Blackberries and black bunnies - The Accidental Smallholder

Wednesday 31 August, 2005

by Dan at 8:15am in Growing No comments Add your own

There's not much better in this life than getting something for nothing, and at this time of year that something is brambles, or wild blackberries. Yesterday morning while walking the dogs I noticed that this year's crop was starting to ripen and ready for picking, so this morning, armed with a suitable container, the dogs and I set off to forage along the field margins. We filled the tub with ripe fruit, and tonight it will join our windfalls in an apple and blackberry crumble.

It means for the next couple of weeks the dogs won't get their usual walk, but neither of them seem to mind much. Meg brings her tennis ball along, and as long as it's thrown or kicked every 5 minutes or so she's happy. And given our local rabbit situation Tess is in her element, sniffing, watching and chasing (but never quite catching).

There's one bunny that gives Tess the willies though - a wee, jet black chappie (or chappess) who shows a lot less fear than the rest of the warren. Who knows where it came from - an escapee from a garden perhaps? Tomorrow I'll take my camera with me to see if I can catch the wee blighter on film. Not quite the Beast of Bodmin Moor...