Terry is leveling the farm ground, even as I write. We are getting closer and closer to starting water.
Speaking of water the irrigation company is supposed to start our canal–The Ironstone– sometime this week. It is the last canal on the system to get water. Putting water into a canal is a HUGE project, it takes several men and a back hoe, because of the trash collected into the canal over the winter. Canals are gigantic transmission ditches, from the head gates of the reservoirs way above us –Blue Mesa and Taylor. The transmission canals move into smaller lateral canals which then flow onto farms for irrigation water.
Our main canal is the Iron Stone, but we live and receive water on the FNC lateral. Today, or no later than Friday the water will be in the FNC lateral, the Uncompahgre Water Company worker bees–called Ditch Riders– will be following the water through our canal taking out the huge amounts of trash.
This is ALWAYS an exciting event for me! (Silly as this sounds, I like changing and setting the water.) For Terry it means hurry, rush, get done, because we need to be getting the fields wet…time is marching on.
The first field we will start the water on (OH! MY! GOODNESS! I just remembered we still have two gated pipe to fix) is the alfalfa field. It’s greening up nicely and is ready for a huge growth spurt once we get the water on the field.
The little family is still here…YAY! Tonight we will have at least Blade and maybe one or two of the girls spending the night. I’m absorbing as much of them as I can. 🙂
Off to work in the yard..I’m tried of looking at a drab and winter weary yard!
Your Friend,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
The alfalfa field is looking good. I know you like getting the water! Enjoy your week with the grands:)
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Thanks, Connie. One of the nice things is the fact Blade LIKES to help. I’m getting lots of stuff done!
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Looking good 🙂
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Thank you, Elaine!
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SpRing! Your busiest season. I have heard that if you love what you do it isn’t work. But gotta say that even if you love changing water it still sounds like work to me! Enjoy the rest of your time with the kidlets (as if I have to tell you) and Happy Easter just in case I don’t “see” you in the meantime.
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Followed by Harvest. Changing water is like milking a cow…it has to be done twice a day sometimes more, other than that its not too bad in the work department.
Happy Easter to you also Sallie!
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love the firepit scene. yay for green! and water on the way!
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So far the only thing that is green is the alfalfa field and early weeds, but I’ll take it!
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Your alfalfa field is looking good — I can only imagine how quickly it will grow once the water arrives. I imagine your yard is greening up as well; ours looks pretty good now, although we still have a lot of work to do. I’m glad you’re enjoying your ‘little family’.
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No green in the yard yet…still pretty dismal.
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These are busy and exciting times for you. For me it is time to plant tomatoes. oh, and thanks to you cannas.
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I won’t get to plant tomatoes until around Mother’s Day! Lucky you!
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I really wishi could share some of our Irish rain with you!
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I would LOVE some Irish rain!
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It never ends! I wish it would sometimes.
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That paddock looks really good with the green early growth.
We could send you plenty of water – this year so far has been excessively wet.
Record breaking amounts and so loud on the roof at night you are unable to
sleep. This Easter will not be one to enjoy camping or at beaches!
Unless you just LOVE rain, clinging wet sand and mud!
The dams that supply water to Brisbane and the south-east corner of Qld
are all at breaking point – over 100% and up to nearly 200% ( I can’t fathom this
one out but a water engineer explained it to me – went way over my non-engineer
head!!). Yet we still pay exorbitant water costs to the councils.
Hope the rain holds off for you to be ready for your water in the canals.
Have a great Easter with your family.
Cheers
Colin (Brisbane, Australia)
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Thank you. I hope your Easter is lovely also!
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Your alfalfa is looking really good, and will love the water when it comes on. I love it when the channel systems start to fill, but it does mean a lot of work is coming your way.
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Yay for family time! Things are beginning to green a bit here, too–a welcome sight!
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Its a strange old world we live it..we have plenty of water on our land and wait patiently for the sun’s warmth to dry it up …yet..you on the other side of the world are waiting for water to wet your land…..have fun….and may all your seedlings grown strong and tall
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Isn’t all that green pushing up lovely? I love these stories of your life, of the rhythm of things…the timing of everything. It’s really beautiful and exciting to me. So different from the rhythms of my life. Yay for the blogosphere! Seeing the water come in must be super exciting. I would feel just like you do. Little girl on Christmas…
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A main irrigation canal cuts through our town and goes right by our house. The neighbors tease us about our “waterfront property.” A small blade caterpillar went down it yesterday to clear out debris and the maintenance guys went through the other day burning trash. The neighbor kids enjoy watching all the fuss but the parents give them the big rule about staying clear once it’s full of water—which should be soon. When they fill it they usually stop by each neighborhood and inform the parents.
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