Time is on our Side now!

Well it's been an exciting 2017.  I spent the first quarter getting over a broken ankle and a "chicken thumb" can't remember the medical term but it remains unhealed.  In February Cliff went back to the ship which was up on the hard in Ensenada, after a few turns around the harbor in Puerto Vallarta and beyond.
The winter's rain proved to be everything we have remember and didn't stop clear to June.  This was good because we re-located my Dad from his home into more independent senior living accomodations.  This way he is closer to the pool game and no longer has to climb stairs or drive 45 minutes each.
In April I was needed in Florida at Chelsea's, her Coastie husband Josh made Chief and had a slot at the Coast Guard Chief School in Petaluma.  At the same time, our li'l Maki had to go in for what was a serious surgery and needed to be quiet for 4 weeks afterwards.  No "yumping, no bending, no yelling" - pretty difficult for a 4 year old.  I returned just in time, to say a quick hello and good-bye to my sailor boy Cliff, and go see Josh graduate from Chief school.
That brings us to May and it's still raining, Cliff is back on the boat, I'm seeing Dad 3 or 4 times a week in Auburn and we've had to take away his wheels.  That was difficult but necessary.  He still plays pool but we are fortunate to be able to rely on a Senior's First ride program and Uber, when they are unable to schedule.  The pool players at the Elks' Lodge in Auburn are always happy to give him a ride back to his apartment.
While he was home Cliff got the pond pump primed and ready for irrigating, set the timers and hoses so I wouldn't have to move them around.  It was the best of times because I saw returning duck families with their new broods for the spring - It was the worst of times because nothing was working as it was meant.
The rain stops, the pond is full, the cow survived all the wet weather.  The Harris family, Starr's family want to rent Dad's place, Dad approves the idea and we make preparations.  Meantime, Ac and Ashton decide to move back in to the ranch.  He and Chris Harris replace the entire upper floor at my Dad's with some great looking laminate, I love you Mom but the "mauvely pink" carpeting had seen better days.
Finally the boat is back in the water, tested, a new team of Captain and Chief Engineer have been approved by Lloyd's and they are making headway for Alaska.  http://www.hys-yachts.com/sales/media/cklass/pdf/cklass_presentation_full.pdf.  And Cliff is homeward bound after many long months and a much anticipated homecoming- everything is broken but along with our boys, dogs, toys and great family dinners, once again, the ranch is a hummin' along with activity.  So glad Starr's family is here.

Mama I want to be a Fireman

So did I mention Cliff had to have a firetruck.  Yup!  That's right, fire suppression at the ranch says he.  Afraid he is of another 49er fire when everyone lost all power and he had to turn the monster after it gobbled the barn with only his tractor.  Oh what a seige it was, 27 houses on Starduster and 7 left standing.  My house and my parent's house next door, Cliff went to help save a neighbor's house, but soon returned as the fire had jumped back across the road after it turned West.  Yes, one of the first of it's kind, a "wild" land fire they called it, started on the other side of North San Juan, burned down the canyon, jumped the river and was a Beast with all the dry manzanita on the back side of Starduster.

Oh whee!  So when the man wants a firetruck, whadayagonna say?

Wish I had a camera

Wild ducks return to the pond where they were born each spring to mate and have their chicks.  Each  year our flock grows little by little.  This year we had four beautiful pairs that hung out until the weather turned.

Also much later, after they had departed, the Canada Geese began habitating.  It was fun to watch them perform their water landings.  Cliff stood recently by, silently observing them floating peacefully.  They were soon startled by something in the brush and with incredible synchronization, they lept toward the sky, flapping their wings.  He stood still as he felt their wind over his head, it was a magical moment, uncomplicated and natural.

Highlight of the Harvest

Each year the Doubleb enjoys the "moonlight grape harvest" of the neighboring vineyard.  A team of 20 pickers, cart and box handlers, quad and tractor drivers converge in competition.  There is alot of gleeful and fun shouting, taunting and cheering for the first to get to the end of the row.  https://youtu.be/WMwKObCx9HQ    Not a great night video, no night vision camera.

A tractor hitched with a large wagon and more boxes added as necessary to carry home the cargo is assisted by a quad.  This vehicle goes is in front of the pickers to load the individual crates as fast as possible so that the race to row's end continues unimpaired.  Traversing the rows and grabbing the vine ripened prize is met with gameful cheer, a comaraderie that speaks to having won and lost with the same crew in another vineyard.

