Down by the Riverside

We decided, on Sunday afternoon, to revisit an old haunt; the Fraser River Foreshore Park, on the Burnaby side of the river. It includes several miles of walking trails, some parkland, some attempts at restoring fish and waterbird habitat, some pumping stations. Good birding, quiet walks, varied vegetation, and the ever-busy river.

We had forgotten, though, how busy it gets on Sundays.


All down the central park area, BBQs were going full blast; the air was scented with hotdogs and hamburgers. We turned east, away from the crowds, into the "unimproved" areas.

Looking down river.

Our trail led through shrubby woods, mostly cottonwood and alder, with some mountain ash to add colour. Birds, invisible, sang in the trees; one tune was new to me.


We crossed a small wooden bridge and turned inland past a long field. Swarms of dragonflies and a few swallows swooped low over the tall grasses. A goldfinch passed me, going fast.

Back under the trees, we came across a family under a large wild-cherry tree, picking. They offered us a handful; the cherries were ripe and sweet.


A bit further on, we found several saskatoon shrubs, or serviceberries, as they are often called. These are among my favourite berries, when conditions are right.


Saskatoons are unpredictable; some plants produce excellent berries, some never do. I don't know what it is that causes this. It doesn't seem dependent on the weather, but location may have something to do with it. The best saskatoons I ever tasted, I found at a campsite near Lytton, if I remember correctly, beside a small lake . And the worst, on a bush on my own property in the Bella Coola valley; seedy, bitter and otherwise tasteless.

But these ones were good. Ripe and sweet.

Saskatoons make excellent jelly. They are loaded with pectin and Vitamin C. Simmer them briefly, strain out the seeds, and add them to an apple or pear jelly for variety and colour. Or mix them, fresh, into vanilla ice-cream -- yum!