Fruit of the vineyard...

(click to enlarge)

I might be the only person in the world to look at these scenes and say I'd prefer to consume the crop from the trees rather than the fruit of the vines (although, truth be told, I wouldn't say no to that either).

My work selling grow tubes and vineyard bird netting often has me traveling through wine country.  It's rough work, but someone has to do it.

I have been assembling a mental collection of my favorite "vineyard oaks" - mature oaks left standing as vineyards were developed around them.  I'm going to try to take more time to capture them on pixels.  These two beauties are along CA Hwy 41 near Shandon.  Both are California white oaks (Q. lobata), both photos were taken yesterday about 5 minutes apart (one with the sun properly at my back, the other horribly overexposed facing toward the sun but silhouetting the mistletoe balls to nice effect).  One is pushing new growth, the other is still fully dormant.

What changes these oaks have seen here in San Luis Obispo County, from being the staff of life for the local Chumash people, to the introduction of cattle and exotic grasses, to the rapid development of the vineyard industry.

It would be interesting to know how productive these drip irrigated oaks are in terms of annual acorn production!