With purple fingers...

Yesterday in the 90+ degree heat with humidity, I was knee-deep in mystery weeds wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt - red-faced, sweaty and a little bloody - when I drew the attention of a park ranger. He thought I might need some assistance. Or that perhaps I was not in my right mind. Because my location would certainly be considered "off the path" in the park ranger manual, I was both a little nervous and a little amused when he inquired about my well-being. "You're not going to take away my berries, are you?" I asked him, rattling the two dozen tiny black raspberries rolling around in my bucket. Unimpressed, he allowed me to continue on my way without confiscating my loot.

I can't explain why I so love to pick berries, especially wild ones that don't necessarily belong to me - along the bike path, in a city park, by the river. This morning I got up early to meet an 82 year-old former firefighter from church at a berry patch I just discovered. After a stormy night, the thorny hill was slippery and I worried that one of us would need to be rescued by the other though I didn't know at the time which one was more daring or who had chosen the most sensible footwear.

I was the first to cry "uncle" when my muscles starting protesting and my shoes were uncomfortably soggy. Dumping my berries - all of them - into my surprised parishioner's bucket, I headed for work. Before going home, I suspect he went out of his way to check on the status of his "secret" berry patch - its whereabouts were not shared with me despite my goading and assurance of pastoral confidentiality.

Since his retirement, my partner in picking has taken on the canning and jelly making activities in his home. Legend has it that his black raspberry jelly is so delicious, one grandson eats it by the spoonful. I'm happy to do my part to keep that grandson coming around. Since there's still jam in our freezer from last year and I can (and should) only eat so much ice cream topped with berries, I gladly share. Turns out that's my favorite part.