Grapevines

When I was in Burnsville, walking around the square (pun intended) the scents of lavender and other flowers planted along the sidewalk floated up to my nose as I passed. Reaching the huge front deck of the Garden Deli I could barely make out that a deck was there because the flowers and vines are so lush and thick. The sweet scent of ripening grapes and grapevines filled the area.

The large grape leaves and wisteria grow up the front and over the top covering the rafters of the deck so thickly that I doubt if rain drips through. An umbrella adorns each table just in case it does. But it’s the scent of the grapevines that pulled at me as I walked by.

I notice many grape arbors, usually in the back portion of properties as I drive in North Carolina from the east coast to the mountains. Inhaling the aroma and seeing the arbors kicks up the memory of running through these sweet tunnels as a youngster until the grapes were ripe. Then the bees became so thick in number and so busy that I didn’t dare to intrude on their territory.