Last night they must have lost one of their big stands of flood lights because as they stood on our side of the vineyard, clearly they were losing flashlights to pick until the light from the other stand came into view.

We enjoy this finalization of summer's harvest, sitting on our upper deck, watching in anticipation as the light shines thru the pines.  We glimpse movement and hear the cheering, it's an exciting end to an evening and properly crowns the harvest season.  Thank you.https://youtu.be/WMwKObCx9HQ

September's - Bailin' Time

Our first season of cutting, raking, bailing and we've made it to the third cut, more than ready in September.  Hitching the mower to the tractor and loading up the trailer - so excited!  The pasture has growing and getting good irrigation from my new sprinklers, scientifically spaced to include every  possible. Packed a lunch, grabbed my cowboy hat and dog and I'm ready to rock n roll. 

After the first two passes, mower kept gumming up, but I cleared the obstruction and am back at it until the "Holy crap, the worst happened and the chain is stuck".  Requires re-loading onto the trailer and haul it back to my shop for a look-see.  Hopefully, it will be an easy fix and I can re-load, drive back and finish the cut by sunset.  But no........

Without giving chapter and verse of the worst case scenario, let me just say this.  I order the part, paid extra freight charge for next day arrival, studied up on you tube, dreamed of new equipment, while checking for Fedex once each hour.  And just when you think things can't get worse, you're reminded you have a tax appointment for your extension.

Arriving home, after a rousing good time with our tax consultant, I spy the part's package, it's 7:45pm, I'm anxious to start but worn out from thinking so hard on why I have spent so much money trying to cut my own hay.  My tax lady was less than impressed and in her own non-judgemental way, may have indicated that I may want to reconsider.  No matter, enthusiasm cannot be thwarted easily, tonight is a harvest moon and tomorrow a new day.  I shall persevere.

Finally at 3:30am, I wake my wife and say "let's go chase the moon, find some coffee and donuts", thinking I'll be jump on the repair project and still be able to go to our grandson's football game at 10a.  There is nothing open in Grass Valley at 3:30 in the very early hours of morning, except the corner gas station at Pleasant Valley Road.  Coffee but no donuts, they aren't delivered until 630a.
We drive, to Safeway, Savemart, Raleys, and end up outside Daily Donuts, they open at 5am, or slightly thereafter, as the case may be.

Home, home at last, find my dog, get the part - realize I can't hold my eyes open, I need a nap.
Yup - it's Bailin' Time for all us farmers....Goodnight!

And Thar She Blows -

Upon returning home from looking at the park's little crisis, we grabbed a snack, cleaned the kitchen, (using the water) and prepared to be in for the night, as it was almost 10:00pm.  We heard a huge noise which caused us to investigate outside, walking around, but found nothing out of place.  We assumed it was the "snowbeast" as he assembled all 140lbs of dog molecules to jump off the porch and chase the deer away from his "turf".  Oh had it been so!  Filled up a glass with ice and went to the sink for water - "Oh what fresh hell is this?"  "Cliff, we have no water!"  "WHAAT?", says he in complete disbelief.  Now is almost 10:30pm and he begins to make the water investigation rounds, starting with 'where up at the house area is the water running', before tromping down to the pasture and following the 800'+ of water lines.  No wet spots are detected.  Into the shop, everything looks good.  Okay - onto the well house - "Ahha, water is everywhere"  Valve at the wellhead blew, ran the well dry and the motor was still on trying to refill.  Oh brother, parts, thinking, focus is necessary after a long day of repairing electrical light switch and being treated to Leatherby's Ice Cream by youngest.
The life of a rancher.  It's the way we roll!  Thank you Cliff!

Free Martin - Whaaat?

We introduced two newbies into the herd this morning.  They came from a ranch up in Oregon House, she was culling some of the younger calves that would be sent to market.  Interesting though is that this steer and heifer are Angus twins.  Even more interesting is that is was revealed to me that the heifer has not been tested but is probably a "free martin".  I've never heard this term before so imagine my surprise when I was told that when twins are born and are of the opposite sex, and have shared the same blood supply - the girl calf will, in all probability, be unable to conceive.  This is normally due to the underdevelopment of female parts because of a lack of hormones.  ERGO - free martin.
Of course still hoping there was a small chance they might be wrong, I asked the vet to verify and sure enough, this heifer will not breeding but will make a good feeder.