I’ve got to investigate these Manzanita bushes to see what they’re up to this year.
You see, earlier this year they had lots of blossoms. More than I remember seeing on these bushes.
.
.
.
.
But then all those blossoms did something really strange. They turned into little apples all over the bushes.
I’ve never seen these bushes so covered before. You’d think my trails were one giant apple berry.
I’m going to have to figure out what to do with all these berries.
I wonder if they make good toys. Maybe I could play catch with them.
But once my person tosses them to me and I catch them – what if they don’t taste good. That could be a disaster.
Scratchy likes little roly things. Maybe I could take some of them home and roll them on the floor for him. That would probably occupy him for a whole minute or so. Then he’d probably want me to roll them around for him some more.
No, I guess that’s not a good idea either.
I wonder if my person could make something out of these berries? Are they edible?
They are?
If they’re edible there must be recipes for them. Get online person, and find some.
They don’t taste very good? What does that matter? If they’re edible you’ve got to eat them.
Not me. I don’t have to eat them. Berries aren’t dog food.
Okay, here it is. My person found the instructions for making Manzanita Cider. http://honest-food.net/2010/08/22/manzanita-cider/
Okay person, get busy and make that cider. The days are starting to get warm. You can put ice in the cider to cool off. I’ll just take the plain ice cubes.
What do you mean, you’re not going to make that cider yet?
You’re going to wait until those berries ripen?
You mean – oh no. That means I have to do another berry post later this summer. A sitting out and drinking cider kind of post.
Somehow I think my person tricked me into that one.
Scratchy, here’s some berries. Why don’t you roll them around on the floor for awhile.
bongodogblog 
Two French Bulldogs
May 2, 2013 at 11:06 am
We never knew they were edible. She better get cookin
Benny & Lily
Bongo
May 2, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Benny & Lily, I still think the weeds on my trails are better, but I guess you can eat these berries.
Will and Eko
May 2, 2013 at 11:49 am
Eko has more than once gotten into a berry bush while out on the trails, luckily I have caught him and the berries weren’t poisonous, but it was not fun the next day! Hope you don’t get an upset stomach.
Bongo
May 2, 2013 at 4:07 pm
Will and Eko, those berries don’t interest me at all. I still like the weeds better. My person says once she took her sister’s dog for a walk though and they shared some blackberries.
marina kanavaki
May 2, 2013 at 3:12 pm
What can I say Bongo! You have one crafty person!!! Oh, well it might not be such a bad idea after all. Maybe she’ll do a fish version too!!!
🙂
Bongo
May 2, 2013 at 4:07 pm
Marina, fish and berries sounds good. I’m voting for that one.
dogloverofmax@gmail.com
May 2, 2013 at 4:58 pm
Humm, I wouldn’t have thought they were ok to eat – learn more new things everyday! Thanks Bongo!
Bongo
May 2, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Max, I’m still not sure they’re okay to eat. They just don’t smell good enough. But my person looked it up and says you can. I think I’ll pass.
eripanwkevin
May 3, 2013 at 7:18 am
Oh! Sounds very exciting to make Manzanita Cider! Are there any other berries like blueberry or raspberry grown up in Sedona? 🙂
Bongo
May 3, 2013 at 12:00 pm
Kevin, blackberries grow wild closer to the creek where there’s more water, but not on my trails. There’s a certain variety of raspberry that people can grow here, but they need to be watered regularly. I think it’s way too dry for blueberries. I’ll be on my person to make that cider when the manzanita berries are ripe.
eripanwkevin
May 4, 2013 at 8:12 am
Wow! We can’t wait for pictures of the cider your person make!!! 🙂
angelswhisper2011
May 3, 2013 at 10:56 am
Bongo, why eat them, I think the berries are lots of fun 🙂
Bongo
May 3, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Little Binky, those berries would make good toys, wouldn’t they?
dianeskitchentable
May 3, 2013 at 1:12 pm
You’re right Bongo, berries are for dogs. I don’t like them in my mouth but I really don’t like them in my tail – I get juniper berries stuck in there all the time & it’s a big ouch when Diane pulls them out.
Bongo
May 3, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Lola, the coyotes eat juniper berries around here. My driveway gets full of them sometimes, but I’ll leave them for the coyotes.
kolytyi
May 4, 2013 at 7:33 am
I think you should wait till those berries ripen and give them another sniff. They might smell very good!
Bongo
May 4, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Kolytyi, that might be a good idea. Fresh, ripe berries. Mmmmmmm.
Misty Shores Chesapeakes
May 4, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Very interesting, I can’t wait to see the cider post 🙂
Bongo
May 4, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Misty Shores, I’m hoping my person will add some cider to my water bowl. Maybe it get Scratchy to drink his own water.
colliesofthemeadow
May 12, 2013 at 3:07 pm
Cool lil apples.. remind us of the crab apples we have here.. tiny and very bitter….
Bongo
May 12, 2013 at 10:24 pm
Collies, if that’s what those apples are like I’d be crabby too.