New Year's Preparations

New Year's Eve, 2007 -- It's been another 3-ring circus at the little vineyard on the hillside in Blue-Merle Country. In the first ring was the setting of 10 ft. posts and stringing wire for drip lines and cordons for new vines to be planted in March. The second ring was construction of the Great Wall of Merle -- a 120-foot retaining wall. On top of that, preparations were under way in the household below for welcoming in the New Year -- was it really Christmas a week ago -- not to mention feeding a crew of workers. The Ringmaster barking orders was having a grand old time. I couldn't help but sing this song as we dug 4-ft holes, hauled boulders, and carried 500 cinder blocks down the mountain:

"On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

12 lines of vines

11 hundred lbs. mortar

10 rebar bundles

9 tons of stone

8 fresh oranges
7 pallets of block

6 bottles Chateau Lafitte

5 circling hawks

4 guys working

3 hanging gophers

2 yucca plants

and a talking Aussie Shepard."