One of My Favorite Harvests

Even before we see them, we smell them.  The scent-laden air drifts toward us as we approach the grape arbor; and our excitement grows as we wonder, "Are the grapes ripe?" and "How many will there be--a good crop this year?"

Ever since the year some varmint (either four-footed, two-footed, or two-winged...we don't know for sure) got our grapes, I've never been entirely confident that we'll actually succeed in harvesting any.

Late in the summer each year, as the grapes begin to ripen, I find myself holding my breath.  The fruit that looks so promising - will it remain on the vine for us, or be stolen away?

Would you laugh if I told you that sometimes I even pray that God will protect our grapes for us?  :)

When the terrible storm hit a couple of months ago, our grape arbor toppled and we feared that that spelled the end of our wonderful vine.

How happy we were that our initial conclusion was wrong!

The vine survived its violent shaking, and just look at the beauty it has put forth since then.

Beauty to the eyes, to the nose, and of course...

...to the tongue.  :)

Today was the day we got to begin harvesting our grapes...

 ...and as they say, "Many hands make light work."

 Josiah and David were so eager to get outside to help in the harvest that it took no prompting for us to rush through schoolwork so that they would then be free to head out.

 They especially like standing on ladders...

 ...and cutting the clusters of grapes off the vine.

 My parents had started the project before we were ready to go outside...

 ...and when the boys arrived on the scene, Grandma continued to stick around to help them with ladder placement and any other issues that might arise.

 Like bees.  ;)  I guess we're not the only ones who are drawn to the sweet, juicy grapes!

 Shav - bless his heart - wanted so much to be outside helping to cut grape clusters, too.

 But although he was equipped with a chair and some scissors, he couldn't really reach the grapes at all.  But don't worry, dear boy, there's always next year (and the following year, and the year after that, etc.). You'll get your turn.  ;)

 These two chose to hang out in the kitchen, doing the very important job of pulling grapes off the stems.

As the day's work went on, the kitchen started smelling more and more delicious...and the counters got more and more sticky and purple-y.  ;)  If I tallied correctly, we made about five gallons of grape juice today.  More "treasure" to put on the cellar shelves.  :)

I do love the grape harvest!

For a post about last year's harvest, click here.