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Some of the best things in life are free

2012 has brought a bumper crop of blackberries to the Island.  They are everywhere and they are prolific!!  If you’ve never put a ripe blackberry, still warm from the sun, in your mouth, you’re missing one of the most exotic taste experiences available.  While there are wild blackberries on the island, the Himalayan blackberry, an invasive species, is by far the most common and are in abundance in the Parksville area.  Although the picture above doesn’t clearly show it, these babies make you pay the price of harvesting with thorns that put cat’s claws to shame.  These seemingly intelligent plants demonstrate their dark side by placing the biggest berries just out of reach, tempting you to reach in just a little farther… a little more… then BAM!!  All the thorns are angled in toward the centre of the plant, ensuring a strong grip once you arm is far enough into the thicket.

Many visitors from out of province list blackberries, no mosquitoes and clear, clean water as three of their top attractions to this area year after year.  I can clearly recall picking saskatoons on a hot Manitoba afternoon, alternately picking with one hand and swatting the clouds of mosquitoes with the other.  And as delicious as they may be, there is no comparison between saskatoons and blackberries!

Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort is a great home base for exploring Vancouver Island and, yes, we have blackberries on the property, along with some fruit trees and one of them most spectacular views you’ve ever seen.  If the thought of eating juicy, sweet blackberries right off the plant and using both hands to pick them because you’re not swatting mosquitoes make you smile, come on out for a visit and I’ll show you where they are….

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