This year's clipping campaign

Tuesday 4 November 2008

I go where I want go and I stay where I want stay. I can de everything I want to, but I know that I'll never run from my roots. I will never hide from my family's past and I'll always bring it in me. I admit that the traditions, the history, the taste and the manners of my family made a seal on my thinknig and behavior. For good and for bad.

As my ancestors were sophisticated farmers, my childhood was predicted to be related with the physical work and the land.

I am grateful for all I have learned from my grandfather Georgi. I don't mean some special skills - I mean thе feeling of love to the trees, the ground, the natural food and wine and the simple life.

I am also thankful to my father who teached me how to do different things. He gave me his will, knowledge and know-how in various areas.

When I work in my garden, I have both emotional and rational experience. In fact, my wishes are still stronger than my abilities, but I'm an optimist: I believe that bit by bit, I'll reach the balance.

Armed with that combination of mighty willing and growing skills, I take care about my trellis vine. When I exert efforts, the vines repay to me with beautifil grapes. Few days ago I was surprised. Until I worked at my job, my untiring mother picked the grapes and now it was my turn to take the baton.

And like every golden autumn my heart plays the elegant and sweet song of the grapevine's clipping. A quiet joy fills my body and my soul, I take the clipper and I start... Yes, there's no mistake. In distinction with the other people, my family clips the vine branches in the autumn, not in the spring season. You ask why? I find at least two reasons:

1. We clip the vine-stocks before the leafs start falling. In that way we save the daily sweeping of the yard during the season.
2. We give a chance to the sun rays to light up and warm up the south rooms of the house's ground floor (especially the living room and the bedroom), which the trellis vine keeps in shadow and coolness in the summer. The new season requires a new strategy :)

... the history of our trelissed vine - that's the story of few generations. The years go by, new vines replace the superannuated and a younger hand takes the clipper, but the story remains the same - the men of the family care about the vine-arbour.

This year's clipping campaign passed like the previous one. First my father in the role of a military general inspected the location of the available resources - a step-ladder, a clipper and a human power. When he found that everything is ready for the attack, i.e. there're a standing step-ladder, a clipper on the table and two soldiers prepared to fight (mama and me), he undertook the beginning action. Daddy did mount the ladder and did cut few vine-twigs, explaining how much buds must leave on every branch.

Daddy in action

"Let's see what I can do here" I said to myself. The clipping area was like a large river to swim. I didn't want to stay on the beach! Take the clipper, take the mood - you will cope because you're good!

Daddy leaves the position. Mom is always like a loyal soldier by him

We changed our places and initially Daddy, in the role of mentor, observed me from below.

Of course, he made deserved remarks on the technique and the tactics of my performance, but after few minutes on the sly he went to drowse in his bed :)

Hey, Daddy knows that it's not my first vine-arbour's clipping! I know what to do. I'm the young prince of the kingdom! In few hours my yard recieved a new look.

Before...

... and after