Sunrise Walk

This morning's sunrise.

You know if you've visited this blog before that nearly every morning one of us walks the dog out in the vineyard. It really has to be raining hard for us not to go. I've been doing this for nearly fifteen years (although not always in France), first with Collette and now with Callie.

The storage cabin out in the vineyard reflects the sunrise.

There are several different routes we can take depending on how wet or dry it is, or our mood, or where the dog wants to go. Whichever route we take, there is always something interesting to see, even if we've seen it a hundred times before.

A wide shot of the vineyard looking east, with our house in the background. You can see how the vineyard is at the crest of a hill with woods filling the ravines on either side.

Once in a while I'll think to bring the camera, as I did today. This is some of what I saw.

Steam rises from the cooling towers at the nuclear power generator on the Loire River to our north.

These are sauvignon blanc grapes. I can tell because the other grapes are turning red now, and these are staying white.

The grape vines are still growing and sending out their little tendrils.

There are a couple big woodpiles out in the spaces between the woods and the vines. It's all very neatly stacked. I wish it were mine.

The sun shines through the vines.

I have no idea what these little yellow daisy-like flowers are called. The diameter of its blossoms is about the size of a euro, or a quarter.

There are many blooms on a single plant. This one is still blooming at the top while the older flowers have set seed.

Another flower getting ready to open.

Apples ripening on one of the many apple trees around the edges of the vineyard.

It's still mid-summer, but because of the cool weather it's starting to feel like fall. Some plants are in seed stage, while others are just starting to bloom. It's a weird year.

There are whole fields full of Queen Anne's lace that are just beautiful, but my photos of them never really turn out the way I want them to. I'll have to make it a project to get out there again and try to capture them before they're all gone for another year.