Winter’s Work

This weekend we were at our Healdsburg house pruning the over-grown persimmon tree. My old friends Dennis and Melinda showed up with well-worn ladders and pruning shears from Dennis’ family farm. Luckily he also brought his long experience with those shears and helped get the job done.

It made me think about the weeks of pruning that were the main work of deep winter on the prune farm. My Dad really enjoyed this part of the job. Winter days darkened in late afternoon, giving him an excuse to quit early and settle down in the living room. I’d find him there, reading, when the bus arrived home from school about 4 p.m.

I hope the painting Winter’s Work captures the cold, stark light of winter in the orchard.