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Well here I sit, on my mountain side perch enjoying a glorious sunny day with low humidity (Thank You Canada) The sky a beautiful shade of blue and the leaves on the trees looking freshly scrubbed. The breeze is from the North and chilly enough to make you think fall is already here. Well at least I was yesterday and typing away at this column.
Now I am at my kitchen table typing away and the washer is running, as is the dryer. I deleted the entire column after re-reading it before sending it on to our Editor.
THEN…
All the herbs, we needed were grown in the back yard garden, as were the fruits and vegetable. If we did not have something growing that we needed or wanted it was trade with the neighbors. If we had more tomatoes than we would need to eat and preserve, we would, trade them for, oh lets say green peppers. It went that way. Except for my grandmother. Now this woman could spot wild dill a mile away, or crabapples and quince for making jelly without buying the pectin. Oh, she was something when we took a ride to the Poconos on a Sunday or a ride through the farmlands. You do remember when we had farm around..
As we rode, enjoying the scenery and watching for the ice cream or hot dog stands she was watching for whatever was growing wild that she could use instead of buy. Now it did not stop here she would bring extra home for a neighbor who did something nice for her or brought her something. Our ride was interrupted with a “Mikey,stop!” Of course, my uncle would bring the car to the shoulder of the road and stop. “Mom why are we stopping?” Her reply, “Back up, I see wild dill I need for the pickles!” Well Unc would back up and get out and she would follow. The trunk would come up,out came the paper bag and off the both of them went. Of course we would get out and play in the field. When their harvest was complete, off we would go.
Hoping the next stop would be for food! I asked my Uncle, years later how he managed to always have paper bags in his trunk whenever Grammy wanted something. He told me he was always prepared. When he was a young boy, they never went anywhere, including the cemetery without the “gathering bag.” The “gathering bag?” I asked. “Yep that mother of mine could find anything anyplace even a broken piece of plant wild herb and once mushrooms. “ Talk about a frugal woman.
Pop and I would go into the woods and he knew where every mushroom grew. I would not be surprised if Grammy did not find them first. Of course, extra came home for some neighbors and he traded them for what ever they had that he needed. One year it was a chicken! I think that’s how we got our supply of chickens, ducks, and geese. I don’t remember them being bought but they sure showed up in our back yard! Of course, they supplied eggs for us, and some of those eggs were hatched in the spring, which supplied us with more fowl and poultry.
Now..
This part should be short and sweet. What we need we buy! Who has a garden or chickens and where can you find quince or crabapples anymore. A development or new road is sitting on them. I know where some wild dill grows and I have the bags to stop and harvest some. Also a small shovel to dig it up and bring it home. I wonder how Hubby would react to my “Stop the car Hon see some dill” Must try that out next July. Now I have given you the month. Next, time your riding around look for some.
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