Raspberry Beret (Prince)

Pet Advice: Never take your raspberry eating dog raspberry picking.
Yesterday I decided to try and pick some of the last of the wild raspberries that grow along the roads where we walk the dogs. Big mistake! Princess Kyra Fay (aka Sunny Butt, Stinkerbell) tried to eat whatever she could pull off the bushes while Lars and I tried to pick them. She's also pretty good at looking sad while you throw them in the bag instead of giving them to her. I tried to make her feel better by telling her she will get to taste them after in whatever I make with them. Needless to say I think Ky ate close to what we put in the bag.
Last weekend I picked rödvinbär (Red Current). This was such a good berry year! I didn't pick any svartvinbär (Black Current) but I know where there is a large bush and will ask my neighbor if I can pick some. There was a mushroom explosion this week. I will probably be out getting some mushrooms tomorrow to cook and freeze. They grew so quickly that there are stones on the caps of them.
Next week I think the lingon will be ready for picking. I am experimenting with different berries to use with cakes. There is something really nice about using ingredients you have grown or handpicked yourself.

Strawberry Fields Forever (The Beatles)

It is summertime here finally. Even though it was "technically" summer in June, we actually had snowfall and hail at Midsommar (June 21). It didn't accumulate but just the idea of snow falling in June was enough. We have had a lot of rain this summer as well. Hopefully the rain will make for a good berry and mushroom season. Right now the local growers are selling their strawberries everywhere. Fresh strawberry tårta is a delight. I will be going to a local farm to pick my own soon to freeze them for use later in the year. The small, wild strawberries *smultron* are ripe and our dog Ky enjoys eating them. At first I thought she was sniffing around and eating things *I didn't want to know what* off the ground. But once I got closer to see, I saw she was gently eating wild strawberries off the plants! I have only seen her reject one food. Blueberries. Other that, anything is up for grabs. We have strawberries planted in the yard and I watch that Ky doesn't eat them. The other day I took the dogs out and pointed out some smultron to Ky. She ate them and then jumped into a hallon (raspberry) bush that was above it and started eating them! She even ate a few wild blueberries Lars fed her. So I guess we can now say she does eat anything.