Blueberry Picking on Pitcher Mountain

Blueberry picking sign and cash box at Pitcher Mountain

We had started a tradition years ago when we first moved to New Hampshire. We found a great little mountain to climb that offered a gorgeous panoramic view and it was loaded with blueberry bushes.

We’d head up to Pitcher Mountain in Stoddard in July and each of the kids would help me fill our little buckets full of blueberries.
This year my son was not too thrilled with the idea. It’s boring. He’s 14 now. But he was hanging around the house without anything to do and I convinced him to go just for the hike. He whined and moaned and couldn’t wait to leave, but I managed to get him to help me pick at least a few berries.

I asked him which trail he wanted to take back down and he said “the fastest one”.

Then I put my dollar into the box when we got to the parking area at the bottom, and he said that I was probably the only person who put any money in. He said it like I was such a moron. Teenagers.

Pitcher Mountain is quite a drive for us now that we have moved, but it’s still one of my favorite places to hike. We had a great time! 😉

The view in the photo below is one of the best from the top. It was clear enough to see Mount Monadnock.

View from top of Pitcher Mountain
View of Mount Monadnock from the summit of Pitcher Mountain.
mountaintop view
Looking northwest from the summit.
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Two Barred Owls That “Talk” All Night Long

For the past week or so we’ve had owls hanging out in the vicinity of my house. We were watching TV one night and my son muted it and said, “what’s that noise?”
It was a long hissing, screech sound which I can’t explain, but when we looked outside we saw a big bird swoop through the trees. It was almost 9:00 PM and it had to be an owl. Not only one- but I think there were three. A few nights later, after putting up with their constant screeching back and forth to each other – all night long – I saw one sitting in the dead tree outback.

We went out on the deck and it just stared at us. After a moment another one swooped up from the woods and the two of them watched us intently until the flash from my camera scared them off. The photo isn’t too good, but here they are. It’s been quiet lately so maybe they have moved on. I hope so.  I loved seeing them, but enough with the noise already!

I had to look them up, but I think they are Barred Owls which are common around here.

Two Barred owls in a dead tree
Holy Cow – Shut Up!

This is a Beautiful Week for Enjoying The New Hampshire Outdoors

View from Pitcher Mountain

Here in New Hampshire we are having a gorgeous weather week with temps in the 80’s and 50’s (at night). With sunshine and low humidity, who could ask for more?

It’s a great week to get outside and hike, kayak, swim (take the dog) and pick local berries.

I am planning a trip to my favorite little mountain this week to see what I’ll find for blueberries. Pitcher Mountain is easy to climb and has fabulous panoramic views from the top. This time of year the place is loaded with blueberries – I just hope they are blue by now.

Roxy In the lake
Roxie wades in the lake to cool off

It is not necessary to get into the car and travel on a nice day.  Sunny, warm days are perfect for walks and I currently live near a lake in a rural area.  My landlady lets me take her dog Roxie with me, and we have loads of fun getting exercise together.  On our way home I let Roxie take a dip, and she loves the water.

If we decide to go hiking, we have Mount Monadnock and Pack Monadnock (smaller) close by in the towns of Jaffrey and Peterborough in the southern area of the state. And if my son was younger we’d take another ride up to Ruggles Mine in Grafton.  That is a cool place to visit and collect rocks.

Blackberry Brambles Are a Real Pain

flowering blackberry bush
Battling the Blackberries

Pretty little white flowers mean blackberries will be growing soon. I hate them.
Blackberry bushes, or blackberry brambles, cover the sloping area of my backyard and I spent most of last Fall pruning and pulling them up to make room for my garden.  My backyard is tiny and they are the last think I need causing me trouble, but they aren’t easy to get rid of with their very thorny stems.  They can easily take over with runners underground and as they grow throughout the summer their tall, spiky branches hang over my tomatoes and other crops.

I don’t like the plants and I don’t like the berries. The only seed-filled berries I like are raspberries and I can stomach the black raspberries, but not these (yes, they are different). I have bunches of raspberry plants too, and I wish they produced more berries, but I don’t think they get enough sun. Someone must have planted them years ago and now they are stuck back in the shade.

I don’t like the taste or the looks of the blackberry plant.  I guess I should pick whatever the chipmunks don’t eat and give them away -once they have fruit.  Then I’ll get out my clippers and chop them down as they stick me with their thorns…ugh.

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