July 1, 2013

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Dayphoto

HAPPY CANADA DAY, to all of my Canadian readers out there!

We were a shade cooler yesterday it only got up to 97*. 97* sounds hot, but not as hot as 105*. It actually felt cooler, once in awhile a cloud would skuddle across the sun giving us a sun break while it was there.

The clouds would randomly look like a few drops of rain might fall, but didn’t. This time of year we have to worry about hail…hail is NOT something you want ever, but to have hail now would strip the leaves from all the growing corn and pinto beans. That would be the end of the crops. Therefore, we watch the sky and pray for rain and wish hail away.

So far we have NOT had hail, which is wonderful.

They are saying this intense heat (which is terribly abnormal) is here for at least another week, the cooling ocean breezes that would move the stagnate air is also stagnated off the west coast…so we wait.

A little gift from the heavens last night was a slight rainbow.

The promise of hope!

Linda

The Weekend

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Dayphoto

We spent Saturday and Sunday in Grand Junction at the soccer tournament. The two oldest grandchildren were playing—of course we had to attend. 🙂

It was horrid cold, bitter, bone chilling wind, thunder storms and lightening which slowed the games down…..everyone has to leave the field until 30 minutes after the last lightening strike, and long. We couldn’t stay for the last games of the day because of getting home to change water.

Today is still cool, jacket wearing cool, but no freezes THANK HEAVENS!! Everything is up and growing to have a killing frost now would be…a disaster! (But we won’t even go there in our thoughts—tomorrow it starts to warm back up.)

I some photos of one of the males of the little hummers who are visiting the feeders

They aren’t the best photos,

but at least a start!

I hope everyone has a great Monday.

Linda

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Dayphoto

It is still raining here. I’m still not complaining, just stating a fact. The weatherman says it will be in here until Sunday and then turn off hot.

Even though it is raining irrigation goes on. The water is set morning and evening. Although we have rain the rain has only soaked into — maybe 1/2 inch of soil —so we continue irrigation. I know it seems illogical but that is how it works. Seeds are planted 2-21/2 inches into the soil, they must be wet to sprout and then after that they must have water to the roots, which are even deeper than where the seed started.

So the irrigation continues rain or shine. The ditch banks are sure slick, I fell twice jumping over the cement ditch with a load of siphon tubes, nothing hurt but wet clothes and more mud. 🙂

Fuzzy was really funny when we went to get gas for the 530…we had a tire in the back we needed to take to dump which he delighted in sitting in.

Silly, cute dogie.

Today I am off for a treat! I am going with my oldest granddaughter on a second grade field trip to Pioneer Town in Cedaredge, Colorado. We will ride the bus together, tour the town together, then we eat lunch at the park and ride back to the school in Delta. Then I will get to take her out and we can have the rest of the afternoon together.

Rather cool, don’t you think?

Hope your Thursday is just as fun!

Linda

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Dayphoto

The gale of a wind blew all day yesterday filling our air with choking dirt and dust. It was a mess changing water —

Boomer wouldn’t even trot around looking for things to smell by the last set of the night, he just sat himself down in the lowest point on the earth (a furrow) and waited for us to finish. Fuzzy had to work hard to stay with me, but he did it.

The wind picked up over the night and went from gale to very strong gale-it even blew off some tin on one of the roofs.

Then around three this morning it rained.

Everything settled down, cool and clear by the time we went out and sat the first tubes.

It was just lovely!

By the time we came in the wind was back. If the wind blows in the morning here it won’t stop until sometime at night, therefore, we will have wind all day.

The weather guys have issued a freeze warning for tonight and a freeze watch for tomorrow night. Then I am hoping we move back toward warmer weather.

Not broiling weather, warm weather. I hope the weather gods are reading this! 🙂

Linda

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Dayphoto

We fought wind and dust all day long yesterday. Sure was a mess!

And of course it had little bits of rain with it…nothing that does any good, just helps the blowing dirt stick to stuff.

