Vineyard pals

Vineyard cats: Mini on the right and Cinquo, the white splotch on the left.
Itsy invisible dozing in deep grass.

It was a beautiful day yesterday so I took some time to tie up the 2-y-o vines to the poles Alex erected and to pull and tramp down the grass around the vines. We lost 4 Solaris vines, two to the power scythe and two to unknown causes. We're not going to worry about them. I was supervised in my duties by three vineyard cats and nine donkeys in the field next door. Cinquo, Mini and Itsy have taken up residence in the sheltered vineyard grounds, and the Inishturkbeg rescue donkeys are grazing our fields for the summer.

Everything else was checking out fine. The grape clusters are growing, there is no sign of disease, there are fewer ladybirds than there were earlier, but there were signs of kitty carnage. Fluffy baby bird feathers scattering in the light breeze. Well, I guess the cats are taking their job of protecting the grapes from the birds seriously. In September, the hawk kite will go up to keep the birds at bay, but I presume it won't scare the cats away. 

It's been a strange season for other fruit and veg. The apple trees look like they are going to be productive this year, as is the pear and one cherry. The gooseberries had few berries and the crabapple has one apple. The red currents are maturing nicely, as are the strawberries and, for the first time, blueberries. But the raspberries are way behind schedule. Last year we were picking the first crop in May. This year they are not even close yet. 

Two-year-old Solaris

5-year-old Rondo 

Our walk through the wildflower meadow below the vineyard.