A day out at the chateau

Here is where I shall be tomorrow: http://www.crouseilles.com/

It is a wine chateau. I shall be in situ there. However, I shall be not imbibing of the local beverages, no not at all will this be done by me. I shall be out in the fields amongst the vines, and I shall be picking the grapes that make up the vino that is sold at the chateau. 

The vines surround the chateau, and Jean-Marc, a farmer friend who owns a portion of these vines, has asked me to join his motley crew for the harvesting of the grapes. 

I don't think we do the treading of the grapes though, but I shall make sure I have clean feet just in case. 

It will  make a change for the ever ongoing harvesting of the hay here. With the weather holding good, (temperatures are still well up in the 20's C) the harvesting season has stretched on and on. Our tomatoes are still growing and ripening, although the courgettes have long given up, and our first time effort at growing pumpkin has resulted in a nice little pile of nice little pumpkins, each individual being no larger than the size of my palm.   But I can't get onto the ground to dig it because it is rock hard, so any thoughts of putting in a crop of winter veg is fast receding. But I did have an idea to make some small poly tunnels from bright blue electrical tubing and some clear plastic, but Hubs is not overly enthused with this possible project, saying it will look silly to have a row of blue tubing decorating the veg plot. I thought that these tunnels could protect whatever winter veg I plant, but methinks that perhaps it will be a project that will have to stay in the pipeline for another time. Or perhaps not. It will rain eventually, which means that I can go off the fields and onto the veg plot. 

I think I made an error when I said that the Cockling was crowing. I heard the same sound as I was letting the dogs out for their early morning pee and poo, and it came from one of the little brown hens. Ah well, at least one of the flock is carrying on crowing, even if it is one of the smallest bantams we have. 

Anyway, need to get some jobs done if I am to be absent from the homestead tomorrow. 

....and if offered a glass of plonk tomorrow....will I partake or will I not.......after all it would not be a good idea to go into silly mode, not that I do go silly, it is just that wine tends to make me sleepy and I want to do a sensible job of grape picking. I really would not like to be caught napping under a bunch of grapes hanging pendulously down from the heavily leafed grape vine over my head. Perhaps better to stick to coffee, or water, or tea, or anything, just not the plonk......... 

But then another thought has come into my head. Where would the loo be. With such a lot of harvesting going on it would not be quite the thing to partake of a loo stop in the middle of the vines because someone is bound to catch sight of this activity. And with such thoughts I must leave you and carry on with my day........