First Irrigation of the Year—Sunday, April 12, 2015

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Dayphoto

We started the water for the first time Thursday morning around 6:00. Terry worked at the head gate and I cleaned the ditches as the water flowed toward the fields. I rejoiced that I had gained back my summer muscles by the time we turned on the water! You see a person must straddle the ditch, pitch fork in hand and scoop and fling out trash like crazy, then jump back to one side and rush down to a further location, straddle the ditch, and start scooping again until we get to end of our place and the water flows back into the canal.

There is always, always tons of trash in the ditches.

Then Terry joins me, he places the dams along the cement ditch; backing up the water. After which we start the tubes, he digs out the furrows and I start the tubes. We must work fast or the water will back up and flood over the sides creating a mini-disaster.

Twice a day every day the tubes are changed….every two hours or so, the tubes are checked to make sure there is no trash in the ditch and the water isn’t running over into fields that haven’t been worked.

During the daytime–the morning set —we are watering the corn ground —Terry likes to water-up the seeds, instead of planting and then watering.

In the evening we move the water to the alfalfa field, since it doesn’t need to be checked while we sleep.

Spring time work is always a huge, huge push. But there are so many wonderful things about being out there on the land: the smell of the ground as the water hits it for the first time, the extremely cold invigorating wind on your face as you drive the 4-wheeler, the warm body of Boomer as he huddles next to me using me as a shield, the peace and beauty all around, seeing pheasants rise with loud squawks and cries of alarm, if we get too close to them, watching a fox trot along the edge of the alfalfa field searching for mice, bending over and setting a tube (and it works the first time) then moving on, always staying ahead and in a rhythm, the sun coming up and starting to warm the air the land and you, shedding your jacket and feeling the sudden coolness that soon disappears as you work.

Long before we finish the last set of the day the air starts to cool down so the jackets come back on, Boomer is tired and hangs by me all muddy and pleased with himself, the Western Meadowlarks are now silent and the Red-winged black birds chirping sleepy time calls, a little family of Kill Deer run quickly away from us, and the sun breaks forth into dazzling colors, peace and calm settle down upon the land as the life giving water flows toward the end of the field.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Big Fire—Thursday, April 9, 2015

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Dayphoto

I was looking out one of the bedroom windows Sunday afternoon, thinking how much I missed the Grandchildren (they had just left, driving away, going back to their lives in Craig) when I saw a HUGE plum of smoke break out to the north west of our place.

Just then then Misty called and said they could see a huge fire probably close to the Correctional Facility, on Sawmill Mesa road. (Five miles away from us).

Not wanting to be in the fire fighters way, we stayed home. The next afternoon we took a ride over to see the damage. It was vast. There were still firefighters mopping up hot spots…we even saw forest fire Hot Shot vehicles along with the local fire fighter trucks.

The fire was in the Colorado Escalate Wildlife Area. This is the train bridge, all of us locals call it the Black Bridge.

Later we learned that Cedaredge, Olathe, Delta, the Correctional Facility, and the Wildfire Hot Shots were all fighting this HUGE fire.

The flames were being fanned by the 40 m.p.h. winds we were having and had up until last evening around 8 p.m. The air is calm this morning.

No structures were damaged, thankfully! As for the cause of the fire…no one knows yet.

Today we start water on the place. The winds have left and a cold front has replaced it. That water is going to be cold to be putting our hands into. But no matter hot or cold the irrigation water must go on.

I leave you now to head up to the head gate with Boomer and Terry. It’s going to be a very busy day.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Finished!—Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Dayphoto

Finally we are finished with all the gated pipe! What a long job. Although, to be fair we didn’t work at it steady, but here and there until the wind got to be too much or we got tired.

Then we would stop and go work on something else. Blade helped us lots. A thirteen year old boy really is a big help.

Thank heavens for 4-wheelers! To have to carry… by hand… all those pipe would have been over-whelming, although, when we started out farming Terry and I DID lay the pipe by hand.

Anyway, Thankfully we are finally done with the pipe. NOW next step is to mark out the alfalfa, clean the cement ditch, lay out the siphon tubes and start water! Once the water is started it won’t be turned off until harvest.

