Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: Himalayan Blackberry

2 more pictures in notes above ! :) This afternoon, the dogs and I went down to the gate and I looked for photos as we went along. I wandered over to one of our blackberry bushes and noticed that the sun was making some of the thorns glow. I had a good time looking for thorns the were in the right position, and after looking through my different sets of images, I ended up picking this one for the multiple thorns and the interesting bokeh and light behind! Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha, also called Sakyamuni, was a sage from the ancient Shakya republic, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is also referred to as "the Buddha" or simply as "Buddha." Wikipedia: Buddha

1 more picture above in a note! Our blackberries started getting ripe about a month ago and we've been enjoying scones and crisps whenever I go out to pick a new batch. We have two areas where they grow, and this morning I couldn't resist taking pictures of a few berries down by our front gate. They are so pretty on the bush and nice to compare with the slowly ripening red ones! :) I have included a picture collage I made last year showing what we do with our berries! :)

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!! You may wonder why blackberries are expensive...go blackberry picking and you'll find out why. It's DANGEROUS!!! Blackberry bushes are covered with thorns and there is no way to avoid getting stabbed and scratched. However, the resulting berries are well worth the blood loss!! Steve and I haven't made jam or jelly yet, but every season we make several cobblers, pies, and dozens of delicious scones! At this moment, we have cobbler and scones in the refrigerator! Blackberry season is the BEST! :D

A collage is the perfect way to show the progression of a blossom to ripe berry! I had such a fun time taking pictures of the different stages! :)

I really loved how this picture turned out, showing how pretty blackberries appear in the first stage after the blossoms fall and the berry begins to form!

The wonderful blackberry, a beautiful flower which results in my favorite berry! Many hate this bush because it is so hard to remove when unwanted, but for people like Steve and me, blackerry blossoms have us dreaming about the upcoming berries and the yummy treats! All my life, my family has loved blackberries. My mom and I used to go blackberry picking near our summer cabin in northern California, and mom would make the most amazing jams and jellies, pancakes, pies and cobblers! Steve and I were very happy to find that there are blackberries growing on our property, and every year we enjoy a bountiful harvest from July through September! All hail the great blackberry! HUZAH!! HUZAH!! HUZAH!!! :D This species is native to Armenia and southwest Asia. It was introduced as a cultivar in many places around the world and immediately spread all over. It's a very common species in the Pacific Northwest, where it can be found wherever there it a source of water, especially along creeks and rivers. If you would like to know more about this yummy berry plant, Wiki has a great page here: Wiki: Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)

I had such a great time taking pictures of these frosty thorns! I knew I needed to act fast, since the frost was melting away as I was clicking away, but I was delighted to get some nice images to share! :) I really don't know which picture was the better choice for my 365, do you have a preference?

It was another frosty morning so I decided to go down to our front gate and look around the lower forest for interesting subjects. I glanced over at the blackberry bushes and was totally surprised to find that the thorns were still covered in frost! Because they are dark, frost usually melts quickly from them and I always seem to miss it, so of course I went crazy taking pictures! :D I have two to share today, and another one at a later date! When I wandered into our lower forest, I found some lovely leaves too! Terry A. O’Neal was born and raised in Stockton, California, where her inspiration for lyrics, prose, and literature was born. Her poetry has been published in numerous magazines, journals and newspapers. Terry A. O’Neal Bio