SIXTEEN

GRAPE VINEYARDS

August 11, 2008

One of our Father’s Dreams became a Reality when our parents purchased that Grape Vineyard Ranch out in the Easton, California in 1975. Our parent’s “Good Intentions” was to provide our family with a “Quiet Country Lifestyle.” That’s exactly how it was for the first couple of years. And even though our Grape Vineyards were sold more than “Fifteen Years Ago” when our family eventually moved back to Fresno, our father still talks about “His Ranch” to this very day.

It’s a shame how the price of Raisins dropped so quickly back in 1990’s. That, and the fact our parents had already reached their “Senior Years” made running our Ranch unsafe, and unfeasible. You know as well as I do Big Brother, it was just the right thing to do.

So as a tribute to our “Father’s Ranch,” let’s talk about the happier times we shared working those County Vineyards. For one thing, it involved more work year-round compared to our Gardening Business when we were off during “winter.” Our father may have also thought that Ranch was going to be easy to maintain because it looked so neat at purchase. Thousands of Grape Vineyard Rows had been pruned and tied after last year’s Harvest. The ground in-between the long Vineyard Rows had just been neatly disked. Seeing the Grape Blossoms already showing on the vine looked so alluring to our father who was ready to buy “His Dream.”

When the Seller came down in his Asking Price and explained how a Massey Ferguson Tractor with Disks, Leveler, and Furrow Attachments would also be included with the purchase of the Ranch, our father couldn’t resist. Besides, the Seller had said that there were other people interested, and would be stopping by to take a look. Hmmmm?

(That’s the oldest line in the book.)

After Escrow finalized we went to the Ranch with about three different keys in this small envelope. I remember you jumping on that Old Red Massey, and how our father found your actions so amusing. He got up there with you and started showing you on how to “Properly step on the clutch, then move the stick shift into gear.” The foot brakes and gas handle by the steering wheel were covered next as I watched stood on the ground by myself in disappointed.

I was thinking, “Why isn’t our father teaching ME how to drive our Tractor first?! I might be a little younger, but I’m no Dummkopf!” As you started “pretending to drive,” steam began exiting my big ears. As I watched, I felt as if my legs had sunk in Quicksand up to my knees.

Our father surprisingly me when pulling out this small silver key from his pocket, and starting that Tractor for you. I felt as though all of this was happening too fast for me to handle! It was rough to see the two of you shift into first gear, then start moving into an open area in front of our Doublewide Mobile Home. Soon, you began shifting gears as smooth as “Spreading Jam on top of Seven Grain Toast.”

When our father finally noticed my disappointment, he told me, “Do worry; there’s a lot of other Ranch Work you’ll be doing.” In the following weeks I found-out exactly what he meant while being taught how to “Irrigate Properly.” The explanation went something like “Watering matures the little green grape bunches into sweet juicy grapes. And it’s your job water the vines.”

You on the other hand, were being taught on how to Disk into between the Vineyards while driving the Tractor straight in the center of the rows. The few times you went crocked and wiped-out two or three vineyard stumps in a matter of seconds! But our father just chalked it up as learning lesson. (Wow! I would have fired you on the spot like Donald Trump!)

I still remember watching you drive up and down the center of the vineyard rows while you build your confidence. Our father would yell at me for not giving him my total attention. Then after we walked to the end of the rows, he showed me something I’d never noticed before because they were slightly covered in Quicksand. On the ground at the beginning of each row were these “Round Cement Watering Valves” I’d come very accustomed to over the following years.

Our father said, “Remember when watering, only turn the Metal Valve Cap 1 ½ times counter-clockwise. The water will then be slowly released, and the Vines will be thoroughly watered. Don’t forget now! Only turn-on the valves counter clockwise 1 ½ times, and no more or else the water will run too fast and cause flooding!” But back then as teenagers accidents tend to happen. Right Big Brother?

I remember becoming excited I’d been “Assigned My Own Work,” and our father trusted me doing it just as he’d instructed. So after quickly changing into a pair of our father’s Old Work Boots that were about 6-7 sizes bigger than my foot, I made my way in between Rows 1 & 2. Just as instructed by Sergeant Carter, I turned the valves on 1 ½ times on only three rows in order to have good watering pressure and total control of my work.

There I stood, mesmerized at the “Freshly Furrowed Rows of Rich Soil” as they began to change a darker shade of brown when overtaken by slow running water. Using one of father’s old wooden shovels to control the flow of water, I quickly received this long splinter in the palm of my hand just after the first thrust into that “Damn Quicksand!” After cursing for a couple minutes I looked-up hearing the Tractor getting closer. As you drove by you kept giving me your “Famous Smirk” after seeing what had happened to me.

