Taking a look around

I think we may be starting to take that whole surrounded-by-stunning-vineyards-on-all-sides landscape for granted a bit. But as the woody grape vines come to life with new green shoots each day, as fields start changing texture and color, as the work the vineyard workers are doing has shifted from getting rid of the remnants of last year's harvest to encouraging the growth of this year's (even though those two are very much connected)... well, we decided we were long overdue for stopping to actually LOOK at (and photograph) the vineyards. So, even though it's been raining pretty much non-stop since my mom left (nice timing, Mom!), when Katie wanted to go on a walk after dinner, John grabbed the camera. And this is some of what they saw:
 

Then they stopped at Katie's favorite tree up in Les Chaumes, one she has christened "Coconut Tree" (not to be confused with Coconut Mountain, a.k.a. Mont-St-Victor, on the other side of the village). She loves it for the acorns (a.k.a. coconuts) she collects below it. We know she loves it, and isn't merely pleased by it, because every time she sees it she runs to it, shouting "I LOVE YOU COCONUT TREE!" And then she gives it a hug.