Growing up in CT, I enjoyed picking wineberries, which my brother and I called "red blackberries" (not sure why...maybe my grandmother called them that?). Last spring when I finally got a house with a yard, I saw (lots of) them again and finally discovered their real name. While productive, I don't think that they beat cultivated red raspberries in productivity or flavor and they are definitely smaller. The Autumn Britten I put in were much tastier. But both me and my kids stripped the wineberries as soon as they turned red (around July 1st last year), anxiously waiting for the rest to ripen. They do have a bit of residue though which leaves your hands greasy/sticky. The wineberries also have some truly nasty thorns. Late in the summer I dug up half a dozen for my brother's yard ("that'll keep those neighborhood kids from cutting across my lawn..."). He may have more than he bargains for soon though, as they spread like crazy. I'm finding them everywhere in my yard, and I have a hard time bringing myself to destroy berry bushes...

Well Sandy, I'm reluctant to add more off-topic like this. Since you opened the door I'll finish this one. This happened in NW NJ a few years ago. Region is overrun by black bears, fat and happy feasting on unsecured garbage. It was a Sunday afternoon in mid-December when it had been uncharacteristically warm and hibernation of most things had been delayed. I had a fifty-acre property that had Native American rock shelter sites reported 80 years previously. When the bear appeared from the brush, he froze, we froze and there we were. My partner started backing off slowly (not a bad strategy) but I stayed put, fascinated for the encounter, and she came back next to me. There was no plan B; I could see my truck 1/4 mile away, I can't run faster or climb quicker than any bear. I just avoided staring into his eyes and stood still. Got boring after a while so I banged some steel tools on a rock in front of me. I also reviewed the jumping, screaming, clanging you should do if they charge (won't actually attack, in theory). With the clanging, the bear made a sound remarkably like a raspberry at me, lifted a hind leg and let out a stream. This confirmed the bear was male and confirmed his disdain for me. This was a case where I had knowledge that mitigated any fear, the creature was sure no snake in the grass. For the next several hours as we surveyed the site I thought my partner's neck would break as she swiveled her head constantly and vigorously. But she hung in. Right at the end I discovered the old rock shelter area, down a steep slope covered with bear tracks. Since a rock shelter consists of overhangs and caves, the light went on and I realized the site likely was full of bears and it was time to truck on out without a visit. Good luck once a day is enough for me. There was a pond at the other end of the ravine which no doubt provided water and which presence makes this dubiously on-topic? The rattlesnake story involves the same end of season, logy creature. Also with a pond! Depending on what type of project I have, I always carry a big steel soil auger or shovels. I do use these tools to sweep and clang and bang when I can't see the ground, as you suggest. Knowledge is power in the "wild"; ignorance makes poor judgment and my irrational fear. I still think fondly of the chance to encounter such a grand animal, 3/4 tame as they are there anyway. Indeed many stories, people sometimes the worst, a couple of armed Deliverance folks, wild urban gangs, pond-side stories. Mike

