FIVE, SIX ... PICK UP STICKS

The chill of early morning air last Friday urged me to climb the slopes of my friend’s vineyard briskly to begin a day of pruning. My assigned duty - collect cuttings after secateurs had severed the dead from the living.

The rhythm of blades snapping on vines, classical choral renditions resonating through the valley, mingled with pleasant conversations under a cloudless sky, lifted my spirits to the heavens.

Occasional solitude can be a friend. However, the joy of working together in community, sharing a superb country style lunch with a glass of red, is the stuff of life.

The knowledge my modest contribution delighting diners with the sweetness of Chambourcin was rewarding.

Celebrating life with a blend of great friends, rich food and good wine, immersed in Nature, leaves me blessed in abundance.