Mulberry Evangelist

Last year the children and I harvested mulberries in the alley we refer to as "poop alley" (because it is where the dog prefers to poop).  (Don't confuse this with "rat alley" which is far grosser).  Anyway, we live in Baltimore, in the city, in a nice *enough* nieghborhood, but rats and poop are still de rigeur.

Last year we managed to get a young man (with gun tattooed on his hip) to venture out of his row house to  try mulberries hanging over the alley. He was cautious ("Those gonna kill me??") .  It was a good urban B'more moment.


Today: more mulberry harvesting, and important discoveries.

1) there are blond mulberries as well as purple, and the blondes are as tasty, if not more so.

2) there are actually lots of mulberry trees, and they are easy to find: just look for messy bits (purple smeary and sticky) of pavement and then look up.


We (Clara and I, on this morning's forage) also stumbled into the remains of a 92 year old's birthday party.  Any party that has been going for 15+ hours is a bit scary, as was this one.  Those attending who had teeth had mostly gold rimmed ones.  Red-rimmed eyes were ubiquitous.  Conversations involved both abusive yelling and vast generous hugs.

Clara and I were picking mulberries in the alley behind said party and were asked what we were up to.  We went into the party, and shared our harvest (warmly received).  I tried to show at least 2 drunk people that I'd gotten the fruit off of the tree that also leaned over the party's side of the fence.  Did it work?  I  don't know.  I like to think that those people now know that tasty sweet fruit hangs right in their yard and all they have to do is reach up and pick it.

Also, unrelated: new greek olive stand at the Waverly market!  I smelled it before I really saw it (it smelt good).  They have green olives marinated with lemons and garlic.  Meet you all there next Saturday morning, for I plan to be there, "sampling," for as long as I can get away with it.