Colorado Vineyards are Fallow Winter's First Storm

 

It only seems right to follow up the Game Hen blog with the winter
scenes of two days later! And so we will visit the tranquil beauty of
the fallow fields, orchards, and vineyards that only one month ago were
being harvested for fruits, grains, and grapes for the crush!



The peach trees stand barren after their year's work. Time to rest and
regain for what will be next year. They stand sullen, unable to do
anything against the elements, and stand to take what winter has to
offer!








And in the background the silent giant awaits to afford its protection
once again when beckoned to perform, he will stand and he will swing and
the temperature will change!








Onward I push to another place, and there lay the corn field bare
before, raped of its offering of grain for the year. Left to stand the
winters test.







But here to, the field will offer once more of herself, in late winter
the stalks and leaves that were not collect, but instead threshed by the
combine and spit to the ground, will offer the the pregnant cow a place
to forage and calve as the spring returns to show once again reveal the
cycle nature have set!








But it is time to push on further, closer to home the storm is making
everything quiet, peaceful, the normal hum of life passing has been
dampened, almost silenced. The air is heavy with the smell of the winter
storm. Wet! The whisp of wood smoke as stoves are lit off to fend off
the winters night!





We come upon the vineyard, the vineyard is perhaps most tranquil in the
doldrums of winter.








While every other time of the year something is happening in the
vineyards, pruning, tightening, tilling, weeding, feeding, watering,
cutting, grafting, and of course harvesting. But after the crush, she
has been used for her worth and is left to recoup for the spring time.








The vineyard too, has a solid steel sentinel, dormant, waiting for
springs call to duty! When once again the steel sentinel will spring to
life and whirl, whop whop whop breaking our sleep early and signaling
the return of the growing season and the requirement keep the freezing
nights at bay less the vineyard be hurt by temperatures to low after
growth has budded out!








As I travel closer to home I pass the silent reminders of steel waiting
to be pushed into service as the promise of the seasons change starts to
show itself....... and the cycle will continue!







A water pump waiting to push what the great Colorado has to offer onto
land that is parched and would remain fallow without this offering!







Varied farm equipment waiting to once again perform the service required
to see mother earth come to life and produce!








An old Ford NAA sitting idle, cold and silent, waiting for someone to
throw closed the switch and add fire to her belly. And as the iron warms
she will serve to mend the soils! And allow the cycle to continue.







A gang disc waiting to hook to the tractor and once again scratch
mother earth's back and lay her soil open ready to accept the seeds that
will produce the get for yet another year! And the cycle will continue



Well the first storm blew in! May you find yourself in a warm house with
good drink when it comes in on you!



'Til we talk again, mull and spice some red wine it fits the mood!



Chef Bob Ballantyne

The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA