Busy for a sunday.

Got a few hours of pruning in, worked in the little greenhouse. Dad is out tilling.
Thinking of working on some new image manipulation routines. Been reading a book on "magic squares" by Clifford Pickover and it's given me lots of ideas for some new pixel manipulation routines. Gonna have to think on it some more.
No dreams in the last few nights, at least none pleasant enough to report. Scary times on planet earth as the forces of chaos attempt to set their hooks firmly into the crust of our world. The shadows of great and ancient struggles heave across the mindscape of humanity. Here and there a brave soul struggles to keep their little pocket of time afloat. Ravening hoards driven by demons and lured by genies lash at the strugglers. Reason's bright light throws back the screaming masses from time to time as the strugglers seek to put one foot forward after the other time and again. Unbending intent burns from our eyes and from our hearts as we strive to set the world on a course which glimmers faintly like a distant beacon. Will we complete the new pattern in time, or will our bodies fail us so that the hopes of beauty and the wonders of knowledge are lost forever? Will the wrath and anger of that thing from the universe continue to devour our fellow humans or do we still have a chance to triumph against that which calls itself the truth but lives upon the suffering and harrowing of human minds and souls? Prayers were not enough to silence it's hunger and violence only enlarges it's reach. Can the answer be found? Can the jewel return from the depths?

Pruning and other minor activities

Raking, planting, blackberry cutting. Just got a little weak and came in for a hot dog. Going out now to plant brocoli.
Hope the sky and sun smile on you, or cry for you if you need the rain.

More sun, more work

Getting the fields at our second location ready for soil prep. Picking up hard debris (wood, posts, plastic film, pipe, etc.) and also spent a good part of today and yesterday harvesting dahlia tubers.
Dad just got through dragging the inside of the greenhouse so we'll be moving a table in there for planting/sprouting. Less than 100 days until we open if all goes right.
May the sky and earth be as kind to you.

The Big Greenhouse

The air supported greenhouse is up and working great. Here's pics:
140x35x13high
Outside










Inside:













Notice the black pipe laced with poly rope to keep the thing from huffing in the wind.
Total cost about 1000$ including fan and motor for air support. The plastic has a four year gaurantee but I should be able to get an extra year or two out of it because we take it down and cover it in summer. This is the second year we've had this one up so 2-3 more for sure. The discoloration to the right is just a little dirt that got on it and should wash off in the next rain.

Friday, my Friday!

Had a great breakfast with Del this morning. Snow flakes were blowing around as our conversation similarly swirled and floated from subject to subject. Dotty's diner makes superlative chicken fried steak!
Then dad and I went to the welding shop and worked on the box scraper and the cement mixer. The mixer is almost done but still lots of cutting and welding to do on the scraper.
Last night's dream were mixed to varied. Some lady stuff, some monumental fears. Nothing vivid enough to recreate here.
Might go visit blind Gregory this evening if the rest of today's work doesn't leave me too tired.
A hundred and one happinesses for you.

Arduous day of shoveling

Back pain lets me know that I'm alive.
Had a great day, got a lot done. Shovel, shovel, shovel and the big greenhouse is almost ready to be "erected" I'll definitely have photos to show. It's 140x35 air inflated and I freakin' love it. There's no place that's quite like the inside of a greenhouse. So warm, so humid, so full of love.
It's hard after such a successful day to still face all the things we must do before opening for the spring season. We'll be opening much earlier this year with lettuce, onions and lots of other salad products. Maybe even as early as May. But that's only like 100 days. Madness!
Hope life is giving you sweet kisses.

Farming Saturday

Today: pruned fruit trees and pulled up stakes from last year's tomato field.
Last night I had wonderful dreams most of them unremembered. But there was one wherein I suddenly found myself looking at my right hand. My hand blurred like a multi exposure film frame, became outlined by a bright white light which suddenly infused my whole hand. I could feel the light spread throughout my body and it felt great! All the daily aches, pains, fears, angers, etc. were all suddenly gone. Purity.
Unfortunately the waking world still contains the pinched nerve in my back.
I'm just about done reading James Burke's "The day the Universe changed" it's been pretty good if a little weighty. Probably why the tv show was a lot more fun.
Hoping the light is with you today.

