No words

Autumn view

This is looking from our great room out onto the deck and beyond. Our two red maple trees (that's likely not their biological name) reached peak color this week. The driveway (just below) is paved with fallen leaves. The annual cleanup job is going to be fun. Not.

Can you believe that we're shopping around for a leaf blower?

The deck chairs are already put away in the garage until spring. The table is next.

Things need to dry up a bit, weather wise. It's not raining, but the fog seems permanent. It's cold (but not near freezing) and everything is dripping. Typical dreary fall weather, for us.

The meaning of color

The first time I saw the fall colors out in the vineyard, I made an assumption. White grape leaves turn yellow and red grape leaves turn red. I was wrong. But I've never figured out what's right. Does the leaf color have to do with the variety of grape? How does that explain varying color in parcels that are planted with the same variety of grape? Is leaf color based on weather, pollen, or some other factor? Is it totally random?

Bits of orange and red among the golds and yellows.

I must admit that I've done zero research on this vital issue of our time. The whys and wherefores of grape leaf colors continue to elude me. But they're pretty.

Split personality

What's going on here? The vines on the left (a small plot of white grapes) have been severely pruned and their guide wires have been removed. The vines on the right (a small plot of red grapes) are, so far, untouched. It looks to me like the white grapes will be pulled out of the ground and, hopefully, the parcel will be replanted. I'll keep you posted.

This parcel is adjacent to the houses of two of our neighbors.

Two more days remain before you-know-what. I voted (by mail) back in October, so I'm trying to minimize exposure to the chatter about polls and, well, everything election related. None of it will, or in fact, can, change my vote. I do scan the headlines, but the "noise" just makes me nuts.

Out of the gate

This might be a familiar view for many of you. It's what I see when I go out the backyard gate toward the vineyards. Most of the time, I'm walking Tasha (and the previous dogs before her) when I see it.

Looking toward the west.

We've been under a high-pressure inversion for the past couple of weeks. That means that fog is pinned to the ground, unable to dissipate, and we hardly see the sun. Today's short-range forecast is for more of the same.

Donkey tail

This donkey tail, which, by the way, is a kind of sedum, sits in a corner of our greenhouse. I don't think it knows whether it's fall or spring. The one we had out on the deck was all green. This one is, well, colorful.

There's a little green left. I hope it's not dying.

I took the camera out yesterday morning. It was foggy. I've got a bunch of vineyard photos lined up for the next few days.

Lilac leaves

Our lilac dropped its flowers months ago. Now it's time for leaves to drop. But before they do, they put on a little show.

Like the grape vine leaves, these will soon turn brown and drop.

We find ourselves out of red wine. Oh, the horror! There's a winery across the river that I haven't been to in a long while, so I think I'll head up there this morning and see what's what. Today is Halloween and Friday is All Saint's Day. That means a three day weekend for many (la Toussaint is an official holiday), so traffic might be a little scary.