You started standing-up on the Tractor, whistling this “annoying tone” while I was still trying to remove my splinter. Every time I’d look you way you’d tease me with funny faces I thought weren’t funny at all. Discussed I thought, “Why couldn’t I’ve been adopted by a Worm Farmer?”

By the time you became a “Furrow Master” and stopped crashing into vines, I thought I’d also developed some “Superior Watering Skills.” I’d run from row to row shoveling the sand faster than I’d ever done before. But there were times when the water would break a little, and start traveling the wrong direction towards our Neighbor’s Property! In those instances our father would yell, “Just hurry and go fix the problem!” So I did.

I’d run as fast as I could through the rows of water in my Work Boots that didn’t fit. But the Quicksand underneath the water felt like it was trying to capture my feet with every stride. Upon arriving to our “Neighbor’s Property Line” next to the Large Horse Corral that always kept 4-5 Horses, I’d began shoveling as fast as I could. But it still took me a short while before I could get that small flood totally under control. (Ahhhhhh! I finally did it.)

At the end of that first day my arms felt as if they were going to fall from their sockets. When I showed you the big blisters and splinters now in both of my hands, and how I could hardly lift my arms that night before bed you said, “Watering is easy! Don’t be such a Crybaby!” After hearing your mean words I just wanted to wring your Little Tractor Driving Neck like a Churro! (Yes, you were really something else back then.)

On the second day our father gave me some “Old Work Gloves” that fit me big like his boots. Well at least they prevented me from getting anymore splinters and blisters. But why hadn’t he given them to me the day before? I guess it’s just “Water under the Bridge.”

I was also thankful that our father showed me the proper way to handle my Wooden Shove. He’d instruct me to hold my hands apart on the handle, and widen my lower and upper grips. Bending my knees while shoveling also instantly made things a lot easier for me. It probably saved us hundreds of dollars in Chiropractic Bills.

I remember when you finished Disking and Furrowing our father informed you your next job was to “Go get a shovel and start helping me irrigate.” When hearing this being told right in front of me, I remembered the way you looked at me the other day, Big Brother. So I smirked at you, and said, “Don’t get upset?! Remember? Watering is easy so don’t be a Crybaby!”

(Yes payback time!)

After you found another pair our father’s old Work Boots and Gloves with dust on them from the “Ford Model T Era,” we began racing each other to see who could irrigate their assigned half of the Ranch the fastest. Quicksand was flying everywhere as we tried out shoveling the other! The sound of water being released quickly became louder and louder as we ran to multiple Valves, and quickly turned-on.

As I look-up, I noticed you were ahead of me with your work, so I tried moving faster in order to catch-up. I was so determined to outperform you at something, anything for that matter because you always won at everything. But in my haste, I’d forgotten about our father’s instructions on “Watering 101,” and opened all my Valves about 3-4 turns! When you saw this “Enormous Aquatic Mistake” of mine you yelled “Hey Flash, the water’s breaking at the end of the first rows you turned-on, and is now flooding over! Did you remember to turn-on the Valves only 1 ½ times like our father had told you?!” (My heart dropped to the Quicksand!)

Of all times for this to happen! I’d finally caught-up to you only to looked back and see our neighbor’s property starting to flood once again, but this time it was worse. I first had to double back, turn-off the first Valves completely, then turn them back on exactly 1 ½ turns. I then had to run to the opposite end of the vineyard rows by our neighbor’s property, and start shoveling really fast while trying to make high dirt boarders that continued cave in the rushing water!

While taking a few seconds to rest, I was standing in the middle of this flood, and it reminded me of “Noah’s Ark” right before he was carried-off with his animals on his Voyage. Not giving-up, I final managed make this “Great Wall of Dirt” in front of the Horse Corral before this big surge of water had a chance at carrying-off the horses and our neighbor’s house. I just kept thinking to myself, “Only turn-on the valves one and a half times! Only one and a half times Dummkopf!”

How could I have possibly forgotten what our father had stressed before?!

After that “Wild Water Experience” it’s not surprising how I never forgot about our father’s “Watering 101 Instructions” ever again. When the Grape Bunches matured and the Sugar Content was at its highest, we finally got to experience “Grapes Picking” for the first time in our lives. We thought it was going to be an easy, fun job to do. But “Reality” quickly burnt our falsehoods. It was difficult picking those Fragile Grapes Bunches without them falling apart in our hands.

Our father instructed us to be very careful with our Grape Knives when picking because they were a lot sharper than a “Butter Knifes” we were only accustomed to. We were also issued those Shiny Gray Plastic Grape Pans with the price stickers still on. You made a comment about using the Pans as “Plastic Sleds to go down Snowy Mountains,” but our father wasn’t amused one bit.

