July 4th means...

[Brute 23]

It's time to pick grapes.

 

[Brute 23]

 

[Travlr]

To me... the 4th of July is a time to reflect on how diligent men under the thumb of a Monarch with no regard for those he was ruling, came together to craft a nation from the depths of exploitation. Intelligent, well educated, wealthy men in most cases, that managed to keep the least in mind as they invented a Democratic Republic, giving a voice to those that only ever knew a ruler. Self determination and individual freedom, instead of being ruled.

Whenever I look at the grave markers in a military cemetery I cogitate over the lives lost in order to assure the freedoms to make our own choices and to question those that would force us to live as they dictate.

And I remember taking my own oath of enlistment, and how little I understood what I was saying at the time, and yet how important those words have become over time.

Freedom is not just a word to be bandied about as though it means, "Only if you do and think as I do". Freedom is not free.

 

[greybeard]

100% True, but still, the grapes have to be picked, and...it's still June (barely) so there is that.

 

[kenny thomas]

Are those tame or wild grapes?

 

[sstterry]

Are those tame or wild grapes?

They will let you pet them if you want.

 

[Brute 23]

Are those tame or wild grapes?

Organic, all natural, non-gmo, no added hormones, wild, mustang grapes raised on wildlife manure, rural rain, and sunshine.

We get quite a few in the pastures here. They grow up in fences and in the trees. It's funny how they become ready in different pastures, even vine to vine.

It was a good year. We were pulling clumps or 6, 8, 10 +.

It's fun because we go to both my mom and dad's family places. They talk about picking them with their grandparents as kids and now they are picking them with their grandkids.

 

[kenny thomas]

Organic, all natural, non-gmo, no added hormones, wild, mustang grapes raised on wildlife manure, rural rain, and sunshine.

We get quite a few in the pastures here. They grow up in fences and in the trees. It's funny how they become ready in different pastures, even vine to vine.

It was a good year. We were pulling clumps or 6, 8, 10 +.

It's fun because we go to both my mom and dad's family places. They talk about picking them with their grandparents as kids and now they are picking them with their grandkids.

So great. I thought they might be wild. Our wild grapes are small but lots of them this year.

 

[Twisted]

Jelly, jam, wine?

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Mustang grapes are sour as all get out. My old lady rancher friend neighbor used to add a ton of sugar and make wine out of them. One year she bottled it and put many bottles up on the high shelf that went all the way around the kitchen. All at once the bottles started to explode. How's that for 4th of July?

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

This is a picture of my father. He was a fighter pilot who flew off aircraft carriers in the Korean war. He was killed in a crash when I was a baby. Thats right Trvaler. Freedom is not free.

 

[Brute 23]

Jelly, jam, wine?

Jelly and a little juice.

My son wants to try to make some wine so we may play with a kit and see how it goes.

My mom also does green grape pie early in the year.

 

[Brute 23]

Mustang grapes are sour as all get out. My old lady rancher friend neighbor used to add a ton of sugar and make wine out of them. One year she bottled it and put many bottles up on the high shelf that went all the way around the kitchen. All at once the bottles started to explode. How's that for 4th of July?

If they are sour they are not ready yet.

As kids we use to eat them sour like that because it was like a sour candy.

As we sift through them on the table if they don't feel like they should or aren't dark we will taste them. Sour ones don't go in the pot.

 

[Twisted]

So great. I thought they might be wild. Our wild grapes are small but lots of them this year.

The small ones make great jelly, they are mostly skin and seed but pack a very strong flavor. We always called them possum grapes.

 

[TCRanch]

That's quite the bounty, @Brute 23! Around here, it means it's about time to pick wild sand plumbs. Or rather, our neighbors pick 'em and make jelly, whatever. I have no use for them but it's Grand Central around here when they're ripe.

 

[lynnmcmahan]

Got muscadine flavored ice cream at Mississippi State Univ. super good.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It's time to pick grapes.

Paying taxes on fireworks to celebrate the day we quit paying taxes.
Also time to pick strawberries.

 

[sstterry]

Paying taxes on fireworks to celebrate the day we quit paying taxes.
Also time to pick strawberries.

Strawberry season has just about passed here. It is peaches now in the southeast.

 

[Dave]

The church has a fireworks stand to raise money for some kids programs. They were asking for volunteers to man the stand. If any of the people from my community even saw me in a fireworks stand I would be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail.

 

[cowhead]

Never knew July 4th was grape picking time in some places. Learn something new every day!