Twice a day every day (more times, if the water is short) we will change the water. Terry says moving water is just like milking a cow…twice a day no matter what! 🙂

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Wee Visit in the Middle —Monday, April 6, 2015

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Dayphoto

A phone call announced that Terry’s brother and Charlotte were in Telluride, Colorado, and would be coming our way by two or so in the afternoon. They were traveling from Gilbert, Arizona, back to Birmingham, Alabama taking the scenic route. 🙂

They were here a very short time, but we did enjoy them very much.

Today our lives settle back into our regular routines. I don’t know about you, but I do so enjoy routines. I always feel like I get a lot done if I have a system. Otherwise I feel scattered and pulled.

Terry is making ditches and marking out the alfalfa field. It was fertilized this morning in the pre-dawn, BEFORE the wind starts blowing this afternoon. We will start the water in that field either this evening or first thing tomorrow morning.

This afternoon I will be working down at the other house in the yard and up here in my yard. Sure seems to be lots to do this time of year. (But you know something, I’m loving every minute of it! 🙂 )

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Little of This and a Little of That—Sunday, April 5, 2015

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Dayphoto

The eclipse was really cool to watch the other night. Because we are way out in the country, and we live down a country lane, we don’t sleep with our curtains or drapes pulled. On full moon nights the moon beams stream into the bedroom right onto the bed and in my eyes. Therefore, I was awake and ready to watch the Super Moon be eclipsed.

The eclipsed started close to five in the morning…turning a dull brick red around six or so. We never had a full eclipse because the sun started coming up before the moon could be completely covered.

That’s okay…I enjoyed watching every minute of what we had anyway.

The kids got all their Easter eggs dyed ready for the big hunt today. It was fun having an egg dyeing party once more in my kitchen. It’s been a long time since the last time eggs were dyed here. 🙂

We’ve had several nights of freezing weather—I’m sure the apricots are gone, and now the pears. The plums, sour cherries and the apples just might make it this year, but only time will tell. Still the blooms on the pear trees are pretty.

Easter morning is beautiful. Today is our last day with the kids, they will go back to Craig, Colorado, late this afternoon. But first we (all of our daughters and son-in-laws and grandchildren and even Jason’s Dad) are all going to the Uncompahgre Plateau for an Easter Picnic.

I am wishing for each of you a marvelous and wonderful day today!

Happy Easter my Friends!

Linda

CANAL is FULL!–Thursday, April 2, 2015

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Dayphoto

Yesterday was a very busy day and full of lots of new things.

First rattle out of the box I saw a sundog or sunshine on ice crystals in the sky. Sundogs mean cold weather is coming…and SOON!

Today is cold. It’s supposed to get colder, then by Sunday (Easter Day) we will start another slow warm-up.

Around noon the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users worker bees showed up (Ditch Riders), which meant the canal was filling up with water. The above photo show us the HUGE amount of trash which collects in the canals over winter.

Above this tree is our ditch rider, in a backhoe, trying to take out as much of the trash as he can so the bridge will carry the water.

You can see by this photo that the trash is thinning down.

There clean…sorta!

Then I saw this on a blog friend’s site and thought it was cool. I also thought all you would find it interesting (if you don’t already know).

Sota makes a person wonder if a big change really is about to happen, doesn’t it?

We are supposed to have high winds this afternoon (to blow in the cold front) and then again on Saturday and possibly Sunday to blow out this cold front.

Off now to keep working on my yard…what a huge mess it is this year. I hope each and everyone of you have a really nice day!

Your friend,

Linda

Greening Up—Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Dayphoto

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

Guest Post–Life in Turkiye, by Uncle Spike–Monday, March 30, 2015

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Dayphoto

I love learning about other places. That’s why I love blogging and reading other blog posts.

Yesterday, Uncle Spike (former Brit now living in Turkey) did a really nice post on Turkiye (Turkey). He graciously said I could share it with you.

Please read on…I think you will enjoy this post as much as I did.

Western influences continue to transform Türkiye; now whilst some are for the better, that does not account for everything of course, and sometimes I cringe at the needless westernisation that heavily line the vast pockets of the very few – corruption here is a national sport, and one at which we very much excel.

