A grape surprise

We still seem to be about 3 weeks behind in terms of what is happening in the garden and on return from a short holiday I had to do a massive pruning session with my amazing new gadget - a telescopic pruning stick which extends up to 12 feet!   The grass is growing better than it has most of the year and the squirrel is still digging it up and planting goodness-knows what - cob nuts I suspect as it has virtually stripped the tree bare.

I have a rather inquisitive robin who seems to have taken up residence - or rather assumed my garden as his territory - for the winter and is singing cheerfully at all times of the day and night and there are still plenty of blue tits enjoying nuts and seeds in spite of the many red kites soaring overhead with their funny mewing sort of cries.   It was amusing to see the swifts that had deserted the garden months ago still doing their swooping and peeping in southern France and good to watch them in the sunshine with a beer in hand!

In spite of the sun we have had this year the dahlias are only just about coming in to flower so I doubt I will get to see what they all are this year.  They have never been so late.   This may be partly because they have been so over-shadowed as they have put on a spurt since my major pruning activities.  

But I had one lovely surprise yesterday.   When I went to pick a handful of blackberries and some late raspberries I noticed a few little bunches of grapes on the vine which grows against the outside of the greenhouse.   They are usually pretty sour but I thought I may as well tasted one and they are delicious.   I went on to pick about a pound of tiny, sweet grapes - my first vendange!   It was a bit dark by then - as reflected in the picture!