After making the ditches
Of course once the water is turned down
Along with it comes the trash
There is a reason the farmers in our area call it “fighting the water”.
It is still cold here. And sticking your hand in ice water to dig out trash lets you know just how cold it is.
The wind is also (still) blowing. Terry takes one field and I take the other, 
between the two of us we are able to get everything set before dark.
Tonight we start the water on the corn ground. I d.r.e.a.d. the corn ground…oh well, it must be done.
For more excitment on the Delta Robbery in 1883 go here: http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
All the best with the irritation, I mean irrigation!
Enjoyed your historical post on the bank-robbers. Rather macabre photos of the deceased, one looks to be propped up with sticks.
We’re just setting off to brand some calves … undoubtedly there’ll be photos.
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Ouch you make my fingers feel cold just reading this and working in a cold wind…….I congratulate you and I’m glad its not me.
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I am shivering with you. It LOOKS cold!
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I don’t envy you in the least bit having to work with ice cold water. I get chills just thinking about it. I hope warm weather soon gets to your part of the world.
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I get the impression that you love history, as do I! After reading your notes about the museum I can’t wait to get out there to check it out!
I have wonderful memories of going to the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose with my late grandfather and listening to him identify the folks that were in the pictures and telling stories about them. I wish that I had of recorded it.
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Hi Linda, OH–I’ll bet that water is COLD…. I hate cleaning out ditches. We live down a hill–so everyone’s junk comes down the hill when it rains hard –and it stops at our house…. Fun fun!!!!
Lots of work for you all… AND it looks cold there… Brrrrr…
Hugs,
Betsy
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I remember irritating 😉 I hated it! I could use that ditcher to get RID of some water around here.
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Thanks, I love learning all about how farmers work.
Finally get a clearer idea of how the irrigation system works.
What you’re all growing?
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Oh, I am so grateful for our pivot irrigation system!! The way you have to irrigate looks like such labor intensive work! Hope it warms up a little for you. It’s in 80’s to 90’s here already. So makes for hot, dry winds.
Blessings!
CottonLady
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does the wind ever NOT blow? 🙂
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At that time was there much discrimination shown towards the Irish in that area. Of course having a crew of Irish robbing banks can hardly have endeared the race. But the question might be why did the McCarthy’s become robbers in the first place.
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I never cease to be impressed with the work that has to take place on a farm.
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Hi Linda, Have you ever tried some of those neoprene waterproof gloves? I have heard they work marvelously. The corn field is the one that has to make the imprint to form the memory ..right? Someday your Grands will read this and say that is how Grandma and Grandpa used to farm..:)
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But it looks like you have great soil to work with. There is a fine crop of hay in the making. All those ditches and pipes makes the desert blossom. But irritating is another good term for fighting the water.
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Too bad we can’t send some of our water your way! Hope your source is plentyful. We don’t irrigate in our area. No place to draw from, so it’s either feast or famine. Plenty of feasting these days.
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I wish I could send you some of our melting snow which is making huge mud puddles all over. Work on a farm is never done. Always chores but I think retirement would be worse for you because once you’re used to being busy all day, it’s hard to be idle and not work the land. Lovely photos.
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What a contrast with our fields, which seem to get greener by the minute!!
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I got my flower bed drip system up and going this weekend because I have a lot of compost in it and it hasn’t rained in a week or so, but the fields still seem quite damp around here. I doubt they’ll need to irrigate for another couple of weeks, unless we get one of those north winds that dries everything up. Right now they’re harvesting asparagus, beets (the little red ones you eat), and snow peas. Yum. The first batch of sweet corn was planted a couple of weeks ago, I think. It’s not coming up yet.
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Loved the history lesson (o:
I complain about the cold wind….”Drop me off at the door of walmart cause the wind is cold.”
What a baby I am…guess you have to get tough if you are a farmer…but I am glad I can stay warm.
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