An Innocent Forbidden Act

For those who may want to judge me or my parents, due to me stating in my last two blog posts, that we had a Ribes plant in the 1960s; I am sure that my parents did not plant it there. It was on our almost 300 year old farm and was not in the gardens. I had actually, just by chance, found it. It was very obviously growing wild in and around a stone wall under other plants. I noticed the pretty little red berries, after the frost had killed the leaves around it. I asked my father about it and he looked at it and told me they were edible. I remember sitting there on the stone wall, with my father, eating the berries.
   Judging by the pictures I've seen, it was a Ribes Triste. Reports say that the berry is very sour or bitter, but this was not the case with these. Perhaps the Ribes triste berry needs to experience a frost or two before becoming sweeter. I loved the berries. I actually deeply feel a special connection to these little Ribes plants. Intuitively, I feel that they are VERY important parts of our history, which needs to be restored. Please read the previous two articles on them.

The Forbidden Ribes Triste

copyright 8-16-2023 Sharon R. Poet

It felt special even before it was forbidden -

Those little red berries partially hidden.

Its a special memory in the few I've had.

It was a moment of pleasure with my Dad.

P.S. If my parents were growing them, I'd say so. But they weren't. I wish they had been. I loved those pretty little red berries and would have gladly eaten more of them.