The Survivor Tree in the Vineyard

I took the scenic route from Paso Robles to Templeton today so I could photograph the spring vineyards in their green outfits. The route I took from Paso Robles was from South Vine north on Kiler Canyon and then a left on Arbor Road where they intersect. This route leads through a rural residential area, past vineyards and wooded areas, and finally ends on Highway 46 West beside Summerwood. This spot is just north of the Summerwood tasting room. For that reason, I believe these vineyards are part of Summerwood. I don't see any other tasting room on this side of Live Oak Road, but I suppose someone else might own some of these acres.

I see there is some new construction going on near the large tree. Unfortunately, I've no idea yet what they are building there. Part of me hates to see buildings going up in the middle of acres of grape vines, but I can see why someone might want to live there or build an outbuilding related to the vineyard business.

If you click to enlarge the photo to full size, you will better see the tree that interests me most -- the little one on the horizon. I've been watching it for years. What used to be half of it is missing. I call it the survivor tree. I made this key chain long ago, as it looked when I  first noticed it, to honor its will to keep growing, even though part of it is gone. If you look closely at the key chain and compare it to the photo,  you can see this little tree is making some progress as new leaves cover the what's left of the lost branch. The key chain is a bit more dramatic because I took the photo it's made from on a stormy day just after a rain, at dusk.

 Keychain-Oak Tree, I'm a survivor!