It was in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass, that I first became aware of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address still given by Native Americans. The address gives thanks for many worthy things, but the one that sticks with me is “thank you for the berries.” We’ve had a great year for the berries here and were able to gather mulberries for multiple pies, muffins and even mulberry ketchup. Yesterday I gathered many cups of red wineberries, which together with blueberries I hope to make into a patriotic 4th of July pie. On this morning’s walk, I saw blackberries starting to come in. Yes, there are a lot of berries to be thankful for!
The painting is of an especially memorable evening when grandkids and I discovered some mulberries growing right at the river’s edge.