Barreca Vineyards

Barreca Vineyards

From Vine to Wine since 1986

Roots Grow in Winter

Logging in winter

Logging in winter

Okay. It’s official. I’m tired of snow. But actually I’m hoping it stays cold for another week or so. Loggers used to like working in the snow because you can move a lot of logs on a sled and the snow protects the ground from destruction while you do it.  We have had a big almost-dead tree close to the garden shed and leaning into the garden for awhile and with this dense foot-thick snow, now was the time to drop it. We had Keith Matlock, a professional arborist who used to do horse logging, do it. I tried to take a video while it was falling but blew it, so I just have a couple of still shots. I also have big heavy rounds of pine and branches to clean up before the snow melts. I’m actually kindof glad for the exercise.

The Otter Sled at work

The Otter Sled at work

Because most of the last month has been sitting inside in front of this computer updating my Road Atlas of Stevens County, getting outside to work is good.  Generally speaking, winter is a good time to do mapping since not much is changing. The down side is that no one is buying books either. Oh well, more books to update still and lots of snow.

Keith trimming the tree

Keith trimming the tree

We are helping the birds survive and they are going through the suet and sunflower seeds. The juncos seem to have left. They were a big hungry group but we don’t see them much in the summer. Now 3 kinds of woodpeckers, a couple kinds of nuthatches, chickadees, flickers and morning doves are still hanging around.  Cheryl saw a varied thrush near the kitchen door March 5th.  I hear some wild turkeys outside right now and geese and crows fly by most days.

Every morning we hear bald eagles from the nest across the road and near the lake. Mostly they just cruise over head, which is fine with us because we have a small cat that has to watch out. One day an eagle landed on top of our biggest tree, was making a lot of noise and I caught this shot of it leaving.

The Eagle flies on Thursday

Technically the snow is leaving too. Here are before and after shots of Old Blue, our pickup truck waiting for the snow to clear. It is strange to walk out in the vineyard and be looking down on vines that are normally at eye level. Pruning in the cold weakens them and all the new canes and grapes grow from last year’s wood. So no pruning for now.

The truck on February 6th

I have also finished the 7th chapter of a biography of Joseph Barreca Sr. He will be 95 on June 10th. There are a couple more chapters to go and a lot of pictures to add. Greg Daniels, who owns a nearby tree nursery, says roots grow in winter. Maybe they do in more ways than one.

We have not escaped the undercurrent of politics that has seeped into almost all communication of late.

Old Blue on February 21st

Old Blue on February 21st

Cheryl and I have attended a training class to be better prepared for eventual confrontations put on by the North

Coalition Meeting

Coalition Meeting

Columbia Human Rights Coalition. I am collecting stories for future generations. But I am now also reporting weekly on all of the activities of our not-very-forthcoming Federal Congresswoman, Cathy McMorris Rogers. The local paper has agreed to publish the reports. It is a joint effort with our local Indivisible group. So another cold war has begun, both inside and out.

One Response to Roots Grow in Winter

  1. Love your blogs … love your style of writing

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