Tomorrow’s Missions

My husband and I have finally agreed on which curtains to get for our bedroom, so one of my missions for tomorrow is to go buy them. The other mission is to hike one of the local paths again to find out if the mystery plants I saw in September now have any berries on them. If they do, then they’re probably either bearberry or mountain cranberry (a.k.a., lingonberry). I must try to remember the differences between them: bearberry leaves are said to be leathery; lingonberry leaves are supposed to be smaller and shinier and have black spots on the back. An alternative name for bearberry is “kinnikinnick,” which is a cool-looking word that’s also fun to say, and lingonberries are sort of exotic, so the discovery of either one would be exciting. I just hope it’s not too late in the season for berries!