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We have a Mailbox!!

7/13/2021

So life has a funny way of changing course in a way that wasn't planned. That is challenging for this planner, but I know that there is someone with a greater plan than I could ever have.

In March our precious Mia came back from her morning walk and dropped dead of a heart attack. We were crushed! She brought so much joy to our lives and I didn't realize how much we arranged our lives around her needs - things that you do for one you love.

Without any pets for the first time in our lives together and a smoking hot housing market, we decided to put legs underneath our plan to downsize and build on the property we love. In three months we decluttered (not as easy as it may seem), listed, sold and closed on our home which had so many memories. Living in a rental sure makes you appreciate the roomy home we have enjoyed for 18 years!

Our first project was to install a mailbox so that we don't have to forward mail multiple times. Again, not as easy as it seems, as three companies needed to flag underground lines and "just how high should this thing be anyway?"

My detailed Engineer husband has drawn plans, staked out the building, secured labor, ordered materials and a soil test and we are waiting on permits and delivery of our order. Things are definitely underway.

If I could only let you experience the number of times I have wished for a chance to live with the vines and plants - to wake up with them and go to bed watching the sun set on them - you could appreciate how surreal this all seems.

There are still a lot of things that need to fall into place but, just as has been happening through this whole process, everything comes together just as it should. Getting mail from that box and looking at those stakes makes me smile every time!

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Eagerly Waiting for Spring!!

3/10/2021

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It feels like winter is getting longer and the cold weather is getting colder. I know this isn't true because they tell me our globe is warming. Maybe it's because I am more anxious than ever to get outdoors.

I have not looked forward to starting pruning, as our Vineyard buddy, Mia, recently passed. Joy is the best word to use for her appreciation of the vineyard and we will miss her utter excitement about anything related to being there.

BUT seeds are ordered and, in fact, some have already been started in the window at home. The plans are in place for the garden, a new variety of berry has been ordered for the orchard and the new variety of grapes are ready to be picked up in May.

Other plant additions this year will be the 300 pine trees ordered to populate the unused back half the property and a row of lavender below the last row of grapes. On a short trip last Fall during a stop at a Door County lavender farm, the owners told us that critters and deer don't like the smell of lavender - imagine that! They said they never have deer on their property, which got us to thinking.....maybe lavender would work as well as a fence to keep the deer from thinking our grape shoots are salad! It would make my heart so happy to have less fencing and more lovely smelling plants, so I'm planning to do everything possible to make sure those lavender plants thrive. Stay tuned.

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Snow and more Snow!

3/8/2019

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Here in Wisconsin we are known for our winters. We are certainly living up to our reputation. After a record breaking snowfall in February, we are expecting at least 2 more snowstorms in the next week - here at the height of our pruning season! Not only is the snow getting to be old news, every weekend that passes puts me further behind in pruning. By my calculations, I need 8 weekends of hard work to complete the fine pruning which hasn't yet begun. Luckily, our vineyard helpers have already made great progress with the gross pruning, which is almost complete. The goal is to complete pruning before the buds appear, since they are very fragile and can easily be knocked off.
I may need to buy some taller boots and get busy..........

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A New Season

1/23/2019

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There is nothing like the promise of a new year. The winter gives us time to ponder what went well and what didn't in the past year. We have time to look at nursery catalogs (dangerous ground for me) and think about what we want to do this year.
So, our plans are to plant a new variety of grape for the purpose of keeping options current to offer to our customers. The vines have been ordered and we have identified the rows which will be replaced with the new variety - the current property doesn't have room for much expansion of the vine blocks without infringing on other plans.
Then we will improve upon our orchard planting, making it impervious to the deer who seem to be bent on keeping our trees from making it to maturity. The improvements will see an organized electric fence around the block and the addition of several new trees since we are confident we can win the maturity race. We are excited to have found an apple variety at a local orchard last Fall that we love. Then we were able to locate a nursery in New York state which carries that variety, along with several other types of trees we want to include - apricot, cherry and plum. We also want to have elderberry and cranberry in our planting to make sure we have a wide variety.
Finally, we have a covered concrete patio planned to have a more permanent place to enjoy events and meals. We hope you will get to enjoy it with us soon.

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Harvest aka The End of the Marathon

9/15/2017

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Tomorrow it begins.
Actually, it began back in March. 6 months of watching every weather forecast and planning every spare moment not spent at our paying professions or on family times and celebrations which just won't wait. Months of watching the budget because there are tons of things to spend money on to care for the vines and improve the place, but no income until the end.
Now we are ready - in spite of wind and rain and birds and deer and bees and wasps and cold weather - and the fruit hangs beautifully waiting to become something even better.
All that is left is preparing a nice meal with drinks, some thank you gifts and and a wine tasting to thank our generous Volunteers who will give up Saturday or Sunday (or for some, God bless them, both!) to help us bring in the harvest.

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Verasion

8/11/2017

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A French word for the onset of ripening or literally, "a change of color of the grape berries". In the vineyard it means so many things:

- the beauty of the changing colors on the berries makes it the most beautiful time of year;
- it is time to start measuring chemistry to gauge how quickly the berries are ripening. We relay this information to our buyers so they can help determine berry readiness to make wine;
- it is time for full on bird control - nets, noise and anything we can muster to convince them they don't want to be here;
-time to plan for harvest by estimating dates, encouraging volunteers to join us, making sure the equipment is ready; and
- that we are close the finish line of this seasonal marathon!

We will put on nets this weekend - the rush to hedge the vines a last time is on. Family and friends will join us to make an afternoon of securing the side nets over the rows with c-clips. Then we'll barbeque, as the weather is moderating and making it very comfortable to hang outside. I look forward to these times - working shoulder to shoulder with some of my favorite people. It was how DuWayne and I decided this was worthy work - harvesting grapes at a local vineyard. Hopefully the weather will be as nice as they forecast.

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It's a Grape Life....

We have a Mailbox!!

Eagerly Waiting for Spring!!

Snow and more Snow!

A New Season

Harvest aka The End of the Marathon

Verasion

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