The four muscat grape vines that I planted this spring had a slow start but had become established and were doing great. Tendrils and leaves unfurled and the vines were spreading out onto the fence. Each plant even had its own adorable cluster of baby grapes. I should have taken a picture.
The deer also were delighted by the grapes progress. So delighted that they hopped into the garden one night and ate my poor vines down to half their former size. And all four clusters of grapes are gone. Of course.
So yesterday Bruce erected yet another temporary fence -- this time to block out the marauding deer. I know that they're just hungry and doing what any creature must do in order to stay alive. I'm not angry (maybe just a little at myself for not seeing this coming) or upset -- just resigned.
Rock, heat, wind, gophers, deer, weeds, drought. As I've said more than once, Copperopolis is a hard scrabble sort of place to have a garden.
