After waiting in the wings for what seems like longer this year, Fall has finally stepped out from behind the curtain to show her glorious colors...and the show is just beginning. The trees on the hill to the south haven't yet gotten their cue to change costumes. First on stage are the vineyards, parading their red and gold finery. Most grapes, like the barberas, are well disciplined, following the script and stretching vines along their support wires as requested. The zinfandels prefer improvisation, throwing their canes into the air higgledy-piggledy every which way. Taking center stage in my own yard are the old fruit trees in the front orchard, the plums and peaches wearing red, and the big tree that might be a cherry that has never had a mate to pollinate dressed in bright yellow. I fear the chickens think this is a follies review and have begun to strip off their feather boas, going into moult just as the night temperatures are dropping. The goats are going into rehearsal wearing fur coats. This spectacular production is presented only once a year, and I have front row season tickets!
3 comments:
Your word-smithery is in especially fine fiddle this morn, and your pics are glorious. How lucky you are to have that front-row seat! Your chickens would have been Gypsie Rose Lees for sure down here, as temps hit 97 in the carport yesterday and we are less than 3 miles from the Ocean, for goodness sake!! I will have to live autumn vicariously thru the blog. And once again you have educated me...I had NO idea that grape vines turned colors! I guess I could have extrapolated that, having seen them both green and then barren, but I have never witnessed the processes in between, nor thought about it.
OK, Kids...how 'bout a mate cherry tree for a gift for your mom (Deb, you are off the hook - the Taj should be an ample gift)...yum, cherries - and she'd probably share with you!!!
Kathryn, I do need to respond. I have planted bing cherries, Rainier cherries, pie cherries, black tartan cherries...you name it, I planted it. The storms blow off all blossoms, the gophers get 'em from underneath or the jays get 'em from above. I gave up! My Kids are so unbelievably generous to me...at a time in my life when I should be giving to them. They tear my heart out with their many, many kindnesses, and the least of these are their gifts.
Not only do grape leaves change color, different varieties change to different colors, and the hills are covered in patchwork of red, rust, gold. It's beyond beautiful!
Awwwwwww - what a GREAT response! I figured if I was wrong about a cherry tree, someone would correct me. Kids...you are lucky to have her for a mom, and obviously she is VERY lucky to have you for her Kids...keep up the good work and kudos to all. My humble opinion is if the Kids are great, then probably the parenting was pretty great too!!
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