Wild (lowbush) blueberries cannot be 'tamed', they only can be maintained by maintaining their habitat. You know whether or not you have wild blueberry bushes: their size ranges from 2" to 12", and the flavor of the berries is incomparable. No other 'blueberry' tastes like the low-bush wild blueberry. Wild Maine blueberries are now offered frozen in grocery stores, the only brand that we personally know that offers true wild Maine berries is Wyman. If you have only a few small blueberry plants and if they haven't increased on their own they may need more acid soil. You can use acidifiers that are labeled for rhododendrons or azaleas but before doing so consult U.Maine Extension to learn what dilution you need. Also ask whether mulching and more sun may be necessary. My blueberries grow in very thin soil over granite, are in full sun away from trees but they enjoy the 'mulch' provided by weeds and other low berry plants (cranberries). Except for fog, dew, or rain they're never watered, so it appears that they enjoy quite dry conditions. Though commercial growers irrigate the barrens and maintain other cultural practices (spot burning in the spring), we do nothing at all and always have a decent crop. If your berries aren't dropping to the ground and seeding, it's possible that birds and animals are eating them. In that case you can reserve a few berries for propagating. For propagation advice, consult U.Maine Extension. http://www.extension.umaine.edu/topics/blueberries.htm The answers you seek regarding blueberry culture are in the appended text below, copied from: http://www.wildblueberries.com/about_wild_blueberries/ Wild Blueberries of Maine & Canada One of only three berries native to North America, the Wild Blueberry (vaccinium angustifolium) thrives in the glacial soils and northern climate found in the fields and barrens of Downeast Maine and Canada. Rich in antioxidants, Wild Blueberries have grown naturally for thousands of years. The Lowbush Blueberries Unlike highbush cultivated blueberries, Wild Blueberries are not planted. These lowbush blueberries are primarily spread by rhizomes or underground runners, which give rise to new roots and stems. All shoots arising from the same rhizome system have similar characteristics and are referred to as a blueberry clone. Wild Blueberry fields and barrens actually produce many different lowbush blueberry clones, which account for the variations in color and size that characterize the Wild Blueberry crop. Growing and Harvesting: Blueberry Growers Combine Tradition and Technology Naturally suited to acidic, low-fertility soils and challenging winters, Wild Blueberries are a low-input crop requiring minimal management. The berries are grown on a two-year cycle. Each year, half of a growers land is managed to encourage vegetative growth and the other half is prepared for harvest. In May, growers import a billion commercial bees to aid the native bee population in pollinating the barrens and fields. There are many bee species associated with Wild Blueberries, including bumble bees and honey bees. Native bees are exceptional pollinators and Wild Blueberry growers take care to preserve wild bees through conservation practices. The Blueberry Grower  Managing the Harvest After the harvest, which begins in late July and continues through August, the plants are pruned to the ground by mowing or burning. Wild Blueberries are harvested commercially only in Maine and Canada. The oldest commercial processing company dates back to 1874 and many of todayÂs independent, family-owned growers have been in the Wild Blueberry business for generations. Many Wild Blueberry crops are still harvested the traditional way, using hand-held berry rakes that were first invented in 1910. Whether hand raked or machine harvested, Wild Blueberries are sorted, cleaned and processed within hours of being picked, using state-of-the-art technology to reserve their flavor, quality and antioxidant capacity. From Fresh to Frozen Blueberries  Preserving Taste & Nutrition Growers use winnowing machines in the fields to remove leaves and twigs before the berries are washed and frozen. Wild Blueberries are individually quick frozen (IQF) using a method that allows for the fast preservation of taste and nutrition for millions of berries. IQF berries can remain frozen for over two years without loosing their flavor or nutritional value. Laser color sorters are also utilized to remove anything but the finest quality Wild Blueberries prior to packing. Modern Crop Management  Maintaining Healthy Land & Healthy Crops Wild Blueberry growers are strongly committed to best agricultural practices. They use sustainable management techniques to ensure healthy crops and to protect Wild Blueberry lands for future generations. Because Wild Blueberries are indigenous to Maine and Canada, they are naturally resistant to many native pests. Still, growers are challenged to minimize crop damage caused by environmental stressors such as disease, drought, insect damage and winter injury. Using Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) throughout the crop cycle, growers monitor disease and insect levels to minimize fruit destruction without harming the environment. Good luck. I hope your berries spread and flourish.

OHHhhhh, this is sounding better all the time....but yes, Chris, you'd better fill us in on this character!! Count me in for the dark chocolate...(altho' when it get up to about 70-75% cocoa, it's a little bitter for me...) I tasted some lovely ports this past week that would be heavenly with dark chocolate... (an aside -- we tease DS about being a foundling, because he's the only one in the family who really just doesn't like chocolate...) this is a far better celebration that what I'll get at home! take care litlbit