Agarita Berry Collection and Making Jam

Late May I spent several hours out collecting Agarita berries.  We have several hundred bushes on the ranch and this was a banner year for them.  I only worked about 15 of the bushes and was able to collect 27 cups of them after much effort.  You lay a old sheet under the bush and then beat the bush with a broom knocking the berries, sharp leaves, bugs, and other debris onto the sheet.  Then after filling up a large bowl you need to clean the berries.  I use a large box fan and poor the berries from one container to another with the box fan set on high.  This usually separates about 90% berries from the debris.  After a few good washes you are pretty much ready to go after another bush.


Collection equipment

Agarita bush

Sharp Holly like leaves

Heavy gloves

Face protetion

 Typical lay

 

 

 

 

27 Cups of cleaned berries

 



 

 

 

 

Now it's time to cook and can the jam.  Add water cook, mash, add 25 lbs of sugar, cook and then pour ito sterilized Mason Jars - seal the top and label each.  56 cups canned,,,2.5 gallons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Spotsylvania 150th Civil War Anniversary

We started our journey in Washington DC with a train ride from the out skirts of DC into the Mall area

 



 

Sherry at her hero monument

Sherry from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

My Capital Lady

Sherry and me at the WWII Texas Memorial

 

From DC we traveled to Yorktown and Williamsburg.










 

From Yorktown we drove to the Battle of the Crater at Cold Harbor.

 

Sherry and I then went to the 150th Anniversary of the Spotsylvania Court House Battle (Post Wilderness Battle) in Virginia.  We also made a pass through Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon.


Close to here is where my Great Grandfather was captured early on the morning of May 12.

Spotsylvania Court House Battle was the Bloodiest battle of the Civil War and its where my Great Grand Father was captured at the "Bloody Angle".  He was a member of a Louisiana Infantry Regiment that was overrun and perhaps saved his life as the battle continued for 22 hours in hand to hand trench fighting.



For 22 hours on May 12 -13 a Ranger stood as a sentinel at the Bloody Angle.



 

Our last stop was Mount Vernon and a dinner with my Cousin Marguerite who lives close by.