Ohhhh I'm getting old

Tired and sore, sore and tired. Got the trees sprayed and helped dad pull up black plastic from last years drip irrigation rows. Also the drip tape, still gotta finish that. If the super delightful weather keeps up we might even have time to work at Charley's. My condolences to their family; Byron's wife Alice went to join him at that great big backyard barbecue in the sky. May the lord comfort them.
Big Greenhouse going up monday, Yae!
(hmmm what's the correct spelling, yay, yae, yai?)
Oooohhh, I'm going to bed.
Ciao!

Spraying copper on the trees

That's my next chore. Have about 17 more trees to spray. Hope I have enough copper mixed up to do it but I'll probably have to make another tank. Just waiting for the temp to get high enough that I won't be chilled while I'm working.
It's actually quite warm. We had one of them there "sorrocos" or whatever blow through last night. A warm gusty breeze from the south ;-)
Hoping your day is full of love and light.

Good weather no blog

It's been such fine weather I've had no time until now to blog. The worst of the blackberries have been removed from the vineyard (thanks to dad's super blackberry shredder) and I've started spraying the apples, pears, peaches, almonds and other fruit trees. Will have before and after pics of the vineyard in a couple of days.
Not many good dreams in the last few days so nothing to report from that realm.
The weather is getting ready for a slight shift, air pressure is going down so my wisdom teeth are aching like usual.
Best wishes to you and yours.

Ready to go

But I can't go. Half way through helping my uncle recover some files from his old computer. The IDE ports failed on his old NEC machine so I'm walking him through the process of moving the HD to his newer computer (still a win98 machine) Mostly he's worried about some land leveling software he needs for his business. Wish I'd had time to finish the 3D terrain modeller that I was writing a few years ago.
It's gonna be another blackberry shredding day. The weather is fine if a bit chilly. Some fog making things grey and dreary but as long as I've got you my mood will turn out fine ;-)
Nice to have it dry again. Supposed to last until Saturday, hurray.
Have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Get infected

I love all life, but especially that fragile creature, Alife...

Breakfast and a sub-tonal vibration in the base of my skull

Feeling weird this morning. A little ache in the base of my skull, could be air pressure changes from this afternnon's approaching weather front or tension leftover from the week's work. Looking forward to Sunday. Not because of the super-bowl! I just want to sleep in.
Just grabbing a bite to eat before heading back out to prune. Apples and grapes and hacking blackberries. Cut blackberry vines have a delightful rose/apple aroma to them. The vineyard has really started to shape up but I've got a ton of apple pruning left to do.
Really wishing I had time and concentration to do some software work right now. I've got about a dozen ideas for improvements to my image manipulator and another dozen ideas for software projects I'd like to start/finish. But if I want the farming season to turn out really well (who'd ever believe I'd end up making less from my software work than I do from my farming?) I've got to put in extra time now. Besides, I'd really like for the pinot noir grapes to do well enough that I could send some "bodlles uv fine Vine" out to mein freunds.

Mandatory daily entry

Gotta at least make one.
Spent most the whole day chopping blackberries. Dad's new shredder/mower needed some last minute repairs but we got it working great now. It shreds blackberries like nothing else. Will have some before and after pics of that part of the vineyard sometimes next week.
Supposed to have about a whole week of good weather next week. Hoping and praying we'll get the big greenhouse up. All it takes is a little drying of the ground. Dad has a great idea about having a sunday brunch for the whole family in the big greenhouse this spring. Greenhouses are just the most copacetic environment. So warm and humid and loving. There's few places I'd rather be in winter than in a greenhouse.
Hope your day is/will be fine and sweet.

Ooooh, back ache of glory

Spent today welding and wrestling with heavy metal. Cast metal to be exact. Here's a pic of what we're working on:













It is a cement mixer barrel. We're rebuilding the base. Should be nice when we're done. This is for pouring cement flagstones/stepping stones and mixing soil in the greenhouse. Can sell the flagstones at the stand as well as to some friends who are doing some of their own landscaping.
My day was difficult but rewarding. Hope your day went well.
Sweet dreams.

Rain last night, work today

Another crazy pouring down Oregon night. This morning it was so fresh and damp outside it almost smelled like being in the coastal forests. I wonder how my friend Steve in Salashan (on the Oregon coast about 3 hours northwest of here) is doing. A couple days ago they were having 70 mile an hour winds.
Today: more welding. Getting the cement mixer put back together.
No dreams to report from last night. My advice: avoid taking CoQ10 in the evening. The metabolic lift it gives will make you sleep poorly as it did me last night.
Hoping your day is sweet and fine.