Tractor Dreamin’
During a rainy night in Seattle, I’m thinking about great days driving the tractor. Here’s some slides I just recently got developed of the WineGirl’s time behind the wheel this past summer....
Read MoreWinter on the Lump o’ Dirt
Our little Lump o’ Dirt is ten acres of future vineyard land in Manson, WA. Until the vines are installed, it’s just a lump of dirt. Until spring, it’s just snow covered dirt. We’ll try some test plantings this year to assess the potential for specific varieties on the site. It sure looks promising, though (under the snow). Explore more about our adventures in the dirt in the ‘Catagories’ sidebar under ‘Sesto Cielo’. That’s 6th...
Read MoreVineyard Consensus 2009
On what is most likely our last trip to Chelan for the sake of working on the vineyard. It is time to make summary of our first year of farming. The vineyard consensus: 2009 started out with big and lofty goals and ended with many lessons learned. First, we need a tractor. We need something with 4-wheel drive to climb the steepest slope. We need something that can carry a full 2000 lb macrobin of ultra-premium grapes and can move giant granite boulders. We need something with enough torque to pull old wind break stumps and a front bucket to push dirt. Basically we need a new best friend....
Read MoreSetiembre on the Farm-Part Dos
So, after a grueling three days of shanking, and earth moving and mountain building, and rock moving and road destruction, and eating DUST, we’ve got a mess on our hands. In only 7 days, we cleared nearly 4 acres with the ripper and the bobcat raker. It was dirty, dirty work. A layer of pig pen dust encircled our every movement and you won’t believe the nature of our nostril inhabitants. Wow, farming’s harder than I thought! Peace Out,
Read MoreSetiembre on the Farm
Ten days ago, I arrived back to the farm, jolly, clean and eager to do some damage to some apple suckers. Oo, oo, it was a quick start to the dirt as a visit to the rental shop brought us this little beauty. Our new toy came equipped with an earth moving bucket in the front and 2, 2 foot shanks in the back. Oh my, what a marvel! So, it was done, and the John Deere 450 was to be delivered that afternoon. We departed the rental shop to the words “Good luck. You’ll find things you never knew you had.” Hmm. I thought I heard that one somewhere before. No matter. Off, to the...
Read MoreThis time in 4 years we'll be picking grapes!
Dust. Dust. Dust. dust. bust. pust. qust. think that one’s a scrabble word? All I can smell right now is dust. My wine smells like dust, my “clean” clothes smell like dust. My eyes are leaking dust, I can’t hear out of my left ear ’cause I think it’s full of DUST. We started off the week at Sesto Cielo’s 10 acres, ambitiously believing we could shank it all in 2 days. HAH! my friends. The heavens above have something else in store for our little orchard, fallowed be thy name. We managed to shank the NW quadrant in 3 days and I am trying to maintain...
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