp air at sunrise gave the perfect setting for all the birds to erupt in song. What a perfect greeting for the day to begin! Later in the day hubby took advantage of some smooth air to get off the ground for a short hop around the patch before the sunset. Clouds had moved in to set the stage for future moisture. It has been a wonderful day with forays into the timber to see what flora is erupting with the warmer temperatures. Time lapse photography would have been fun today. The Mayapples are erupting swiftly from the ground. It won't be long until they are blooming,an indicator for us to be looking for the coveted Morel Mushroom. Gooseberry,Wild Raspberry, Honeysuckle and Multi-flora rosebrush are among the plants putting on new leaves preparing for fruiting blooms. The Wild Honeybees have been awake and buzzing for almost three weeks. They would invite themselves into the house when I opened the back door during some of the cold snaps. It didn't take them long to find there wasn't anything they needed andwould head back out the other direction. It wasn't very long ago there were cooler temps. I was wondering if it would ever end. True Spring has arrived at Timber Life and the hope to see new life begins anew. Hope things are improving in your neck of the woods too! ;)

The Hunt is On

Hunt ? What Hunt?!? Well, for the Wild Gooseberry of course! In about three days the Wild Raspberries will begin their period of supplying my demand. The Mulberries are ready too if you enjoy their flavor. The floor of the timber has some pretty dense weeds, invasive honeysuckle, fallen limbs, trees and a myriad of other obstacles to get around. Fun all the same! If you ask me. Getting a little steamy out there! The Deep Woods Off! isn't lasting more than two hours with skin moisture dilution. Mosquitoes just hovering in wait to take advantage once the deet goes away. The berry picking for me means that half of the year is gone and the slide to the end is picking up speed. Other types of hunting getting closer and closer. I have had my trusty boots for 7 years now...gone through lots of stuff. Wear them when I am off to the timber to avoid thorny brush in the feet syndrome and those little squiggly green snakes babies I have seen in the neighborhood as of late...