Here is one of our windows to give you an idea…that isn’t rain, it’s dirt.

I went to bed thinking I will be glad when the weather settles and I can get the windows and screens washed.

This morning we woke up to this-

Yep! And we still irrigate even though there is snow.

Terry and I were talking about those that have corn seed in the ground ready to ‘water-up’–sort of scary, because this type of moisture will cause the seed to swell and break out roots and a stalk, if the water doesn’t hit them at the right time the seed will die.

That is one reason we water the ground first, wait for it to dry to the right stage of moisture and then plant.

Everyone has their own theory and knows what works for them, but for us this is what and why we do what we do.

Also, this type of weather is a mess for those in the ‘prep’ stage of ground work. You get the soil to the point of being a really nice sponge; it will act like a sponge. In our clay type of soil sponges turn rock hard if you don’t get on it right at a certain point.

As in all things timing is everything.

There is an old saying: “As in gambling so is farming” there just might be more than a grain of truth in it.

Well, moisture is moisture so we will just keep the fire going, the water flowing and know that someday, at some time, winter has just GOT to end! 🙂

Linda, from Canada sent me some bulbs of her Tarda Tulips, last year we were so dry they didn’t bloom, but this year they are lovely.

Of course they are covered up with snow right now, but the photos I got yesterday show you how beautiful they are

Spring time in the Rockies or is it still winter time? Maybe a mix of both 🙂

Linda

April 16, 2013 — The Perils of the Head Gate

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Dayphoto

After a very cold day yesterday, we woke up to thick frost on the ground which quickly melted by 7:30 this morning. It was lovely.

Although…………….

We could see Utah dirt coming in from the Uncompahgre (Un-come-pah-gray .. accent on the pah) Plateau. By 8.30 it was here…nasty wind, full of red dirt.

The weather guy said we would not see this wind until around 2-3 this afternoon (I wonder if harder wind is coming in at that time), then it would change over to rain and then snow and would snow most of Wednesday then blow out of here.

I took a couple of photos of Terry cleaning out the head gate. The Head gate is the out-take gate of the main canal to your farm….our canal, the one that runs by us is called the Ironstone, the water that leaves our place goes back into the Ironstone and into the FNC Lateral…which is a branch of the Ironstone canal.

We are lucky because the head gate to our farm is right at the beginning of our farm…its easy to monitor because it is so close. Some farms have head gates as far as 2-3 miles FROM their farm.

All head gates have to be monitored for trash, dead animals, big garbage that someone up the way didn’t want to deal with…on the most part everyone is really good about NOT dumping stuff into the canal for the next person to have to take of. Sometimes an animal will fall in (or get tossed in) we’ve had skunks, sheep, calves and pigs that have been caught in the head gate. No goats so far, which is good.

I’m heading out to sort firewood, we have some green I need to get into a different pile and I want to do it before the rain starts.

Thank each and everyone of you for following and/or commenting! I always appreciate how wide spread the world of blogging is and how diverse our worlds are; yet how very close blogging makes us. I am most grateful for this blogging world and for getting to know so many people from around the world.

Sincerely,

Linda

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Dayphoto

We had RAIN!!! last night! Not lots, but enough the tractors can’t get into the fields.

We also had wind…lots and lots of wind. My house is covered in mud…dirt, wind, rain…makes for a sort of adobe house. 🙂

(Dirt in the air)

Now it is cold…39* with a very sharp wind.

I am hoping lots of snow is being dumped on the two reservoirs-Taylor and Blue Mesa! 🙂

This tiny bit of rain we have here is nice…although, it isn’t even a inch into the ground it is moisture. The trees, grasses and other things have a nice shiny look to them. Even the corral poles look washed off.

Tonight it’s supposed to get extremely cold, just as the sun dog said would happen, then we gradually start warming back up.

I should say that this is rather typical for spring…two or three steps forward and then one giant step back. By Mother’s Day we should be settling down real nice.

