A sunny morning among the vineyards

We could have been forgiven for thinking it was an early summer's day as we strolled through the grounds of Groot Constantia this morning, except that the deep blue sky was framed by stark branches of ancient oaks and the rich brown soil of the vineyards lay exposed beneath newly pruned vines, devoid of their luscious summer fruits or reds and golds of autumn. Some of the oaks are confused, as oaks can be, and a few still have last summer's faded leaves, while others have already donned pale spring green finery. However, we aren't fooled by all of this and know that more winter lies ahead. All the more reason to be out there breathing in the fresh and unpolluted air of the Constantia hills, freshly washed down by last week's 140mm of life-giving rain.
The workers were busy with the immense task of hand pruning thousands of vines, then taping loose ends in place to ensure maximum efficiency for grape bearing. They must have exceptionally sharp secateurs and strong hands to do that all day!
My son came along for a change of scenery, armed with a long lens, and was happy to capture some of his favourite birds for us to enjoy on our screens. It certainly helps those of us with less than perfect eyesight to enjoy the finer details of birdlife. A spur-winged goose was a first for him on his newly discovered journey, but a pretty little dusky flycatcher was the cherry on the top - such a confiding little bird and always a treat to observe. A jackal buzzard soared high overhead, unobserved until almost too late, but snapped as it made off into the wide blue yonder.
The climb up the hill was great for the heart rate, and I stopped to look at the sweeping views a number of times, just so that I didn't miss a thing! By the time we reached the coffee stop, the shade of the trees was very welcome. We meandered back to the cars via the little museum with the carriages and wagons - relics of times gone by when the farm was owned by the Cape's eminent family - followed by a relaxing cappuccino at the Jonkershuis, the first time since lockdown in March that we could enjoy some civilized socialising. Definitely to be repeated.