To wine or not to wine...

Planning ahead would have been a better idea. I find it's grape harvesting season again. Labor day weekend and it's me versus the vines. This year, it's me versus a bumper crop and a bug of an idea to try countertop wine making. Someone stop me now! I've wandered through a dozen or more sites already for a balance of simplest approach and best results. Luckily for me, this time rational thought won and I haven't started mashing anything with any part of my body. Strike that - I'm pressing varying amounts of tissue on the scratches where the interwoven and thriving blackberry whips bit back - hard. I only have a couple of those this time, thankfully. The wasps didn't even pester me back this year. What's up with that? Last year they buzzed me off in droves, but this time they meandered lazily out of reach until I was done. Thanks guys, but... what gives? Nature... so weird.

Oh, and Neighbor Lady, even though you will never read this or really care - you can stop wrinkling your nose at the vines that have dared to batter their way a foot over the fence to your boxwoods. The horror! How dare green things actually do the unthinkable and grow! I've trimmed them... and your weeds.. hope you're happy. I know you're not, but I've made it all pretty and happy for me anyway.

Twenty pounds of grapes later - and plentiful amounts left for the wildlife, not to worry - I now am trying to think of the best use for them all. Wine? Went over that. I talked myself out that easily enough by not having 2/3 of the equipment. It takes more than bare feet and a vat big enough - who knew. I do now and I can't do it. But next year, I plan ahead and give it a try!

I can make more jelly, I guess.