Path of Light

One of the more magical experiences is walking in the forest in the early morning and finding a path of light—something so hard to capture with camera— the one place the sun makes it through to the forest floor. View Our Lavender Products

Harvest Recap in Pictures

Harvest Recap in Pictures We started at dawn. The day was cool. Only six pickers, over 12 tons. Our neighbor Jerry helped. We picked all day, eight hours, and we finished! Empty fruit bins at dawn.   Jerry brought his tractor and worked all day hauling fruit bins.   Ramon is understandably happy to have… Read more »

Ripening

Ripening There is a tension this time of year: why are the budded-over vines three brix behind the older vines? What about that forecast for showers ? (They missed us.) How did the deer get into the vines—again!  The foreman for the picking crew arrives to survey the size of the crop, to estimate the… Read more »

First Feel of Fall

First Feel of Fall We felt fall for the first time today. “Is it going to rain?” Donald asks. “No prediction of rain,” I say. In our Mediterranean climate, we hope not. Rain brings dampness and mildew to grape clusters. But the sky is troubled with dark clouds and the winds whine in the tree… Read more »

The Days After the Open House

Norma in another year. This year she was in purple. Our friend Norma helps us each year at the Open House. She is one of the more generous people I know. You may have met her yesterday: she was greeting people as they arrived, selling lavender products, and making sure everyone helping got fed. She… Read more »

Plums Trees at Dawn

Rain is coming, they say, all day Wednesday, all Wednesday night. We hope!  Meanwhile, the wild bloom proceeds! Wild plum blossoms on forest edge on red morning (“sailors take warning”)  View Our Lavender Products

Boris’s Plum Tree

Boris’s Plum Tree This time of year plum blossoms of volunteer trees planted by scavenging coyotes, deer, and birds, skip through the forest foliage. They are descendants of those prune orchards of prohibition. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are delighted! Today some trees bear only swollen buds, insuring this bloom will go on for weeks; some… Read more »

A Cautionary Tale

Mystery squash in the bowl. They are beautiful! The plant looked benign enough; it was supposed to be a cantaloupe. I bought sets after the birds had eaten the melon seedlings that I had sprouted so carefully in the green house, chose this one because I wanted more melons. Early on I knew I had… Read more »