Of course, the populous remain very much Turkish at heart, such as majority blind acceptance of authoritarianism and one of the highest ratios of military/police to population, limited freedoms most westerners cannot fathom, educational challenges you’d scarcely believe, and a highly polarised society which is bordering on levels that raise interesting questions about our future security; particularly considering our regional conflicts that seem to be escalating every week and surround our borders.

But on balance, and having lived in a few countries over many years, and here for a decade, I find the moral fibre of the culture surpasses the negatives. We have unparalleled respect for family, seniority and authority that set the it quite apart from the west (although that may be a contributory factor to some of our challenges too).

If you see six young lads walking down the street, there’s no sense of surprise at all when they greet you with formal politeness, or offer to help an elderly person. When we are out, our only child (7) is readily accepted by much older kids to join in their play (it’s the same on the school bus). But in turn, he automatically greets then as abi/abla (elder brother/sister); such is the cultural difference.

Teachers are revered, as are the elderly. Homes for the elderly… what are they? Never heard of one. Here we look after our own, just as they did for us. That is almost without exception, and something I really value, and probably on the long list of reasons for my immigration. On balance, the financial and political hardships experienced are outweighed by the very Turkishness of daily life.

BUT… as much as changes creeps through, there are some things that don’t change, like roadside services away from the metropolitan areas. Happy weekend folks.

SPIKE

If you want to read more of his posts…he is an orchardist with all sorts of fruit trees and olive trees. Randomly he will post some step by step recipes he and his family enjoy. Head over here!

Your friend,

Linda

My Little Project—Sunday, March 29, 2015

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Dayphoto

Finally my little project is done! After we took out the two unused chimney’s in the other house I had piles and piles of bricks. (All made by the Brick Factory in Delta eons ago. :))

Not only did I have piles and piles of bricks, I had piles and piles of bricks complete with cement still stuck to them. AND they were piled in front of the propane tank, which meant I really had to do something with them quickly.

So gradually every day, I would chip off cement– load the bricks into the wheelbarrow, and push them to their new spot in my yard.

It was a long slog, but I made it.

I now have brick walkways between my flower beds which reside along side of the entrance of our farm…all laided out on weed barrier and sand. My hope is this will keep the weeds down and my need to have to chop weeds between the beds GONE FOREVER!

It looks pretty rough right now, but over time I think everything will soften up. The plants will green up and fill in and cover over some of the bricks, making the lines not so harsh. Then the bricks themselves will settle. The wind will bring in dirt and fill in the cracks.

That’s my hope anyway!

The Craig, Colorado, kids are here. They came in yesterday. It was pure joy to look across the fields and see a light on in that house.

Two of the grandchildren spent the night with us, Blade and Tally…the oldest and the youngest. Which reminds me Bladen has a blog now…it’s a cooking blog. This grandson of ours loves to cook—pretty interesting for a 13 year old boy, I think. He is also very active in sports: football, basketball, and track, plus top of his class in academics. Gosh did this sound like bragging…I guess a tad. Please forgive me.

We are warming up. Today it’s supposed to hit 80* (26 c) YAY!

Anyway, I hope each of you have a great day!

Your friend,

Linda

A Cold Front Moved Through—Wednesday, March 26, 2015

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Dayphoto

A very chilly cold front moved through our region yesterday, complete with freezing temperatures this morning. We will have a steady warm-up after tonight, but right now it’s still cold.

The wind was very strong, 30 m.p.h gusts! Most of the apricot blooms have landed on the ground or turned brown on the trees—if we have apricots this year I will be surprised.

I worked down at the little house all morning…dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning…come Saturday the kids from Craig, Colorado, will be home to spend 9 days in the little house. I will start a fire in the wood stove tomorrow and keep it going until they get here on Saturday…a nice clean, toasty warm house to spend Spring Break.

The tree house will once again have life in it, and the swing in the front yard will fly through the air with little kids upon it.

I will stand outside and hear (again) the joyful laughter of delighted children at play. Off and on there will be grandchildren walking over to see us…to check out the snacks (prepared just for them, but they won’t know that), hang out with either Grandpa or myself, maybe climb into our tree, or see if Grandpa will either take them for a ride, or let Blade —now age 13–drive the 4-wheeler, so they can ride.