August 16, 2011

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Dayphoto

I heard this really loud bird up in the cottonwood tree….loud! Finally I had to go see who/what was making such a racket. There, next to a little Hummingbird nest, sat this tiny hawk. (At least I think it was a tiny hawk) I watched for a long time trying to figure out what was going on—was the hawk after the hummer? Were there any babies in the nest? I never found out the answer to either one of my questions, but for sure, I never saw a hummer fly even close by.

I think the nest is empty, after several days I have not seen any type of activity around or close by it from any of the hummers in the yard.

As for the tiny hawk…he flew away.

A very fast thunder and lightening storm blew in causing a forest fire some where behind Grand Mesa somewhere.

Other than that life is really busy. Its canning season…that speaks for itself. The pinto beans are getting close to harvest…the lower leaves are starting to turn yellow and the pods are starting to stripe. Terry is thinking that maybe, just maybe….there will be one more irrigation for the pintos, or not. Terry will check all the soil and see if they need more water. Terry really doesn’t want to water if they don’t need it….trying to combine in mud is NOT good.

Linda

The name Delta

Harvests are Starting in Our Area

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Dayphoto

It doesn’t seem possible but we are on the last irrigation of the season for the pinto beans. The pods are full and the beans are starting to harden up, once the pods stripe Terry will put the bean puller on the tractor and pull the plants. This will allow them to dry. Then he will combine.

About the middle of September (is our prediction) we will begin the harvest of the pinto beans.

This year I have raised 10 different varieties of dry bush beans (like pinto beans). Because they are in the yard they are ripening and getting ready for harvest sooner.

I just harvested my Red Mexican bean.

I have several others in the drying stage,

of course my harvest is all done by hand 🙂

The sweet corn harvest is in full swing also. We wake up every morning (5:00) to the sound of the sweet corn pickers on thier way to work. The first load of corn heads into the cooler around 6:30. They stop picking about dark. If you see Olathe Sweet or Mountain Sweet—-sweet corn in your market you will know it came from a farm somewhere close to ours!

Enjoy your summer, it’s starting to some to a close when the harvests begin!

Linda

The first correspondent of the first newspaper in Delta

Harvest On Hold

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Dayphoto

It’s raining here….again!

The only farmers working are the sweet corn harvesters and the farmers/ranchers with ensilage or chop’n corn. These guys must think a big freeze is coming, because most times farmers don’t want to work in mud. But they have tractors pulling the trucks out when they get stuck. The other thing they don’t like is to have half thier field out on the highway or roadways.

We are stopped until it drys out. Pinto Beans Can Not be harvested in mud. Rain smashes the pod down into the ground so the combine isn’t able to pick up the vines and thrash out the beans.

So we wait.

I did see a patch of blue sky last night so hopfully by this weekend we can begin again.

Linda

Busy, Busy, Busy

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Dayphoto

Sorry for not posting for awhile, but I have been busy, busy, busy. Both at home and at work.

Over the weekend we headed to the plateau to cut firewood…winter is coming on so we need to get a huge pile of wood for heat.

A fire wood cutting permit only costs around $20 for a cord of wood. BUT you are required to purchase 2 permits at once.

You are only allowed to cut dead standing trees—which helps clear out the potential of fuel for a forest fire.

So we took a truck, Evan came and filled his truck, and Misty and her family brought thier truck. Between all of us we were able to get our permits full.

We have several deer that live on our farm and love to eat with the cows and snack on the corn. They are NOT appreciated when they start snacking on the corn! This big fellow seems to be the head of the herd and you can tell he has lived here a long, long time.

Third and last cutting of hay is done for the year,

and the pinto bean harvest has begun.

The only irrigation now is to water up the hay ground so it winters over well.

We should be able to harvest the corn some time in October.

Gosh this growing season has gone fast!

Linda

The Pinto Beans are Looking Very Good

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Dayphoto

The pinto beans are starting to close the rows. They are shooting ‘feelers’ and blooming like crazy.

Last evening, after changing water in the corn field, Terry and stopped and checked the beans

Not only are they vineing out and blooming they are setting pods.

In four, maybe five more weeks we will start the bean harvest.

(( sob)) winter is fast approaching.

Linda

Cultivating the Pinto Beans for the Last Time

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Dayphoto

Terry cultivated the pinto beans for the last time this growing season. The pinto beans are starting to shoot feelers (tendrils). This will cause the rows to grow shut. The little plants are also blooming; soon bean pods will appear and then fill with the tasty little beans.

Linda

The Middle of Summer

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Dayphoto

Terry finished cultivating the corn and the pinto beans.

He likes to use the 730 because the clutch is a hand clutch and not a foot clutch.

There will be one more cultivation of the pinto beans, but the corn is too tall now. As soon as the bean shoot feelers all tractor work is done until harvest. The only thing left (on tractor work) is making alfalfa into hay.

Of course we will continute to irrigate, changing the water every 8 hours. Water is short, with reports that it could get shorter.

It’s hot. But we are having some moisture flowing in from Mexico after noon.

We cool down when it comes in which is really nice.

But we heat back up after the storm moves on.

That’s summer for you in our part of the high mountain desert!

Here’s how I cultivate! 🙂 This hoe never seems to leave my hand…I have it my yard, in the garden, and helping remove Canada Thistle, Star Thistle, Sticker Weed, Nodding Thistle, and other nasty stuff, which gets between the bean plants. Once the beans shoot feelers I won’t have to be out there, but until then….

Summer is lots of work, but I would rather have summer than winter. Terry, now, he would rather have cold, dark, dreary, drab winter. Oh, oops! I think those are my words.

The Fourth of July is tomorrow. (and then by Tuesday they should have the part to fix my internet receiver! YEA!)

Happy 4th, everyone!

Linda