Refreshment stop

We were back in the vineyard at 8:00 this morning - trying to steal a march on the heat. (The temperature rose to 30 degrees by lunchtime.)

We finished the spraying in record time, had lunch in Olive the caravan then I fell sound asleep in the shade of the parasol pines. I woke an hour later to the sound of birds flapping their wings in flight; I'd never realised beating wings were so noisy.

Having a bit of energy left we set to with the grass-cutting. We don't use herbicides so weeds are a huge problem. We strim tthe whole 3 hectares two or three times a year and it's very labour-intensive. Our vines were planted close together when the vineyard was created around 40 years ago - wide enough for a mule but not a tractor when they are in leaf. So our choices are limited. Still, as an old vigneron walking his dogs through our land this morning said "travail, c'est la santé.

The photo shows Ali taking a much-needed water break at around 11:00 this morning - just as we'd finished the spraying.