Horses Love Marionberries

Do you know about marionberries?

The marionberry was developed at Oregon State University in 1945 by crossing a Chehalem blackberry with a Olallieberry and named after Marion county in Oregon.

The marionberry is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Blackberries" with a sweet, complex and rich earthy flavor that skirts that edge of bitterness found in many blackberries. Some people say they are seedless, but I don't know if that's technically correct. I do know the seeds are barely detectable when eating the berries, making marionberries almost too good to be true.

They have a short season here in the Pacific NW; they're usually only available in mid-late July. If you are ever lucky enough to find some, open your wallet and buy as many as you can afford. They are perfect for pies and preserves, and freeze beautifully. 

Later that day I shared a handful of marionberries with my mare, Charlee...

...and I think you can plainly see, they passed Charlee's taste test with flying colors!

The Short Life of the Crooked Carrot

You might have noticed that not everything I post here on my website is about preserving.

Sometimes I like to post pics of unusually-shaped fruits & veggies. In fact, people now send me pics of their own discoveries, like strawberries that look like butterflies and potatoes who look like famous people.

The other non-preserving topic I talk about here is my horse, Charlee. She is the love of my life. Well, after my husband, kids, and little old Pug, ShuMai (although the order of their priority is subject to change on a daily basis.)

 A couple days ago I tried Instagram's new video feature for the first time. I managed to combine a wacky-looking carrot AND Charlee in one 16 second video. The radio in the barn was already playing classical music, giving my video an unexpected but effective soundtrack.

Hope you like my silly little video!

Keep Calm and Cowgirl Up.

Keep Calm and Cowgirl Up.

This might be my new mantra.

Charlee, getting a bath on a warm spring day.

Being a cowgirl means so many things to me. Shortly before I turned 50 last year, I bought a neglected not-yet-broke-to-ride rescue horse.
It was a BIG DEAL.

I hadn't ridden for 30 years (but prior to that spent many years riding & showing, so I wasn't a complete novice.) I knew what I was in for, or so I thought. I knew I would spend a lot of time teaching her things, but what I didn't know was, she would in turn teach me many things too.

I am on my way to the barn now, to spend time working with her; her name is Charlee, she's a 6 year old Paint mare, and she is the light of my life. Besides teaching me about myself, she makes me feel like a kid again. How awesome is that?

I just saw this list of things you can learn from working with your horse on Awaken Your Inner Cowgirl and I want to share them with you.

Can you relate?

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