need a rain dance?

        

         in some respects , i must say i have been lax at making an attempt to write and update all following people of what is going on at the farm . part of the reason i have been lax is because i spend long hours as you have to make hay when the sun shines. and it has been shining to much. now we need rain and plenty of it to make up for damage done by lack of water. 

         surprisingly i am seeing raspberries and black berries of good size, but are withering on the vines and little is coming on as everything just needs a good rain. planting and planning has been easy as we take on a california or colorado weather report with day after day sunny and nothing but warm. in some cases records are being set. yet according to some legislators we still have no cause for alarm as this hot weather and extreme storms are just part of the natural scheme of things. i don't buy it. 

      anyhow the pics above are the flowers after they blossomed and the ducks decided to eat them. i cleaned the boat out and is currently still ashore. 

          these are the trees i bought this spring from the soil conservation office at about the 2 month stage. i have recently lost some more and some of this might be from the heat . i have some regrowth from the roots as some trees try to regenerate themselves. some of the pine and some persimmon are like that. i also have a bunch of oaks and black walnuts to transplant too. as well some locusts have appeared again. most of these can be related to last rain over an inch about 2 weeks ago. it may also be to my delaying mowing due to drying conditions. our yard is still green and growing but pone pond is dry and another has to have water added to keep fish alive. this requires well water. right now we are heavily dependent on well water to keep things going. 

        this is a picture of a new to us but used greenhouse we recently purchased at a local auction of a nursery business. it is 28 x48 double walled plastic, the wood ends are going to be replaced with translucent fiberglass panels and galvanized posts complete with 2 entry doors. a large ventilation fan 4 foot around will be placed close to roof section in one end to allow ventilation of the greenhouse. at this time our major concern will be the propagation of trees as major product, and will surely evolve as we go along. we will be uncluttering the inside and aligning it on an east west alignment to maximize sunlight and hope to efficiently use it 10 months of the year. we have placed it in an open location able to achieve maximum sunlight potential in winter months. 

      so far we have far less than what one would have with a comparable greenhouse but we still have to erect it . this i will be covering more closely with you as explain all parts of greenhouse construction and use as i experience it. hopefully it will not be as long until i post again.