A Skill I Just Don’t Have

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Dayphoto

This is a dam.

A metal triangle that the irrigator has to set quickly into several feet of very fast moving water.

Doing so is harder than one can imagine. Sometimes a orange plastic dam has to be adding in also, but that is another story for another time.

This is the last dam in a set of 4 dams on up the ditch

Setting tubes at the dam is a skill I just can’t seem to master. You have to set the tube in at an angle. You can’t lose the suction of the tube as you move it from the ditch over the edge into the hard to reach row. I give up.

I just give up. It isn’t worth the frustration. Since we all work together then I let Misty or Terry set them. I join the Grandchildren in the ‘it’s just too hard’ department.

For a tube to work you must siphon the water from the ditch into the tube then into the furrow.

The little kids have learned to lay the tube clear down in the water (bury it) cover the curved end with your hand (Blade’s is just now large enough to cover the end and seal out the air), pick the tube up out of the water and carefully lay it into the furrow.

It took be forever to get past the ‘get down on your knees, lean over the ditch bank, get your hands and arms in the water’ stage

To where I am now…bending over, pick up the tube, put one end in the water, cup my hand over the end so I can feel the pressure drawing the water up the tube, quickly set the tube into the furrow. Lots faster than before! And I don’t ever have to get wet.

But Terry and Misty just walk by pick up the tube pump once, (no hand over the end) and flap into the furrow. They do 10 to my 6. DRIVES ME NUTS!

One of these days I’m going to figure it out

I hope!

It’s still cold here, but at least the sun is shining. I sure missed the sun.

Linda

If you would like to learn about some of the cattle brands in our area head on over here.

A Sure Sign of Spring

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Dayphoto

Along the fence rows, ditch banks, and our hillsides—- lives this delightful little plant. It may be cold to me, but when I see this I know spring has arrived!

Guess what we had for supper?

Linda

An Easter Rainbow

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Dayphoto

We had a really nice Easter, lots of good food, 140 eggs to find (in groups of 3) and yummy desserts.

It was cold and rainy. About 4 o’clock the clouds parted and let the sunshine through, with it came this delightful rainbow

The ends were miles and miles apart.

An Easter Rainbow…how Cool!

Linda

Cattle Rustler to be Sentenced Tomorrow

Sunday Stills—-What’s in Bloom

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Dayphoto

Although we are still having very cold weather and still heating the house sundown to sun up with the wood stove, 0ur pear tree is just beautiful…the bees are happy!

Today is Easter! Happy Easter! We even have some sun poking through all the thick clouds. Sure makes me happy …. sunshine.

For more Sunday Stills head over here

Linda

Still Cold Here

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Dayphoto

A cold wind and nasty spitting storm blew in last night, headed up to the mountains, and left us with just the bitter wind.

Sure is exhausting to work in. We come inside chilled and cold. You know the wind is bad when you have to walk doubled over just to make headway. Packing a shovel and siphon tubes is worse.

Sure has been a long, long March.

Sunday is Easter so I’m pinning my hopes that we suddenly slide into better weather. What could happen is we jump right into summer…wait, wait…don’t put that thought out there.

Anyway…

Happy Easter Every One…Here’s to better weather for all of us!

Linda

Making Memories

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Dayphoto

Between all the dogs and the grandchildren, changing water can be a real trip.

It was bitter cold and windy last night, but of course…she wouldn’t wear her coat.

I remember being just like that…coats seemed so confining.

We really don’t mind the kids coming out…they have learned the rules, no playing in the water where the tubes are set, no playing in the ditch where the tubes are set, and no throwing rocks in the ditch….ever.

They are also learning how to set the tubes and dig out the ends.

What more could grandparents ask for?

Linda

Silage from the bottom of the silo often has a strong odor. Such silage should be fed after milking.

This little tip is brought to you by an 1883 Delta Newspaper

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Dayphoto

Linda

In Spite of the Weather

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Dayphoto

I still saw a Rainbow!

Linda

Spring Time in the Rockies

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Dayphoto

We live on a mesa, which is one of the foothills of the Uncompahgre Plateau

We are an arid land, but made rich and green by melted snow rushing its way through the Black Canyon, then into Gunnison tunnel, and finally through a complicated canal system which irrigates fertile farm and ranch lands.

You can see Delta in the valley and Eckert all the way to Cedaredge going up the side of Grand Mesa (the largest flat top mountain in the world)

During WWII farming was America’s’ biggest war industry. On more than six million farms, something like 30 million people-men and boys, women and girls-worked.

Today less than 2% of America’s industry is farming.

The Uncompahgre Plateau is in the background with one of the apricot trees in the forefront

Twenty two million American workers produce, process, sell and trade and … live on farms– slightly less than 2 percent of the total U.S. Population

It’s a good life.

And that’s all anyone can ask for.

For the last in the series about the bank robbery head over here.

Linda

We Opened the Corn Ground

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Dayphoto

I know this story is getting old, but here it is again… wind, rain and spitting snow and wind, and wind, and wind

The wind makes a huge mess with trash. We opened the head gate to start the water in the corn field. Tally was all excited to start helping dig out the roaring water and trash (she really couldn’t help, but she wanted to)

Too much trash! The trash cleaner catches most of it, but still some comes through

It takes all of us working together and fast to keep the water from flooding into the other fields and the road

Trash gets stuck in the pipe so much of it have to be pulled through the gates

All the end have to dug out, since the marker can only get so close

All along the way the trash collects and has to be removed

The girls walked the water, making sure there weren’t any clod/dams in the way.

(When the grandchildren have company spend the night– the company still has to come ‘help’ while everyone works. The company LOVES it…such a neat way to spend your days!)