A Winter Storm- January 12, 2014

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Dayphoto

Terry, I, and Boomer went for a walk yesterday to check out the equipment Terry is wanting to take to the consignment sales coming up. (Fuzzy and Tommy stayed at the grain bins waiting for us.)

We were really surprised at how dry the ground is, although there are still patches of worn-out and tired snow

Mostly on the north side of things.

The four-wheeler road is a tad messy with melt so we all walked in the fields. The fields were actually dry.

Over at the equipment area he decided to take the bulldozer blade, the three-bottom plow, and a couple of more items. We looked at some stuff we have to load up and take to the metal salvage place.

We measure winter by the consignment sales, one in a week, one the first of February and one the first week of March. Once those are done it’s time for spring work.

That evening we could see the promise of snow clouds starting to blow in from Utah.

Although, this morning we woke-up to nothing–just thick cloudy skies, when I went out to do the morning chores

The wind started kicking up and the snow started falling

The sort of wind that takes your breath away.

It was also shoving and pushing and tugging snow along with it

By the time the dogs, myself, and Sam the Cat made it back inside we were wet and grateful for the warm fireplace.

Now, as I sit here, in my upstairs office, I can see that the storm is moving on toward Paonia and the Gunnison Mountain Range. Bringing life-giving water to the land.

Off to haul in some wood, now that I can see again.

Your friend,

Linda

Monday, November 11, 2013

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Dayphoto

Way back here I promised to show you the photos and tell you a little bit about the Diversion Dam.

The Diversion Dam is where our irrigation water starts (and out potable water for our homes) out of the Gunnison River flowing through the Gunnison Tunnel. This is the dam and the little house is sitting over all the ‘workings’ that move the water from the Gunnison to farms along the Uncompahgre Valley (Un-come-pah-gray…accent on the pah). We live in the lower part of the Uncompahgre Valley…the irrigation water starts flowing through farms in Montrose, then Olathe and finally Delta. The water is used many, many, many times before it flows back into the Gunnison River on it’s way to California, Nevada, and Arizona. Water in our neck of the high desert is not wasted. Water in Colorado protected by law…we can not even catch rain water as all water must be allowed to flow back into the land. This link will show you other people’s photos of the dam and the tunnel.

Anyway, our water starts at Taylor Reservoir flows into Blue Mesa Reservoir and then starts it’s way down the Gunnison to Delta, through the Black Canyon.

Gunnsion-River

Only a portion of the river is diverted at the Gunnison dam. The above photo shows you the water flowing onward after the dam.

The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users manage the water with senior water rights on the river. This house is where the people live who take care of the Dam and the tunnel on this end of things.

The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users and Delta Montrose Electric Association combined forces to start a hydro project on the canal…

You are looking at the gate that takes the water to the hydro.

Water…always a fascinating subject for me… Since I grew up at the foot of Grand Mesa (my father and grandfather had big orchards) water was always a topic of discussion. After getting married to a farmer we continued the water discussion …the one of — is there enough to farm with this year? Always a concern.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your short trip. It’s always a treat to take people to see where the ‘water’ comes from, water for drinking and for irrigation in our tiny spot of the world.

You Western Colorado Friend,

Linda

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Dayphoto

The rains have arrived. They threaten all day long, then around 8:00 in the evening they began.

We were lucky that it waited until we got home. Just as I drove into the shed the rain started falling in a serious manner. Terry didn’t believe me when I said it was raining (he beat me in) but as we walked out of the building he became a believer. 🙂

Today Terry has a meeting, which leaves just the dogs and I to change the water…I hope it isn’t raining at that point. I also dread the drive on a mud slick ditch bank, but I know it can be done.

Yes, I do!

Anyway, The Farmer’s Almanac has printed their predictions for the up and coming winter…I’m already ready for Spring. I guess I shouldn’t be so selfish, as I know some of my Dear Blog Friends are also ready for Spring—-they can only have Spring if we have Winter so I’ll slap on a Happy Face and ‘try’ to be okay with Winter.

Now for the Good part of Winter…if the predictions are true we will have snow, which means the reservoirs should recover some, which is a very good thing.

Your Grateful the pinto beans are harvested and sold and the hay is baled and stacked friend,

Linda

Just for Fun

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Dayphoto

Just for a bit of fun or in the interest of the moment I thought I would tour you of the parts of the farm I talk about — The Back Forty and the Upper End.

This is the head gate…you’ve been here many a’time with me, but I’m going to start here…where the lifeblood of the land (the irrigation water) starts

Those are two alfalfa fields on either side of the irrigation road. They are not our fields but our neighbor’s.

To get to the head gate we go past lots of ‘fun to hide in’ areas. (Fun for the cows when we had them.)

When we had cows this was their favorite pasture. We call this the Upper End. It is the Upper End of our place. You can see one of our alfalfa fields in the corner.

