Sun, Sky & Screeching

As an “on call” Harvest Intern, I had mentioned to “the boss” that I was really interested in working with the vines, tending the grapes (as a once farmer…). So, she called me up and said, “hey, ya wanna come and do some pre-harvest work in the vineyard?” - I said YEAHHHH!!

I knew “pulling leaves” wouldn’t be glamorous - but, after all my years of farming, I know how important every step is in making the final product. BTW - in my humble opinion (which you’ll read more about later) the original product is EVERYTHING!

FFWD. The vineyard. Winemaker shows me how to tend to the vines and off I go…assuming that a couple of us workers are going to harken upon this project. Everyone disappears. It’s me..and the vines…and…well…I’m thinking, WOW, how beautiful is this - I’m in the Lorane Valley, tending these gorgeous grapes, doing the thing I want to do…when all of a sudden I started hearing the screeching cries of the birds. These weren’t regular birds I realized, but a megaphone in the vineyard to actually scare off other birds!! OMG - for a girl with ultra sensitive hearing (and tenitus to boot!) I looked up to the sky and wondered if this was actually my nightmare??? Then I realized, not only was our vineyard mega-phoning bird cries out, the vineyard across the valley was shooting cannons every 6 minutes to scare off the birds in THEIR vineyard!

Now I DO understand the humor of the universe, so I began to laugh. Yet another small gift in some way, a test, specific to my particular-ness. I mean, here I am, granted everything I wished for, and yet…it wasn’t perfect. Do I need to be more specific in my manifestations, or is it that I need to be more flexible in my reception of them?

Well I made it through my first big day on the ground. I convened with the grapes, and I began to get to know them. I began to connect with the vineyard. I already feel like it’s “my place” in a weird way.

As I drove through the woods back home, I thought, “note to self - BRING HEADPHONES TOMORROW and listen to wine podcasts while working - otherwise it’s just you and the screeching sounds of the birds and the thud of the cannons across the valley!!!”.

Stay tuned - tomorrow brings a little unexpected cellar work!