Well folks, it’s Juneberry picking time. Because of a rather dry spring and early summer there was little confidence in those of us who watch patiently for Juneberries to appear, and then to get enough rain to grow and ripen, that we would even have a Juneberry crisp this summer. But a timely rain of around half an inch has given new life to Juneberry bushes and we have been out and picked a couple of ice cream buckets full. Perhaps this is only the first of 2 or 3 trips to the Juneberry patch.
Those who pick Juneberries have locations they always go, normally near a stream or riverbed. These locations are a guarded secret, although I am pretty sure that the birds and other wild creatures also know these locations and are probably more competition for the ripe berries than other humans. Still, it’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t ask anybody where they found their Juneberries this year. As the saying goes “if they want you to know, they will tell you.”
The window of opportunity is rather short, perhaps 10-14 days at most for the best berries. The effort to find Juneberry bushes is certainly rewarded when you are able to add them to your pancakes or ice cream, or as Mayor Jantzer shared on a recent email “to make scones or pies.”
More of Things That Just Happen
Flax Fields- We are pretty much through the prime time for Canola to flower and bloom, but I have yet to see my first flax field. Flax has bright, blue flowers and when they bloom it kind of looks like an ocean. Add to the blue flowers a wind and you get an action that looks like waves.
North Dakota Thunderstorms- What? You like a thunderstorm? Let me explain. Thunderstorms normally form later in the day when the summer temperatures rise and create more moisture in the atmosphere. That moisture creates clouds, and when the clouds form they create spectacular formations. These cloud formations sometimes stretch thousands of feet upward into a blue sky. It’s hard to get a good photo of these thunderstorms when they are forming because they are so massive. Now if the clouds “behave themselves” as my Dad used to say, they move rapidly and the formations change almost by the minute. Behaving themselves means they don’t become violent storms capable of tornados or hailstorms. So yes, I do enjoy those thunderstorms as they form, and with the longer days there are many opportunities to watch and enjoy.
Rainbows- It is a surprise to me how many people who have moved to Minot from other locations and have never seen a rainbow. There are 3 ingredients for a rainbow; rain, of course, sun and an unobstructed view of the horizon. The first 2 are pretty much common to all locations, even the deserts, but North Dakota, and for that matter most of the plains states, offer miles and miles of unobstructed views of the horizon. I have witnessed hundreds of rainbows, and even hundreds of double rainbows; but only once have I been afforded the opportunity to view a triple rainbow, and it didn’t last long. This was before cell phones and the ability to reach in my pocket and have immediate access to a camera. Instead, I had to watch and just take it all in. It’s what makes life special, right? Those special events that “sometimes just happen.
Where To Be This Week
The North Dakota State Fair Parade kicks off at 9 AM this Saturday, July 19th. The Minot City Band, now in its’ 104th season, will take center stage in their bright red bandwagon. Of course, there are many other floats and exhibits. Bring a lawn chair and pick a spot along the route.
Today’s Chuckle
I went through childhood and practiced telling my parents only what I wanted them to hear. I went though parenthood and knew that my kids were only telling me what they want me to hear. And now that I am a grandparent with both kids and grandkids, I know for sure that I am only being told what my kids and grandkids want me to hear….
