Crazy Weather

We named our backhoe, Lola!

Lola has been loading Loretta with rocks picked from the acreage with the new planting. 

Thank goodness for Lola! There have been a lot of rocks throughout this project.

Digging out space for the posts, wire anchors and irrigation lines.

To prepare for frost season, Bill and I took the 4-wheeler around to all the wind machines to check the accuracy of the thermometers. We started with lots of sunshine and  a cooler with ice and water to dip the thermometers. The lowest temperature reading should be ~32 degrees, anything lower or higher means a defective thermometer.

Each of the thermometers has protective housing. 

While we were in Union Valley, Rodolfo came by raking brush. We need all the wood on the ground from winter pruning to be minimized, so we can begin dormant sprays by the end of this week.

As we buzzed around on the 4-wheeler, we encountered a rain shower that was brief then quickly followed by bright sunshine. At Last Chance we could see another weather event headed our way from up lake that actually looked like snow. Luckily, we were wearing multiple layers of winter clothing. As that storm got closer and closer to us, the temperature kept dropping. By the time we got up the canyon to the Tri-C Honeycrisps, the rain was more like snow, and we both were getting cold. We wondered why we needed a cooler with ice to test the temperature since the outside temperature was probably 32 degrees. We ran for the truck when we finished and turned the heater on high. By the time we got down the road a couple of miles, the sun was shining, and we promptly overheated. Crazy weather!

The next day, on Saturday it actually snowed all morning, so Bill had an impromptu meeting for our hired guys who will be spraying this year. They reviewed the spray binders we made for each of them over coffee and donuts. Each binder had multiple tabs for the following: a separate index for each orchard, maps, fruit bud development charts, expectations/tractor safety, calibration documentation and the organic apple/cherry program narrative. The spraying job is a big responsibility that involves careful reading of the spray recommendation Bill writes each time, math calculations for partial tanks and documentation.They have to be on call throughout the season so the spray can go on when the weather permits.