The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday —Step Four, Friday, April 29, 2022

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Dayphoto

Water is not only the backbone of the farm.

Water is a tool.

To irrigate properly you not only need to understand water, the needs of the water, and how the water performs on the land.

You need to also understand the land you are using the water on!

For some people, like Mom, watering yard…she just turns the spigot on, moves the hose with the sprinkler head here and there all over the lawn in 30 minutes stretches.

Also, Mom takes off the sprinkle head and puts on a soaker head so she can water her flower beds.

Yes, this takes lots of time, because Mom doesn’t have a sprinkling system.

But for the water on the farm, on this side of the Rocky Mountains, in the high mountains desert…water is moved through furrows.

Other places rely on rainfall—that will never happen here.

Some other places pump water out of a river, or lake, or pond, or an aquifer into huge sprinkler systems that never stop. (Because sprinkle systems only put down a tiny amount of moisture at a time, so the sprinkler has to be moving constantly to get everything wet down to the roots of the plant.)

Some places flood-irrigate…like rice paddies, for instance, or some other type of crop which moves lots and lots of water onto the crop then take it away and let it dry, only to repeat again later.

Here we take our water onto the land in a big head — the head is made up of shares. The Shares are the amount of water allowed for that farm.

Moving water onto the farm takes timing, balance, athletic ability (you have to stand or jump on the ditches), and an understanding of the farm and water.

Mom says there is something so beautiful, soothing, and marvelous about working the water on the land. Just listening to the water is calming; making sure the water is doing what it’s supposed to —

run down each row…the row that amount of water is allotted to is exciting.

Sometimes the water wants to ‘cut over’ into its neighbor’s row, or something jumps into the row—like a clod of dirt, or the remainder of last year’s corn cob/stalk — getting the water BACK into its own row and taking the block out can be a tad exciting (and muddy and stressful.

But seeing the water running nice and even, the sides of the furrow’s turning browner soaking up the water, watching the ground soak up the water all the water to the middle.

WONDERFUL!

At least two more chapters in the backbone of water—Stay tuned!

(See my gift to Mom—MOUSE!)

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —Step Three, Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Dayphoto

Step Three—On the Land

Once the headgate is opened, Dad and Mom have forked out all the ditches in use, then it’s time to start the water into the fields.

Water is never, ever wasted. It goes into one field and runs to the bottom of that field in a small ditch, which takes the water to another field.

This goes on until the last field of the farm,

then that water goes back into the canal to go to other farms along the way.

This happens over and over and over again until the water winds up in the Colorado River.

Water is never wasted ever!

We move to step four—keep watching this place for more interesting information about the backbone of our Farm! (and wonderful photos of ME!)

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday —Step Two, Friday, April 22, 2022

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Dayphoto

Mom and Dad lift up all the siphon tubes out of the ditches, fork out all the trash

Before 7:00 in the morning, Dad calls the Uncompaghre Valley Water Users ditch rider. Our ditch rider rides for the FN Lateral. That is the canal from which we get the water that goes to our place.

Our headgate has its own number and everything. And our farm, just like every farm within the Uncompaghre Valley Water Users area, has its own share of water. This water was decided way back in 1902 — every farm gets its number of shares forever and ever and ever. And that farmer (owner of the farm) must pay for the shares…they are not a freebie. Just so you know, Mom and Dad say the cost of the water for each farm is more than the taxes on each farm. Water is an expensive part of farming.

Once at the headgate he lifts up the dam stopping the water from going into our farm.

After Dad talks to the ditch rider, he heads up to the headgate, opens the dam the amount the ditch rider says he can have (yes, sometimes you don’t get the 100% you pay for, sometimes you only get a percentage—it all depends on the snowmelt.)

The amount of water Dad can have, leaves the canal and heads onto the place—at that point Mom and Dad scoop trash out the ditches, so the trash cleaners don’t get over-whelmed.

Then they move to the first field they are starting the water on.

This goes on from the first day in April when the headgate is first opened until the last day in September when Dad decides the crops are finished taking in water.

Twice or more times a day…

Mom and Dad go out, check the trash,

check the furrows to make sure they are not trashed up,

and move the water to the next furrows on and on and on.

Step Three will tell you more. In detail. I think.

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —The First Step, Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Dayphoto

The First Step of the First Step is clean the canal.

Then clean all the ditches.

After that Dad goes out and makes the big ditches

Then he goes back out and makes the waste ditches (smaller ditches)

Then before he plants, he marks out the fields

And then he and Mom BEGIN!

That means they start the water on the farm.

Step One!

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday —How it all Begins, Friday, April 15, 2022

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Dayphoto

It all begins with snow. Lots and lots of snow.

That snow then melts way, way up there in the high, high mountains. Taylor Park Reservoir is owned and managed by the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users.
(I don’t really know these things, but Mom does, so I’m letting Mom write this for a little bit. TLC Cai-Cai)

The melted snow, which turns into water, flows all the way down to the Blue Mesa Reservoir whereby it then flows into all the canals, which water all the farms along the way from here to there.

