The Bluecircle has not slept well this Winter, with only short periods of snowcover interrupted by warming winds and rains. The heavy lake-effect snows of 2009 and 2010 have been absent, and today it looks and feels like March. The grapes will winter well, but so will insects that routinely fail to survive dry, cold weather.
The perimeter of the farm was posted “No trespassing” as a rather unneighborly way to keep snowmobiles at bay and avoid damage to fledgling trees.  Since the ground remains soft and relatively warm snowmobiles will not be a significant threat this year.  Groundhog day approaches – I wonder if the land will notice its shortage of restful slumber.