Frosty mornings

I love frosty mornings: the days when I have to don endless layers before venturing outside. The dogs love these mornings as well.

They seems to be able to follow a scent, despite the freezing conditions.

We make tracks wherever we go.

               Roger loves to run with the grass crackling underfoot.                        
                     












Maggie stays close to me.
She is my guardian and always on the lookout for problems ahead!

The vines are content on the frosty days, dormant and well insulated against the ice and cold.

 The wintery weather almost feels cleansing,
allowing, or even requiring ,a period of quiescence where plants and animals alike gather strength for the busyness of the months to come.

BUT, and this is a big but, there is also the Spring frost.

Last week, Friday morning to be exact, the temperatures dropped below zero in the early hours of the morning and the valley awoke to frost again. We are about 2 weeks into budburst. The chardonnay first, then the pinot. followed by the shiraz and finally the cabernet.

Budburst looks like this:

Then some days later the first shoots:

But then comes the first frost, burning the new, tender leaves.

 The damage is mainly in the southern sections of the chardonnay and pinot. It looks as though the cold air has bounced its way down the vineyard, completely missing some sections and landing with a resounding thump on others. We can only hope that the vines have enough energy to re-shoot and then flower.

Meanwhile spring has really sprung and most of the animals and plants don't seem to have noticed the cold snap at all.

The geese don't care about the weather it seems.

And the oaks relish all weathers

putting on a beautiful lime-green display for all to see. 

I still love my frosty mornings, but it is all in the timing!!!!!!