re: blackberry picking....I know how to do it pretty painlessly...and I don't even like them but what they heck they are free for the picking here...they are the northwest equivalent of kudzu..

simple...just take your pruning shears with you..shear as you go...pick the close clumps, clip the branch and go further in...of course from each dropped branch another blackberry bush will grow so that is something to consider.. mg