A Lesson in Tensile Strength, or Things Fall Apart

I first learned about Tensile Strength in my art history classes, studying Greek and Roman sculptures. It is because of tensile strength, or rather, the lack thereof, that so many ancient marble statues are missing arms and legs. Briefly stated, tensile strength is the ability of a material to retain it's shape despite the application of outward force. In order to counteract the effects of gravity, artists would add various sneaky support structures to their statues, such as incorporating the pastoral element of a carved tree to lean on, or strategically placed branches supporting a thin ankle.

It seems as though the grape arbor has more in common with ancient Greece than simply a celebration of Dionysus. You would think that with all of this fancy education I would have remembered about tensile strength. Not so. The 8 foot planks between the posts have begun to bend and split. As a result, in the near future we will need to replace the wood planks with galvanized wire. Sadly, this will negatively effect the aesthetics of the grape arbor, but will certainly increase it's ability to maintain the weight of the vines in the battle against gravity.

In happier news, the grapes appear to be entering the next phase in development known as First Bloom. This is when the "flower clusters" (what we thought were little baby grapes) begin to open. You can see the fuzzy little bunch in the middle of the picture. Apparently we're doing something right!