Uncompahgre Valley Water Users has one storage dam, several diversion dams, 128 miles of canals, 438 miles of laterals, and 216 miles of drains.

Now that Mom told you that…I’ll tell you, come to Spring. The Ditch Riders open the canal so Dad and lots of other farmers can get water onto their farms and start irrigation.

That means my days of catching mice IN the canal are over.

(Ditch riders burning the trash in the ditches)

Water—this is the life-blood and the backbone of the farm

(cleaning out the trash)

(Trash heading to the bridge on a wave of water)

Lots of muscle to keep from flooding

Through the bridge!

A Big Day is the day the canal is open!

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —The Back Bone and Life Blood of the Farm, Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Dayphoto

The backbone of the farm is not Dad—although, he does put lots of backbone into making the farm what it is. Nor is it, Mom. Mom doesn’t make the farm go; she helps Dad make the farm go. Mom says there is a difference.

The backbone isn’t the land, the land IS the farm.

Nor is it the seeds, fertilizer, or crops. Those are extensions OF farming.

The backbone isn’t animals with backbones…we all have backbones, so living breathing things don’t count as the farm’s backbone.

The Back Bone and the Life Blood of the Farm is WATER!

It takes Water to make the farm and it takes water to make the farm grow so for this last series of FARMING—We are going to learn all about water on the farm!

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday —Farm Life Series, Chapter 9, BUGS, Friday, April 8, 2022

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Dayphoto

We have BUGS!

Sometimes I try to catch them.

Sometimes I try to eat them.

We have bugs of all sorts: crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and spiders.

We have:
FLIES—flies I try to kill! I chase them, I pounce on them, I swat them—there are all sorts of flies: house flies, horse flies, deer flies, biting flies, blowflies, fat flies, skinny flies we got them.

They all buzz, bite, and get in your ears! ALL OF THEM!

You know what? They don’t get in my ears! Nope, but they do get in the equine’s ears and in the dogs’ ears. I don’t know why they don’t bother cats, but they don’t.

Heheheh.

Mosquitoes—monsters, each and every one of them!
Gnats—Mom and Dad think these are the most obnoxious, annoying, creatures. They can even chase Mom and Dad on their four-wheelers. (Right along with the giant Horse Flies)
Giant Horse Flies and slender little horse flies. These winged monsters eat anything walking around with warm blood in it. And they will chase you down to get the blood.
Wasps—Mom is very allergic to these and Honey bees. Their harpoons have been known to knock Mom down and out. Until the Benadryl kicks in and she can get her get-up and go going again.

Well, I think we covered all our wildlife,

what a farm is,

how to live and

work on a farm…

I think the next and last thing I’m going to talk to you about is the life-blood of the farm.

WATER!

So, see you soon!

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —Farm Life Series, Chapter8, Those Things that SLITHER and Hop, Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Dayphoto

First, there are

SNAKES!!

(this is a snakeskin)

We have two kinds, that Mom and I know of

(This is a bull snake. Photo is by Linda Pierson in Alberta, Canada)

Bull Snakes and Water Snakes.

Bull Snakes are non-poisonous…they can get BIG…Long…and they are fast. Mom and Dad see them, once in a while in the alfalfa fields, but Mom said they haven’t seen one for a long time now. She doesn’t know why.

Then we have

WATER SNAKES! They live here, there, everywhere. We have them in the farmyard, on the ditch banks…in the fields.

Mom has two that live in the hen house with the hens. I see them once in a while when I’m in the hen house.

They don’t bother anything, but the mice. One snake can eat one mouse a week.

They seem to eat everything whole, so if you are in the hen house and see a snake with a bulge in its tummy then you know said snake was helping me keep the mouse population down.

That said—they do scare me a bit and I have seen Mom jump a little jump when one of the snakes comes slithering out from under the nest boxes.

Mom and Dad try to take care of the water snakes, if they are laying on the bridge taking in the sun and the warm cement…then one of them shoos the snake off the bridge so the vehicle can drive on over.

If there is a snake on one of the farm roads – yep, Dad or Mom takes a shovel and lifts the snake off into the weeds so the tractor or four-wheeler can pass by.

Snakes. Fuzzy hated snakes, he would shake and snap them to death. Me…I just go the other way.

Other Things that are a creepy factor to them are:

Lizards—we have little greenish-gray lizards with strips along

It’s back and sides…I think they are called—six-lined race runner. I call them “FUN TO CATCH!” which is exactly what I try to do when I see one!

Frogs and Toads:

We don’t have lots of frogs

Once in a while, one or two will float down in the irrigation water,

but that’s all.

What we do have lots of are toads.

Mom LOVES toads.

She has little toad houses for them.

She tells me to leave the toads alone

She tells me to leave the toads alone they eat lots of bugs.

