Spring is the time for olive farmers to prune their trees. Every olive grove is dotted with piles of silver prunings, gathered into heaps ready to be burned on a still day. Sometimes the horizon will be dotted with spirals of pale smoke rising for the burning twigs. The pruning can be quite brutal with entire branches lopped off, leaving the tree trunk and a single thin branch, but new growth soon appears again. Sometimes the work is more drastic. Last March, the olive trees in this narrow grove were lifted. By August, the land is recovering and wild plants taking over again. 5 to remember
podar – to prune
la hoguera – bonfire
quema – it burns
el humo – smoke
una espiral – spiral