The Upper End is full of hills and dales. When the kids were little we would take them and their little plastic sleds and head up here and go sledding in the winter.

Shannon had a goat, Bambi, and the dogs who always went with us…the dogs didn’t sled, but Bambi always road down on his own sled every time. He would even help pull it back up for another go at the hill. 🙂

From the Upper End we take the only road over to the Back Forty,

That is Terry the tiny blue dot going toward the Back Forty.

The Back Forty is stunning (in my opinion). All of the front of the photo is our land. The view is from the hill on the Back Forty. Our land ends way over to where you see the two trees and the dry looking spot. This was also the area that burned, a couple of years ago.

I could take you to the Burn Road, but I didn’t this time. The Burn Road is the road Terry built so the fire trucks could make it to the burn instead of waiting for the fire to ‘get closer’. The ‘get closer’ was almost a disaster –coming 1 foot from the equipment and 5 feet from Misty’s house and barn. “Never again,” he said, so he built a road. I’ll have to do that sometime, just so you can see the West side of the place.

We are not big, we are small farm, but we are lovely farm full of diverse lands and wonderful pastures. At the new alfalfa field

You can see the into the south west portion of the Uncompahgre Plateau. You say “Un-come-pah-gray,” meaning — rocks made red by water, rocks that make red water, or just plain dirty water.

Between the two blue mountains (part of the Plateau and another mesa) is Grand Junction

This is a little further away so you can image the span.

Well that is a short little trip to give you and idea of the places I talk about when I say the Back Forty or the Upper End.

Thank you for coming along for the ride,

Linda

Monday, June 10, 2013

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Dayphoto

The hay is looking good! We need to haul it in soon…either today or tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest.

This might be the last time we get a cutting off this field since the water is short. Terry will decide after the hay is hauled in.

I know I keep going on and on about the water (I’m sure it is becoming and old song by now) but that is where our thoughts are. Moving water, making sure everything gets wet, always asking the question “can we make it?” Everyday we ask, everyday we work it a little bit more and ‘whew’ we are through those rows.

Terry is off to the Doctor around 9 this morning, which will tell us more about his leg. He is DETERMINED that HE WILL haul in the hay…

sigh

Sigh, sigh!

I decided I will just have to see it though, and if I can pick up the slack I will.

We finally had to break down and hook up the air conditioner. 93* was hot and today it is supposed to be 103* It was time

Besides coming into a cool house was nice after the blistering heat in the fields. The wind is predicted to rise today so having the cooler on will help keep the dirt out of the house.

Well, not much going on here, just taking it one day at a time, one field at a time and waiting to see what the Doctor has to say.

Thanks for stopping by,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — A Little Bit

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Dayphoto

This is about a little bit

A Little bit of THIS

A Little bit of THAT

Tee Hee!

We have a new bird on the farm. There isn’t much to say about him except he is really loud…talks all the time and does this drumming thing. He is Dad’s turkey…he hangs out wherever Dad is…in the shop, in the other shop…out by the grain bins. Fuzzy and I don’t care ‘cause WE HANG WITH MOM!

Shannon just came over and took Tom back…she has to take her turkey back as she really misses him. Well, that works … Tom told us he really misses home!

The dog cousins come over for a walk every day. We LOVE IT!

Fuzzy’s favorite thing to do is ….

Hang on now…

it’s coming…

THE WATER!!!!

I try it with him every once in a while,

I guess its sorta fun…

I guess.

We have lots more fun taking care of the yard…

At night

Can you can see why!

Although, I HAVE been sprayed by a skunk and so has Fuzzy we say far away and just bark at where the skunk is so Mom and Dad have to come out and see what is up.

We all helped Mom work in the yard…Sam the cat hogged the Catmint, but guess what? Fuzzy and I DID NOT CARE!

HEE HEE

The cat can have all the catmint he wants! 🙂

So not much really happening, but Fuzzy and I like it just fine!!

Boomer

April 23, 2013

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Dayphoto

A very cold winter wind is here!

The lovely spring day we had yesterday is just a distant memory now. A tease of warmth and loveliness.

The wind turned cold last night, waking us up to freeze warnings until tomorrow morning sometime.

The fireplace feels good!

Still the work must go on.

We got word that we just might be able to have 55% water, instead of the 50% so Terry made the decision to go ahead and plant pinto beans. This will put 70% of our farm into production. ( I was hoping for alfalfa, but pintos don’t take as much water and their growing season is much shorter.)

We’ve started the water in the established alfalfa field — another field that has an earth ditch and siphon tubes. This morning when changing the tubes…moving the water on down the field … there was ice along the rows.

Alfalfa at this stage of it’s life can handle some freezing, but newly planted and just starting to pop up alfalfa would be killed.

Today Terry has finished leveling the pinto bean field (putting a slight grade on the land so the water will run ‘down’ the rows and on out to the waste ditch), and started marking out the rows.

