Stuff it

Before I tore out the half-dozen or so grape vines in our back yard, we used to harvest the leaves for that famous Greek dish called dolmas or stuffed grape leaves. I kind of miss making them, but I don't miss those old vines at all. They did produce some grapes, depending on the year. Before we moved in, the vines had been neglected for a while. They were, as in the larger vineyards, supported by stakes and guide wires that formed a barrier across the yard. They were planted in the shade of several large trees, so they never got the sun that they needed. They were likely planted before those trees got huge. Three of them are gone now, too.

We don't eat the leaves from the vines out in the vineyards. For one thing, they don't belong to us, and for another, they get treated with chemicals to prevent fungus. Yuck.

I got up around midnight last night and noticed that it was raining. It lasted about five minutes, then the moon came out again. This morning the sky is clear. It's going to be another hot one today.