Sunday, October 24, 2010

Orange and brown

This is what the vineyard looks like now. The freeze we had on Thursday had an instant effect on the grape vines. The leaves went from yellow and red to orange and brown. Just like that. The view from our windows is wonderful. But it won't last.

Looking southwest across the vineyards. The sun was just about level with the horizon.

Before we know it the leaves will drop. Then the pruners will start showing up for their winter-long task of trimming the vines. As I always say, it's pretty all year long, and the changes are interesting to watch no matter how many times I see it happen.

Ken and I got a good bit of yard work done on Saturday in advance of a weather system that's moving through. I took a lot of sawdust and bits of bark and wood from the firewood cutting out to the burn pile. Then we both worked on pulling up all the dead and dying tomato, eggplant, pepper, and corn plants and tossing them on the burn pile. We stowed all the garden stakes in the shed and then put a big tarp over the burn pile to keep it dry.

We'll have another fire before too long.

11 comments:

  1. Do they also make ice-wine? Where they pick the grapes after the first frost have covered them?

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  2. That does look beautiful. I love the fall.

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  3. The colors of the vineyard look mellow but also quite frosty. I feel as if I want to put on a jacket just looking at it. But so beautiful.

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  4. Good for you, getting all that garden work done. It's nice to have lovely Fall weather for that kind of work, isn't it?

    Judy

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  5. It may be orange and brown in St. Aignan, it's all orange and black in San Francisco! GO GIANTS!

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  6. Oh ! je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes
    Des jours heureux où nous étions amis.
    En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle,
    Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui.
    Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle.
    Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié...
    Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle,
    Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
    Et le vent du nord les emporte
    Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli.
    Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
    La chanson que tu me chantais.

    C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble.
    Toi, tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
    Et nous vivions tous deux ensemble,
    Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais.
    Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment,
    Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
    Et la mer efface sur le sable
    Les pas des amants désunis.

    Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle,
    Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
    Mais mon amour silencieux et fidèle
    Sourit toujours et remercie la vie.
    Je t'aimais tant, tu étais si jolie.
    Comment veux-tu que je t'oublie ?
    En ce temps-là, la vie était plus belle
    Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui.
    Tu étais ma plus douce amie
    Mais je n'ai que faire des regrets
    Et la chanson que tu chantais,
    Toujours, toujours je l'entendrai !

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  7. firewood/fires ! Again I am mad-jealous !

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  8. melinda, thanks!

    peter, I know there is some late harvest wine made around here, but I've not heard of anyone doing ice wine.

    rick, me too.

    leon, :)

    kristi, and a jacket (and scarf and cap) are necessary!

    judy, yes. There should still be some clear dry days ahead. We'll need to use them when they show.

    cheryl, I heard! Go Giants!

    stephen, très bien joué !

    michael, but you can have fires in your patio fireplace this time of year, or at least in the winter, right? If you have a patio fireplace, that is. ;)

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  9. Hey Walt,

    I just LOVE this shot... I really love fall scenery-- It's just starting to 'turn' fall here in our area- it's sooo late this year- like last year, too, I believe! Not a lot of trees are yellow, orange and red but just in the last week or so, I'm noticing more of a change to fall time! Enjoy and thanks for sharing...

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