Late May Vineyards in Walnut Creek

Out among the vineyards for a late May afternoon. The vines are well into their spring push now — full leaf on most rows, still that pale new green rather than the darker summer color. Clouds were stacking up over the ridge early on but never came to anything.

Stopped for a while under the old wooden gazebo, the octagon one with the vines woven all through the rafters. The growth up there is thicker than I remembered; whole beams have disappeared under it.

Walked the terraced rows after that, up toward the tree line. Some of the younger vines lower down are still tied to their stakes with orange tape, barely knee high next to the established ones.