Family Here for Christmas

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Robin

The best gift of all is having my family around. Not all could come, but here are photos of the start of the holiday week.

Chris and Meryl got here on Saturday afternoon along with dogs and cats. Meryl went to visit her mom, and Chris and the dogs stretched out on the couch at our house.

Ginny is not supposed to get on the couch but Finn and Sawyer don’t have that restriction. Notice that they are all focused on the tennis ball that Finn dropped on Dan’s chest.

Finn and Sawyer feel right at home.

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen these photos. Chris and Meryl were away for the first night and the cats stayed in the other house, where they used to live before moving to Bosie. I went to check on them and found one, but went back three times to find Luke. Do you see a cat in this picture?

Now do you see him? I finally found Luke when he jumped onto the refrigerator. Later he retreated again and I took the photo.

Chris and I took all the dogs on a walk Across the Road. Do we seem a bit mismatched from the standpoint of clothing? Our mid-50’s/60’s felt warm to Chris.

All three dogs like to run after the ball. The goal is to get them tired out.

On Christmas afternoon we went for another walk and Meryl joined us. People dump things along some of these dirt roads. When I find something metal I bring it home for Dan because he plans to weld something artistic one of these days. Usually it is rusted bolt or something they fell off a tractor. We found this in the dirt and thought it was a good gift for Dan.

Tonight’s excitement is that Kirby, age 9, flew to Sacramento from Texas today. She will stay with Uncle Matt and Aunt Kaleena for a few days and will then be here for until January 1.

Tomato Harvest

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Robin

The field across the road was planted in tomatoes back at the end of May. See this post. I have watched the progress of the crop since then. When I walk Across the Road with Ginny it’s these fields I walk around. I wrote this post September 26.

I took this photo at dusk Thursday, September 28 and heard activity over there just before midnight.

The harvest had started. I stood in our driveway and took photos. I didn’t want to miss it! I think I didn’t need to rush. I don’t know how many acres this field is, but it took about four days, working 24 hours/day. At first there was one harvester working, but later there were two.

The first morning I took my usual walk, but walked on the other side of the main canal so that I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. There is a lot of infrastructure involved. This is a water tank with a portable toilet and a place for shaded seating.

At times there were four or five sets of double trailers staged here. The tractor pulls them next the harvester as it works and then drops them here. Another tractor brings the next set of trailers to the harvester. The trucks come and go from here, taking full loads out and bringing back empty trailers.

I know nothing about tons/acre, or how many loads were harvested, etc. Maybe I’ll ask next time I talk to someone. I think the answer is A LOT.

It is fascinating to watch the harvester at work. I have several short videos but I think I won’t try to load them here or I’ll never get this post written. I posted one on my YouTube channel but I’d like to do another showing more of the process. That one is good at showing what is going on with the harvester. The row of plants is cut and then lifted by the conveyor into the harvester. I haven’t seen inside but was told that lasers are used to sort the tomatoes and debris. Some debris goes out the back and some to the side while the tomatoes are being lifted into the trailers pulled by the tractor.

Here is a view from the other direction. The harvester fills the trailer in a back and forth motion while the tractor with the trailers pulls it forward as necessary to keep up with the harvester.

Taking two trailers back to the staging area.

In the middle of the day on Saturday we had a brief, but heavy rain. We got 1/8 inch in less than 15 minutes. That’s a lot for us, especially when this was the first rain since spring. It’s dry enough here that it wasn’t enough to stop the harvest for long.

The harvesters worked all night and this was about 6:30 the next morning. By this time there were two harvesters at work with two tractors pulling trailers.

It was’t until Sunday that they finished the rows that were closest to the road.

I don’t remember if they finished Sunday evening or if that was just the last photo that I took of the harvest.

I have had a whirlwind of activity with Lambtown October 5-8 followed by a trip to Boise and now I’m getting ready for another adventure. So I missed all the steps that brought this field from one just harvested to this one that is ready for fall rain.

Across the Road – Tomatoes

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Robin

The tomato plants Across the Road aren’t as striking as the sunflowers I showed in my last blog post, but it is still interesting to watch the progress of the crop, especially now as they get closer to harvest. I have heard that harvest time is problematic this year, mostly due to the prolonged rainy season this winter and spring. Fields didn’t dry out soon enough for farmers to work the fields and many planted 3 to 4 weeks later than normal. That means the tomatoes ripen 3 to 4 weeks later. Tomato farmers have contracts with the cannery that state when and how much they deliver. The cannery can only handle a certain amount at once and will turn away excess. Some farmers may risk harvesting while some tomatoes are still green. Others may have to wait until the cannery can take the load, but they risk over-ripe fruit or early rain. Farming isn’t as simple as it may seem.

