We must have picked at least several pounds of berries during our one week stay. One morning, A city official happened to drive by 'our' Mulberry bush (as we were engaging in our picking activity) and said "I'm glad somebody is making use out of them, they are usually considered pest (perhaps, he was thinking that it was a blackberry vine...? as they are invasive)" or someone stopped and told us that "I thought I was the only one who does that!". Apparently, few people take advantage of the goodness of the nature.
７月半ば、一週間ほどジョンの両親を訪ねてミシガンへ行って来たのですが、驚いたことに家の周りの川沿いや森のなかには色々な種類の野生のベリーがそれはもうた～くさん！なのに殆ど誰もそれらを摘んではいない様子。さあ、急に毎日やることができて私達はにわかに忙しくなりました。
Ladybug is picking Mulberries. Black ones are ripe. They come right off from the branches when they are rightly brushed by hands. They are very delicate and syruppy - as a result, they are extremely messy! - We had black fingers (looked as if we had some kind of disease) for many days after picking and so were our parents as they helped Ladybug stemming.
これは桑の木です。黒い実は食べごろだけれど、何しろやわらかくて汁気が多い。昔インディアンが染料に使っていたというだけあって、指先についた黒い色は何日も何日もとれませんでした（何か危ない病気を持っている人のように見えたかもしれません）。甘みがとても強いです。
These are Black Raspberres. They are not as messy as Mulberries, however, lots of big thornes on the vines, and mosquitoes hovering around - well, they didn't stop us from picking!
これはブラック・ラズベリー。桑の実のようにかんたんにつぶれることはないけれど、トゲがおそろしく鋭く、なぜかブラック・ラズベリーの茂みには蚊がブンブンしています。でもめげずにたくさん摘みました。
Black Raspberries are as not as sweet, but wonderfully flavorful.
桑の実ほど甘くはないけれど、適度な酸味とベリー類特有のさわやかな風味が強く、私は大変気にいった。
Pick of the day! They are to be rinsed, cooked and canned.
本日の収穫。摘んだらすぐに洗ってジャムにします。
Goodness of the summer packed in a jar...Most of these are to be shared with family, neighbors and friends.
旬の風味がここにぎっしり詰まっています。家族や友人に味わってもらうのがまたたのしみなんですよね！