(Terry is marking out the bean ground, even as I type)

As soon as we are through the alfalfa field we will start water on the pinto bean field.

I sure hope this last nasty/cold winter wind/storm is the last of winter’s hurrah! It’s been so cold the snow hasn’t even started to melt in the mountains…which is a blessing and a curse wrapped up as one.

Well, enough of this whine at least it must be snowing somewhere, its just that cold. And snow means water and water means less worry about drought and less drought is good for everyone.

Stay warm, my friends! At some point winter really will leave and spring will arrive! When it does—We all will be ready!

Linda

Monday, April, 15, 2013–Packing the Rows

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Dayphoto

Terry packed rows last night and this morning!

Our soil is rather strange….if it rains (and we have had a nice 1 inch rain) the water stops going down the furrows.

Weird, but true.

Even though the rows were packed BEFORE the rain, he had to go back out and do it all over again.

Terry like to use a Mormon Creaser, which is a tool that helps square up the row and packs down the walls and bottom of the furrow so the water can flow on through. Sometimes he just drives the tractor up and down the rows, it depends on what the furrow looks like when he gets there.

(See the tractor turning around? The tires mess up the rows so the irrigater has to make sure and dig out those furrows by hand or a flood mess will occur. Also, right at the gate – the siphon tube – the furrow has to be dug out so the water understands which row to head down)

The wind is kicking up a fuss today and it looks like there are storms in the mountains and canyons surrounding us…storms made of water is a very nice thought. It’s also cold. The weather man says we have a huge winter storm coming in complete with 45 mph winds and bitter temperatures. By Wednesday we should see snow, or at least as snow and rain mix.

We will not stop irrigating even if the rain and snow come in—another weird but true fact of farming in our part of the high mountain desert. (the secret is High and Mountain and Desert…)

The little rain here freshened up everything, even if it slowed down the irrigation. We will just keep on plodding along.

Some of the farmers are going to ‘go for the gold’ and plant 70% of their acres, but we are staying with the 60%, we would hate to lose a crop just because we tried to bluff our way through. By the middle of May we will know if we want to go ahead and add another 10% of our acreage. It’s a toss up if we plant pinto beans or alfalfa…it all depends on water — how much and for how long or if there will even be any.

Heading out now to do some things, I hope all of you have a good Monday.

Linda

Wednesday April 4, 2013

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Dayphoto

Terry and I spent the morning cleaning out the waste ditches yesterday. Then as I continued getting the rest of the ditches cleaned he came along with the 4240 and the blade making the ditch that carry the water from our field to the farm just below us.

All of our water comes from another farm(s) to us. After we use it then it goes on to the next farm then to the river and onto California.

I was asked how we siphon out of a pipe under ground. We don’t. The transmission pipe/ditch is just that….a huge ditch that brings the water onto our place. Our head gate is on our place but some peoples’ head gates are a mile or so above their place. The head gate is the beginning of the transmission pipe.

We are putting as much as we can under ground so the water stays weed free, seed free–safe from the sun. We still have sections of transmission ditches that are open (pipe is extremely expensive). We use siphon tubes out of smaller ditches, either made of dirt or cement. Then we use gated pipe for the rest of the place. Lots of ways to get water into the fields.

I also was asked if we practice crop rotation…YES we do! 🙂 We were green before green was cool!

Anyway, we always plant corn after pintos, sometimes alfalfa, but alfalfa is a five-year crop so once it is in the field it stays five years until it is old (showing signs of weeds). We plant pintos after corn or maybe alfalfa…always always working toward good soil maintenance. After all healthy soil is the most critical way of having healthy plants.

So moving on so you aren’t bored we heard the water was at Pea Green last night. That is 5 miles from us. Today we will finish the ditches, fix the gated pipe and then mark out the fields. We want to be ready for the water as soon as the head gate is unlocked!

Spring work is here!

Linda

Monday, April 1, 2013

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Dayphoto

Yesterday was ever so delightful! I hope yours was also.

Today we woke up to wind, which means it will blow all day and possibly blow in a storm. More than likely it will blow in a cold front, but that is okay, we are still doing ground work, nothing is planted yet, and no water.

ALTHOUGH!!!!!

The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users higher ups have decided that they WILL start the irrigation water today!

No April Fool’s either!

It will get to us by Friday or next Monday at the latest.

50% of normal. I would NOT want to be a ditch rider this year you can bet we are going to hear of water fights and uncivilized behavior when it comes to the water for the farms. All ready the subdivision people are complaining that they won’t have water (they do, they can use city water).

As I understand it, If we were over on the eastern slope around Sterling and Pueblo it wouldn’t be the subdivision people complaining, it would be the farmers also. The cities have all rights to the water FIRST.

But I’m not going there. The whole ‘water thing’ is just so emotional and frightening that I can’t really get my mind around it.

Terry and I will do what we have to do and be grateful that we have what we have. One never really knows what the rest of the growing season will bring, it could be normal.