On Tuesday, we made a very unpleasant discovery.
A squirrel had been feasting on grapevines.
He ate all the buds off two vines and
damaged a third.
What a nusiance!
Wednesday and Thursday passed uneventfully.
Just the usual watering, weeding, and raking.
Friday afternoon, Nacho appeared.
He almost always has something exciting going on
and this time it was an invitation to tour
the ancient winery here in Parras.
Abandoned over twenty years ago, it is in a very sad
state of repair. The roof is almost entirely missing; many of the
adobe walls are melting from the top down; almost all the equipment
has been removed or vandalized; even the newer buildings on
the property have broken windowns and walls covered with graffiti.
All that being said, it is still the oldest winery in the Americas,
besting Casa Madero by several years.
If it could be restored, it would make an international tourist
attraction, but the work involved is mind-boggling.
We look forward to seeing what progress is made in the
next few years with the reconstruction of this jewel.
On Friday evening, Estela appeared in time for sunset.
She brought us an olive tree to replace the one that froze in our
garden last winter.
According to the salesman, it is supposed to withstand
cold temperatures. Stanley planted it immediately
and it seems happy to be part of our family.
Time will tell.
Estela and Claudia came for dinner Saturday evening.
Sunday's lunch was a salad of lettuce and radishes from the garden. First Fruits! |
The roses are putting on quite a show, but a couple of the cactus plants are trying to upstage them. |