Our postman came knocking at the door well before lunch time today. I know not the reason for this unusually early appearance; he very often does not show up until long after midday. Maybe he didn't stop for as many cups of tea this time? Anyway, whatever the reason I was glad he arrived early as he brought my new walking boots with him and it gave me plenty of time to try them out. A long walk to stave off boredom and lethargy was in order. Pea, reluctantly, came with me. My boots are amazingly comfortable and warm and I look forward to many miles of country rambles over the years in them. Although it is a dull, cloudy and damp day, it is quite mild, but a waterproof of some kind was needed. I grabbed my camera, the dogs and off we went.
On reaching the top of the hill, it became apparent that this was a Very Heathcliff kind of day. Dark, brooding and a little bleak. I could imagine him and Mr Rochester striding over the fields in leather boots and breeches; long coat tails flying in the wind, both vying for position to be the first to grasp their woman in a passionate embrace. Nowadays though, he would have his jeans half way round his backside and if he grabbed his lover, she would most likely slap him one and give him a mouthful of unlady like language. Not quite the romantic image of years gone by.
Never mind, that is why I love to escape in old romantic fiction. As I walked along, my head was full of this nonsense and at the same time I was on the look out for elderberry trees, sloes, blackberries and any other fruit that I may gather and use as the year progresses. I was not disappointed.
I'm keeping my eye on these to see what they become when a bit bigger. They could be eating apples or crab apples, either way they are mine!
I have located a whole stretch of elderberries too, and there will be plenty for me to pick and to leave for the birds. I'm not very tall, so the birds can have the berries on the top branches as I won't be able to reach them. I have a plan to make elderberry cordial (somehow), freeze it in ice cube trays and then store them in plastic bags in the freezer so that when we are afflicted with colds and nasty bugs in the winter, a suck on one of these will help ease sore throats and give a vitamin boost at the same time. I could do the same with blackberries too. The sloes, once gathered after a frost in November, will be pricked with a pin, packed in a jar and topped up with sugar and gin. Everyday for a fortnight, you have to give the jar a good shake then drain the gin into a clean jar and enjoy a small glass on a bitterly cold winter evening. Cheaper than turning the heating up anyway.
The weather is dictating my mood today and I am going with the flow. If it were hot and sunny, we would be on the beach every day, but it isn't, so instead I am planning for winter now and thinking about laying down food stores to keep my family well fed and healthy when there is not much about to eat. It makes me feel old fashioned and useful and I admit I like it. I want to use the food that nature is giving me a sneak preview of and save myself some money and time in the long run. Having said that, this morning I bought a beautiful free range chicken from the butcher and it is presently marinading in a bowl of olive oil, sea salt, black pepper corns and slices of lemon and lime. Not very local (apart from the chicken) or inexpensive. Ah well, we must have a treat after all the foraging!
I will roast this later on and serve it with chips for tea. I know, chips aren't really the thing, but it's what we want, so who cares. All this low cloud and mist is making me think of reading Wuthering Heights with a scalding cup of tea curled up in my chair, if I can remove the dogs first.
Have a lovely day and do a bit of foraging! Thank you for reading.xxx
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