The Rock Wall

For those of you who have never heard of Blackberry Winter, that’s what you’ve been enjoying the last few days. Why? Don’t know. That’s just what the old timers called the cold snap at this time of year when blackberries bloom.

I know it kinda took the wind out of my sails for mowing the yard at home, particularly when I got the riding lawnmower stuck. I had to enlist Kimball’s aid in pulling it out. Wasn’t much of a pull, the wheels were just spinning on the surface.

– Monday evening, I saw Cousin Murnie and Murna Beydler looking for rose moss. I told them Kimball and I much prefer purslane. It kinda looks like rose moss (portulaca) but is a more hardy. The blooms close up in late afternoon and open again in mid morning. For some reason it blooms longer than rose moss. Our garden columnist, Charlotte Wiggins, says the succulent leaves are good to eat in salad.

I found ours at Meeks on their customer appreciation day – red and purple. I had to go somewhere else to find yellow.

Don’t be surprised when you ask for purslane if you get a blank stare and a “What’s that?” Just smile and keep looking.

When a frost was correctly forecast the other night, Kimball covered our purslane for that one night.

I had a lot more written up for the rock wall but she didn’t get it covered and it froze back.

– Kimball reports that our WWI series has been delayed at Missouri Press. We hope it will be back up next week.

– Our condolences to Heidi at the El Dorado Cafe on the death of her mother, Mrs. Ting Chen Ray on Tuesday. Services are pending at Ferry Funeral Home.

I hope to get Davis and me out for one of the last days of spoonbill season. And I have yet to take my shotgun for a long walk in the turkey woods. At least you know I’m back to thinkin’ outdoors. KL