Mom doesn’t have to worry about that…they don’t even look good enough to chase.

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday —Farm Life Series, Chapter 6, Those Things I Know Lots About, Friday, April 1, 2022

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Dayphoto

Now we are talk’n. I know lots, and lots, and lots about RODENTS!

What is a rodent—well, let’s see: They are usually small, with fur, four legs, two ears, one nose, one mouth, little black (usually) eyes, and VERY SHARP Front teeth!

The rodent I know very most about is called MOUSE!

We have mice (mice is what you say if you are talking about more than one mouse) —just so you know.

(Coyote watching mouse)

We have mice EVERYWHERE! In the sheds, in the haystack, in the ditches, everywhere.

Although, Mom and I are very careful to not have any mice in the house!

EVER!

I am a very good mouse hunter, a player with, killer, and eater of MICE! I usually can eat at least three mice a day!

That is a lot.

We have deer mice and field mice. My favorite to eat are the babies, the other ones taste good too, but my favorite are those little ones just learning to run!

Anywho—-we also have Rabbits.

Once in a while, we get a rabbit in the farmyard.

But mostly rabbits are on the farm. Over by the equipment area where they can hide IN the equipment and stay SAFE!

Mom actually likes rabbits. So do the coyotes, the fox, the hawk, the random eagle, you know…rabbit—yumm— good to eat!

So…so Mom and Dad let the rabbits hideout in the equipment area. They take care to make sure the rabbit nests are safe

Just know we have bunnies. Cute, soft, bunnies.

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —Farm Life Series, Chapter 5, RUN FROM THESE, Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Dayphoto

FIRST and FOR MOST is that black and white striped cat-like creature that stinks to HIGH HEAVEN!

SKUNKS!!!

Skunks are —well, stinky. They also are good bug catchers, and…if Mom isn’t careful…eaters of CHICKENS!!!

Skunks love to spray things, and for sure— dogs. But since I’m not a dog, when I see a SKUNK, with his/her tail all fluffed up…I RUN! I’m not stupid like a dog.

I have no desire to ‘take on a skunk’ — I don’t want to meow at it, run headlong at it with my mouth open and loud sounds coming out of my mouth, nor do I want that NASTY GREEN STINK to hit me in the face!
Let’s just say…I’m smarter than a dog!

Just say’n.

Then there are

PORCUPINES!

Randomly we have one or two come into the yard and snack on the fruit in the Apricot trees, but mostly porcupines stay out on the farm.

Porcupines are another DOG Magnet! Not cat magnet…DOG MAGNET!

Dogs LOVE porcupines! There is always at least one dog who never learns what a porcupine can do TO a dog. That said dog get clobbered with QUILLS up the nose, in the mouth, down the throat, all over the face.

(This is Hank Puff–the grandkids’ dog)

Then there are dogs who never get clobbered or, if they do, it’s only once, and then it’s maybe just ten or so quills.

Sometimes Cows, horses, and other curious creatures get clobbered with the tail of the porcupine, but cats Never do.

Yes, I know cats are known to be very, v.e.r.y. curious, but when it comes to DANGER…cats know to SCRAM out of there! A porcupine and his tail of quills spell DANGER!

You see…Cats are SMART! Very Smart!

Then there are those extremely clever creatures called

RACOONS!

Raccoons are over-the-top smart! I mean eye-q’s of beyond the clouds smart.

Raccoons love eating all sorts of stuff, corn on the cob, corn spilled on the ground, corn scattered to feed the birds, speaking of birds—

raccoons love eating chickens. They reach their very clever little hands through the chicken wire on the pen grab a hen by the neck, pull the neck through the wire, and bite off the head.

If a person were to let their hens run wild all over the yard, lay their eggs wherever then the raccoons would find the eggs and eat them all up.

That is why mom’s hens don’t get to run in the yard until AFTER they lay their eggs!

Raccoons love to eat anything in the mom’s garden…. all the melon’s the corn, tomatoes, you name it. If they don’t eat it then they rip it up and tear it out.

They like all sorts of chicken, dog, cow, horse, and mule feed, so Mom and my sister, Shannon, keep those things in big black plastic barrels shut up in buildings.

Speaking of barrels, raccoons LOVE GARBAGE.

Those very clever and smart creatures can take the lid off a 50-gallon barrel and tip it over scattering all the garbage from here to there.

Raccoons have hands just like humans and they use them just like humans.

Just so you know— MOM DOES NOT LIKE RACOONS no matter HOW cute they are!

Badgers. Now if you want to take on something that looks like a flat skunk, without the big bushy tail, try taking on a Badger.

Those creatures are mean!

Over-the-top mean. Dad has been chased by a badger, Mom said Boomer and Hank were chased by a badger…every fox on the place gives the badgers a wide berth.

Thankfully Badgers don’t come into the farmyard so I’ve never met one. Nor am I likely to go way up to the Upper End or the Back Forty just to see one.