Monday, March 30, 2009

prelude



The clouds threatened all day but the rain, like a woman dressed for a most formal event and being careful as she walked, held her garment just over the wet earth. Then at twilight the fog gently fell, muffling the rush of any cars passing on wet pavement, and leaving me listening to the spring frogs peeping by the thousands after waking from a long winter's sleep.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Less than Two Weeks to Rootstock 2009!



We have been busy preparing for the big event April 4th, 2009! 2,400 vines (1,200 barbera and 1,200 petit verdot) will be planted in our lot12. as you may remember, lot12 has lay fallow 2 years after being cleared.

Gerald has been thinking, and hoping, and praying...planning and dreaming each night about his vineyard. he tackled the project plan, assigning each family member tasks needing to be done to make the event a success. we've been working diligently towards that end. we've confirmed an attendee list, installed the deer fencing perimeter, received the posts, tidied the houses, ordered our shirts, planned the lunch, got tables and chairs and marked out the field.

and that's the short list—there has been much work on the farm that's been done by dad, Charlie, ECpete and WCpete in order to help us prepare for the event. Everyone is pulling hard and we're hoping the weather will cooperate and give us a beautiful day for planting.

the pruning is now finished and i'm done with my midterms, so i'm hoping to blog a little more frequently. i missed telling you about the pruning clinic that kathleen, boy1, and i attended—let alone the annual meeting and the awesome dinner in ellicott city, md (thanks WCpete, for watching boy1&2)! ger just finished the intermediate grape growers workshop today, but i haven't heard much about it since it was class night—and immediately after dinner he set up the projector and i laid out the Rootstock directional signage.

whew!