Linda

Monday, April 8, 2013

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Dayphoto

We finished up the gated pipe this morning. Terry talked to our ditch rider at 6:30 a.m. and he said they are flushing the Ironstone Canal (that is ours) tomorrow morning. By Thursday we should have water.

Of course a huge winter storm is supposed to come in here by mid-night tonight. We have high wind warning starting at noon today. The storm is fast moving, very cold and wet with lots of rain and snow for two days and nights. Anyone with fruit trees in bloom have been warned to start the wind machines and/or the smudge pots.

My family made a living in the orchard world up in Eckert. Anytime I hear freeze warnings I always think about the stress that produced for my parents and my maternal grandparents.

Our Apricot trees are blooming, but some of the blooms are already into the fruit stage so they will survive, the other blooms that aren’t are okay by me. We don’t make our living on these trees and the summer fruit can be a mess.

Local Weather Alert

Winter Storm Warning for Central Gunnison And Uncompahgre River Basin, CO (we are the Uncompahgre River Basin)

… WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT TUESDAY…WITH FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM WEDNESDAY

* TIMING… RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES PLUMMET TO BELOW FREEZING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION… 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE EXTREMELY VARIABLE FROM LOCATION TO LOCATION. EVEN SO… AREAS THAT ARE LIKELY TO RECEIVE HIGHER AMOUNTS OF SNOW INCLUDE MONTROSE AND CERRO SUMMIT AND MUCH OF THE UPPER GUNNISON VALLEY.

* SNOW LEVEL… LOWERING TO THE VALLEY FLOORS BY LATE TONIGHT.

* WINDS… BECOMING NORTHWEST TO NORTH AT 15 TO 40 MPH.

* VISIBILITY… LOWERING TO LESS THAN 1 MILE AT TIMES IN MODERATE SNOW.

* IMPACTS… HIGHWAYS WILL BECOME WET AND SLIPPERY WITH SLUSHY ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. LOCAL AREAS… LIKE CERRO SUMMIT… WILL BECOME SNOW PACKED.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

In spite of all this the water will still come on. Terry is getting ready to pack the rows so if we get rain and snow it won’t hurt the ground (cause it to turn into a huge clay mess so we have to start all over) so when the head gate is unlocked we can begin.

Well, my break is over, I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you, but I must get back to work the spring storm is putting a huge rush on things.

(Although, snow in the Gunnison Mountains will be lovely for when it melts it means more water — hopefully).

Linda

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Dayphoto

This is what we had yesterday!

Lovely! I enjoyed every minute of it….I worked in the yard for four hours yesterday, it was so nice. 47*.

Terry finished up the ground work on the fields he is going to plant…next he will level the fields, then fertilize, mark out and we are ready for to turn on the water. They are still saying they will turn it on April 1st. It takes a full week for the water to get to us, but when it does get here we will be ready! 🙂

The temps dropped to 15* last night, a huge warm-up from the night before! It is predicted to get to 62* today with a low of 23*.

Unless something changes (where the weather is concerned it just might) we are on our way to settled weather!

Linda

Monday, March 25, 2013

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Dayphoto

The cold front is still here, but gradually moving on. By this coming weekend we should have somewhat warmer weather.

Yesterday morning we were 2 above Zero, this morning we were 5 above Zero…just a little bit warmer, but I’ll take it.

The day will warm up better than yesterday, we should see warmth around 47* this afternoon. Gradually, gradually, we are heading back toward spring.

Just as Terry and I were going to head off to upper end our son-in-law showed up with half-a-load of firewood for us. What a cool gift!

The hope is this will last until May…which by that time (WE THINK) it will be warm enough spring is really here!

I can remember my Mother saying that anytime we have an early Easter (an Easter in March) the weather is always bad. That you can’t have winter end until Easter comes. Even if she isn’t right, so far this year is seems to be so.