Vines around my heart

These Flame grapes belong to my friend Debbie, and I was visiting them hours before harvest to make pictures with The Gilkey family.

When I walked into those laden vine rows, I felt like I was walking into a poem or a memory. The round shapes of the grapes speak of relaxation and refreshment, and their clusters tell stories about community, enjoyment and location. The grapes teach us that we don’t all have to be the same color to hang together, and that good group structures will keep some from withering. There’s a very particular smell to the dust of a vineyard, especially in the cool summer evenings that chase hot summer days.

Yes, I suspect that if my heart was visible, you’d find vines around it.