Summer is gooseberry picking time. Sure, we have already picked asparagus, peas, cherries, currents and others, but picking gooseberries brings memories back of a young goat that lived here years ago. When she met the bush, she tried to nibble, but the bush has small prickles.
I had heard that goats were experts at eating all sorts of things, and maybe she was so young that she hadn’t learned such important things yet. She hit the prickles and was so shocked that something she wanted to eat would fight back that she stepped back two steps and lowered her head and attacked the offensive bush. But the bush just did its bush thing and just stood there unmoved, so the goat attacked again, hoping to show who was boss. She finally retired from the field and found something else to nibble on. Who won? The bush acted as if nothing happened and the goat didn’t bother it again.
Meanwhile, back at the bush, half the berries had fallen on the ground, so, their mostly green color with red splotches must mean ripe.
Now to pick black currents and blueberries and blackberries.
And wonder what to do with it all.
Peter Grant
Bristol