Berry picking, berry picking, berry picking- it's all I've rambled about lately. But I have one more tidbit to add. Something I don't think I've written about before. It's the lesson that salmonberries teach me. Salmonberries are small orangish, pinkish, reddish berries that dot the tundra. Each one is a different color and a different shape. There is no such thing as a 'perfect salmonberry'. The best ones are often the ugliest. They have juicy over-ripened look and a faded color to them. The plump redder ones that are perfectly proportioned are often very tasteless. So it leads you to learn that often the most imperfect of berries taste the best, and you begin to look over the prettier ones because you know it's what's on the inside that counts. I always eat the ugly berries. They're the most delicious. The prettier ones are left alone- as they don't taste nearly as good. Just as with the simple lesson taught to humans on the idea of 'beauty', what's on the outside truly doesn't matter. It's the taste (or the personality) that makes all the difference.
