"It's harvest time and for me, and that means picking wild berries to can for the winter. It means slathering the wild taste of a North Dakota summer on a thick slice of bread, followed by a hot cup of green tea and letting the memories of that warm day settle around me as the wind howls outside.

This year, chokecherries were sparse in our area. One local expert said it was because of the drought. Another said it might have been the frost we had when the trees were in bloom.

Either explanation sounds right. I only know the berries were scarce when my sister and I looked for them so that I could make jelly for a memorial service for a Herald colleague and friend of mine, Carol Graham.

One of the fun things Carol and I did together was pick chokecherries. So, it was important for me to share a jar of chokecherry jelly at the service Wednesday evening."

Get the Story:
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: A little bit of prairie in every jar (The Grand Forks Herald 7/29)

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