If you’re interested in reading more about this situation in 2023 read this article in Ag Alert, published by the Farm Bureau.

Here’s the tomato field I watch because it is right Across the Road. The latest ditch has been filled in and smoothed over. I assume there will be no more irrigation.

The plants are not that impressive when you look over the whole field.

When you look up close you see the red tomatoes.

There are still a lot of green ones in some parts of the field.

My walks aren’t all about a study in agriculture. They are mainly to get some exercise to fight off the effects of aging and to get Ginny out. More views from Across the Road:

This field is across the canal from the tomato field. They just harvested hay and it will be interesting to see what goes in here next.

Another view of the field prep.

I usually don’t walk here when they are spraying, but this started just as I was getting back. I saw the label on the tank of spray. It’s a regularly used fungicide. The last time I saw spraying it was with a helicopter.

Sunflowers

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Robin

I’ve been moving my photos from my computer’s hard drive to an external hard drive because I’m running out of room. As I moved the Across the Road folder I saw yellow flashing by and I thought I’d share. The landowner Across the Road from me often grows alfalfa in those fields. That is usually a three or four year crop. So every fourth or fifth year there is something else there. This year it is tomatoes. Other years there have been sunflowers. I love sunflowers.

There isn’t a story here. I’m just sharing photos of sunflowers…and in no particular order. I just like seeing these flowers.

Planting Tomatoes

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Robin

I didn’t plant tomatoes. They were planting across the road.

Here is the view this morning. It’s a big operation involving lots of people.

Each tomato planting machine is pulled by a tractor. There were four in this field today.

Tomato planting machine operated with a tractor.

There are six people sitting in the machine. Two other people were following. One of those moved the trays of seedlings, keeping up with the planters. The other seemed to be filling in spots where a tomato wasn’t planted. There is the tractor driver too. That is 9 people for each of these machines.

Close view of people sitting in tomato planting machine with trays of tomato seedlings.

Zoomed in view under the canopy.

I was amazed at how smoothly the beds were prepared a few days ago in preparation for this. Three beds are planted at a time, each with two rows of tomato plants.

Caterpillar tractor with a ditcher behind.

I took Ginny for a walk in the evening after everyone had left for the day. The job was not finished. I was surprised to see how much more there is to go. I continue to marvel at the amount of people and equipment involved here. I’m sure that this tractor will pull the ditcher around the field as soon as the planting is finished.

These are the crates that hold the tomato seedlings.

These are stacks of the empty trays. I think I count 28 spaces in a row. These trays are square so that would be 784 seedlings in each tray.

Field of newly planted tomato seedlings.

This is a view of the field looking south to Mt. Diablo, just visible in the haze. Last year I took a photo from this same spot weekly and intended to have a post that followed the sunflower field from start to finish. I still have those photos but never had time to do that. I’ll try to continue with the tomatoes.

Table and benches with sunshade, on wheels for far workers to use.

There were two portable “comfort stations”. I just made that up–I don’t know what they are called. They have seating under a shade and toilets.

I’m not sure if these tanks supply water or fertilizer to the tractors pulling the planting machinery. About a week ago another machine was pulled through that I though injected something as they made the beds–maybe that was fertilizer. I think the seedlings are getting water now to keep them going until the whole job is finished and they can irrigate.

Here is what the planter looks like. There are six chairs facing back.

It’s really hard to describe how this works. I don’t understand it without having seen it in action close up. The seedling is put into that v-shaped thing in the middle. It is on a rotating disc and it gets put in the soil. Every pair of seats had one disc with three of the v-shaped slots and one with two. That means that the two rows of tomatoes in each bed are offset to give the plants more room.

View from where the people sit inside the tomato planting machine

This is the view from sitting in the seat next to this disc. I just found this video to show how one works. It’s not quite the same, but the same function.

Forklift with large crates that hold tomato seedlings.

More infrastructure. There was a forklift to move the crates around.

Front view of tomato planting machinery with water tanks on front of the tractor.

The front view of the tractor with the tanks that I assume hold water. This part of the field is already planted so I think they just took it off the dirt road to park or maybe they needed to go back over this part for some reason.

Field partially planted with tomato seedlings. Planting machinery is in the field.

This shows the beds behind the tractor planted and beds in the foreground not planted yet.

Disc and grader both attached to tractors on a dirt road.

Even more equipment. The disc had gone around the edge of the field followed by the grader to smooth it out. They are parked on the dirt road in this photo.

