Saturday, December 30, 2017

The net weight of a wet winter.

I spent a little time out in the vineyard today, un-pegging pegs and removing the bird-netting from the Pinot grigio vines.  I probably should have performed this little vineyard operation before now, as soon it will be pruning-time, but I ran the risk of being bonked on the head by an acorn, or two thousand.  Yikes!
I swear, I have never seen so many acorns as I have this autumn/winter.  There are years when the acorns are noticeably more bountiful than other years, but this year the sheer number of acorns has just been insane.  And they haven't stopped falling yet.  They're everywhere, not just in the bird-netting.
No doubt a result of the disastrous amount of rain that California experienced last winter, I'm afraid that if they all germinated and grew into oak trees there wouldn't be much room left for anything else in Vinoland.

9 comments:

New Hampshire Wineman said...

Happy New year to all in Vinoland!
Such a cool picture, bokeh and all!
The Quercus agrifolia (?) acorns drilled by acorn weevils have seen the last of their days.
Cheers!

Vinogirl said...

NHW: Thank you, same to you and yours.
I think it is a live oak. I see you noticed the acorn weevil holes (the larvae are about too).

Thud said...

those holes spook me out.

Unknown said...

Thud: Wait until you see what comes out!

New Hampshire Wineman said...

VG: Just a live oak not a California live oak?
Did you take this photo with your 135mm? Auto focus? and was it hand-held?

Vinogirl said...

Thud: Trypophobia? Ha, ha :)

NHW: We have so many different types of oaks here, I'm really not sure.

Nikon D3100, 1/400, f4.5, hand-held (was holding my breath).

New Hampshire Wineman said...

VG: Well done! Fast shutter speed works. Breath-holding is a good practice.
Drink more wine and let me know how that helps; I'm tempted, but life goes on.

Vinogirl said...

NHW: More wine would not work too well with holding one's breath, methinks.

New Hampshire Wineman said...

VG: Unbeknownst to you, and probably lazy on my part, my comments were a conflation of comments between your post and your comments on Thuds! Me bad!