The lone-ly walnut tree

A lot of harvesting took place this past winter in the woods and forests around us. Wood harvesting, that is. This walnut tree used to be on the edge of what we called "the first row of trees" that separated two big grape vine parcels out back. The trees, mostly acacia, grew on either side of a stream that drains the vineyards into the river below. Now, there's nothing left but stumps, except for the stacks of cut and split wood waiting to be carted away. And this lonely walnut tree.

Back to front: grape trunk "volcanoes" in a vineyard parcel that will be replanted soon, stacks of cut and split acacia trees, the streambed filled with cut branches, the lonely walnut, and a renewed grapevine parcel planted last year.

I expect, but am in no way certain, that the trees will be allowed to regrow to be harvested again in a few decades. Down by the river, a large parcel of peupliers (poplars) was harvested a while back. New trees have recently been planted to replace them, all geometrically spaced as is typical in France. Someone told us that the demand for wood is increasing in the form of heating fuel, both logs and pellets, and other wood-based products.