View to the north.

Field with newly planted tomato seedlings.

Another view. That’s a lot of tomato plants. There are a lot more to plant. I don’t know if they will finish tomorrow. I’m sure they are under pressure to get those seedlings in the ground since those crates were delivered yesterday. At least it’s not very hot right now.

I hope I didn’t bore you with all these photos, but I’m fascinated by this.

Grandkids Across the Road

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Robin

While the grandkids were still here we made an excursion Across the Road. I hadn’t wanted to take three dogs and the two kids on my own because of the part where we have to walk on Meridian Road. There isn’t a lot of traffic but the cars are fast and there isn’t much of a shoulder to walk on. I didn’t want to pull the wagon where Kason was riding and hang onto three leashes, all the while trying to get the dogs off the pavement when cars came. (The dogs want to stay on the pavement because they have learned that when they walk off the pavement they are apt to pick up puncture vine burrs in their feet.) By the way, Rusty shared some photos of this in his blog.

The wagon worked well for Kasen and had the added benefit of taking all the necessary things like water bottles and the doll.

Meryl and I traded off with the wagon, but part of the point of this walk was for Kirby, wearing her black and pink Nikes, to run with Aunt Meryl.

Eventually Aunt Meryl tired and needed a ride. Time to go home. Kirby started to pout because she wanted Sawyer’s leash. I let her take Rusty and all was OK.

Fall Colors and Dogs

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Robin

I haven’t taken the dogs Across the Road much lately. I need to take the time to do that for them and for me. Here are some photos from a few days ago.

Leaves are turning color and falling.

They will be gone soon.

The black walnut leaves are already gone. Or maybe this is one of the trees that is dead. I think the drought took it’s toll on some of these.

The view looking southeast.

Ginny’s ball was cracked and even with the “Chuckit” I couldn’t throw it very far. Rusty runs after Ginny every time she goes for the ball. Then he runs back with her but he doesn’t always keep up with her now.

There were sunflowers in one of these fields and there were lots of seeds dropped on the road at harvest time. Now they are all sprouting.

This is Ginny while I was on the ground trying to take seedling emergence photos.

So you know that she put the ball right under my camera.

Ginny, do you know that broken tennis balls don’t float? She spent time looking for it after she had taken it into the canal.

Back at my driveway there were beautiful leaves to photograph. A wild grape vine.

Walnut tree.

Happy fall!

Yellow and Red

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Robin

Here are some recent Across the Road photos. If I can’t have my own 100’s of acres then at least I get to pretend by living right across the road from bigger farmland.

Sunflower in the making.

I have some weaving plans to incorporate these colors but haven’t had time to get to it.

The tomatoes were harvested last week.

These are canning tomatoes.

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This was the aftermath. There were plants at the ends of some rows and at the edges of the field that were toppled over but not harvested.

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I gleaned 22 pounds on one walk and picked up black walnuts for dyeing as well.

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Tomatoes in one pot and weeping willow leaves in the other.

Shadow Pictures

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Robin

Right now I’m sitting at my desk with one Border Collie (Rusty) at my feet under the desk and the other behind the chair. Ginny has never been gun shy or afraid of things in the sky but this thunderstorm has her rattled too. Rusty is terrified. So I left the loom where I was weaving and I’ll wait it out with them. We don’t often have thunderstorms here.

I had planned to write this blog post about our walk Across the Road in yesterday’s sunshine.

Guess who with something in her mouth?

Ginny watches the Ball and Rusty watches Ginny.

Ginny constantly drops the ball in the water but this year she gets herself. Last year I was fishing it out for her.

I don’t say much about Maggie because she usually wanders ahead and does her own thing out of range of the camera. I called her over to get a photo.

The late afternoon sun gives light to other subjects as well.

Ginny found a ball that we lost at some point in the tall grass. Now the grass is gone and she saw it in a dried tractor track. It’s a good thing because the ball on the right isn’t in very good shape at this point.

Across the Road Close-up

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Robin

It has dried out enough to take the dogs walking again. I haven’t taken my camera lately because it’s cold and I have three leashes and the Ball Thrower Thing and my hands are too cold. (Don’t laugh if you live where it snows. I’m still cold.) Rusty wrote a post about his perspective of the latest walks. Here is what I see when I walk with the iPhone.

You know those gloves with the special fingers that are supposed to let you use your phone even with the gloves on? I have some too:

Do you know what I think when I see these photos? Or when I’m looking at the ground while taking the photos? What if these were satellite photos and these were mountain ranges? Can you see that?