It's what we do.......



Felicia and Daniel making quick work of this vine.

Friday arrived bringing with it a definite chill in the air as we headed off to the fields in a light drizzle.  We had been blessed with wonderful weather all week but were now starting to wonder if our luck had run out.  Suiting up in jackets and whatever raingear that we'd brought with us, we drove over to today's harvest site and braced for the worst.

Although the wind blew harshly, the clouds could only muster enough moisture to sprinkle a few drops our way.  By 1130, the sun came out and the jackets came off, as we settled into our by now normal routine.

"Don't you get bored, standing outside in the sun all day long doing such repetitive work?", some may ask.  I can't answer for all the others but for me, the hours seem to fly by.  I use the solitude and the silence as a time to listen to the wind blowing through the trees, letting it clear my mind of unwanted clutter.  Often I think about what I want to share on this blog.  At other times I let my mind wander as random thoughts take shape in my mind.

Because we work in close proximity to each other, often with two persons to a row, we are able to converse easily as we progress across the field in an even sweep.




Alexi carries the afternoon's entertainment on his back.

Sometimes, someone will break into song, be it in English or French, as music from the portable player in Alexi's backpack keeps us entertained.  Stories are told and advise is exchanged, while occasionally, an unusual insect is discovered, giving everyone an excuse to stop work for a moment as its name is translated into French and English.

We even learn some grape history, as Jean-Marc discusses the amount of time that it takes for a grape to reach maturity after the flower has dropped off the vine (100 days) or he answers questions about the lifespan of a vine (average age is 50-65 years although they can die earlier from disease or live more than 100 years, just like a person).





It's not blood this time, just the bright red juice of a grape.
photo by Elizabeth Parker

We do take breaks when we need a drink of water, a nibble on a cookie or a moment to stretch our backs when they become sore from bending over for too long.  We even have to bandage a finger now and then if we are careless with our secateurs and discover that the red running down our hand is something other than grape juice.

We work approximately four hours in the morning and four hours in the afternoon, with a two hour break inbetween, which is used for eating lunch, checking e-mail or having a quick snooze on the iron bed next to the pool.  Just the anticipation of the lunch which is prepared daily for us by Kristi, is enough to get us through the morning.

Work often slows down a little in the afternoon, as the after lunch drowsiness takes effect but soon we regain our rhythm and reapply ourselves once more to the task at hand.  At the end of the day, four or five of us help Jean-Marc with the crushing of the grapes, their transfer to one of the thirteen large concrete holding tanks and the cleanup of the area to get it ready for the next day's activities.

We usually make it back to the apartment between 7:00 and 8:00pm, shower, unwind with a glass of wine (or a bottle or two, maybe three) and have a light dinner before we drift off into a sound sleep.



photo by Elizabeth Parker