Once we started Picking on two Vineyard Rows next to each other, I remember no matter how fast I worked trying to keeping-up, you still filled your Grape Pan a lot quicker. You always laid 3 or 4 Grape Trays ahead of me not matter how hard I tried. When we were done, thousands of Yellowish-brown Grape Trays were left in each row. It was a pretty impressive.

At the end of that “First Harvest,” my hands and fingers were so scared-up like I’d used a Bayonet instead of a Grape Knife when Picking. But your hands looked like they’d just played marbles in the Virgin Sand. Don’t know how you did it, but you did it.

By the end of that First Season I was so determined to beat you at something I’d actually started picking many more rows in less time. I was diligent at my task, while slowly gaining on you more each and every day. This competitiveness we had only brought out the best in me in the long run. So I always looked-up to you no matter what.

This all started when hearing those “Frist Footsteps in our Country Kitchen during our Summer Break before Sunrise.” That rich Coffee Aroma would quickly filled our whole house, and would serve as our alarm clock. We’d rolled-out of bed half asleep wondering what the day would bring.

As the sun began to rise after we’d already started our work, some morning, I could hear your stomach growl like mine from the next row over because we hadn’t eaten breakfast. Our father felt this was no excuse to stop working. So we continued picking Grapes, and would stop briefly to eat a few. “A little for the pan, and a little for my stomach to prevent me from passing-out!” (Just kidding. You know it really wasn’t that bad.)

On some mornings I’d wake-up so hungry I actually thought about eating those Small Lizards that would always across our paths while working with the vines. Did you ever think about catching and eat one of those Wild Rabbits that always “Scared the Beans Out of Me” because they’d suddenly come out of nowhere?!

Do you remember how we’d race down the rows towards our house when our mother called us in to have those “Fat Breakfast Burritos?” You always got the jump on me, Big Brother, as we both left those big clouds of dust far behind. We’d all meet-up with our father underneath those four large shade trees in the front yard. It was a well-deserved break I didn’t want to end.

My Breakfast Burrito was always accompanied with a large plastic cup of Orange Juice, Milk, or Cool Aid. We’d washed-down the last bites of those Delicious Burritos with the large homemade tortillas before it was time to go back to work. My stomach was really satisfied.

I use to wonder if you’d actually catch those Wild Rabbits, and while burning our discarded Grape Tray Papers you had yourself a little Barbeque without me! It would answer the question why you were so fast back then. It’s just funny I hadn’t figured-out your secret before!

The truth is “You got your quickness from eating Wild Rabbit Kabob, and Teriyaki Lizard on a Stick when I wasn’t looking! The reason you didn’t help me with my Irrigation Floods was because you were too busy with your Protein Meals. Why else wouldn’t you warn me against those Swimming Sea Serpents behind me that I didn’t even see?!”

The truth is even though we both had our mistakes, we still managed to help make our “Father’s Dream” a reality, even if it didn’t last forever. But that Ranch was still his Pride & Joy.

“In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent: he will slay the monster of the sea. In that day-“Sing about a faithful vineyard: I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continuously. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.

ISAIAH 27:1-3

THE REPLAY

October 6, 2008

C.S.P. New Folsom

Represa, California

Hello Brother,

I pray that all is well at your home and that you continue to do what you like best. Mike, I don’t know how your mind retains all of those memories of our childhood. If it weren’t for you and your thoughts I don’t think I would have remembered all of those times.

Bro, I sometimes feel like I’m Brain Dead in here, but I do remember the last time I was in this same position and had the same problem. I guess I just try not to think about the Outside World to much while I’m in here and try to keep more focus on the thing happening around me. I don’t like this way of thinking but you know it will be over soon.

Bro, I’m getting close to coming home and sometimes I feel nervous because I know that things have changed a little out there and I’m probably worried about how I’m going to make it out there. Before I used to do almost anything to survive, but now I have nothing I owned before. All I have left is the will to keep on moving forward but I’m still worried about how I’m going to succeed.

I know the Bible says, “Do not worry about Tomorrow, for Tomorrow has worries of its own.” And this is true Bro. I guess I just don’t want to feel the same struggles and same stress trying to make it out there all over again and there’s no getting around that, huh?

Mike, I wish things were different, but I guess these are the Trails and Tribulations I’m just gonna have to overcome on my own. I’m probably just stressing my own self out and need to think more positive. I’ll be alright.

Well Brother, take care and say hello to your family for me and tell them I send my love.

God Bless Us,

Brother Robert

Next Chapter: Chapter#14