Saskatoon Foraging

There is something that is satisfying about foraging for food. It's not that you have got something for nothing. It is the fact that there are still things out there in the wild that you can pick and eat. I have gladly paid for saskatoon berries when I can find them. But, they are hard to find in stores. I have fond memories of my mom and dad taking us out to pick saskatoons and wild blueberries in Northern Saskatchewan.

I have had the good fortune of finding a wild saskatoon patch withing walking distance from my backyard. I take my little pail, and off I go down a steep embankment to pick the delightful little gems. The season is short, only about two weeks, so time is of the essence. Last Saturday, I went down at about 7:30 a.m. It was a gorgeous morning. I always feel I am doing something a little bit naughty when I am picking, so I make sure I am well away from walkers and gawkers. (or is it that I don't want to share?) I had been picking for about 15 minutes when I heard a loud snuffling sound. Is that a bear I thought? (irrational thoughts can pop into your head at any given time, you know) I looked up and saw a deer literally bursting out of the bush and bounding off down toward the creek. It was so quiet that I could hear him snuffling and jumping for a full five minutes as he went on his way.

I returned to my berry picking, fully satisfied that the natural world in my little corner was intact, and that I was going to make a very good pie with the saskatoons as soon as it was cool enough to bake.