Currants

Today I picked currants from my currant bushes and it finally looks like I'll have enough to make a currant pie which is my all time favorite kind of pie! As a kid I picked currants in the backyard of my grandparents' home on West Outer Drive in Rosedale Park, Detroit. Grandpa Harding had dozens of currant bushes that must have been five or six feet tall held upright by wires to strengthen the berry-ladened branches. Of course many of the berries were turned into currant jelly, a staple of old fashioned kitchens back then but many were also used to make currant pies. For many years Aunt Jean would continue to pick and make and freeze currant pies for later consumption. Every time I've moved, I've taken cuttings of bushes with me and started new plants with them. So for more than 50 years I've been moving the descendants of Grandpa's bushes with me. Cloned.

(Clicking on photos will enlarge them.)

Yesterday the Smari-sons got together again. Roni brought Koko and Kaffi with her. Watson and her boys had a ball running, barking, playing. They were totally exhausted. Here are some great photos Roni took yesterday. Watson is about a month older and shorter furred. It looks like Koko and Kaffi will have a longer coat. Koko with a thick dense undercoat definitely resembles his considerably older half-sibling Bear.

Watson

Watson, Koko

Watson, Kaffi

Watson

Kaffi, Watson

Kaffi, Koko, Watson

 

Koko, Kaffi, Watson

Yesterday after Koko, Kaffi, and Roni left the sailboats competing in the Port Huron to Mackinaw boat race quietly whizzed by. If you look deep into the background you can see some of the boats that were far out into Lake Huron. I guestimate that those boat were about ten miles out. The curve of the earth made it impossible to see further than take, imo.