April Showers.

[hank4elk]

Finally! Steady rain for 4 hrs.
Then off and on.
Puddles. 1st real rain since Oct.

Got 3 sacks of seed down, then it started.
Western wheatgrass and AZ fescue,pine grass.

Lots of elk, antelope and deer sign about.

Got a load of firewood and then showed my water tanks to buddy who is also a longtime guide/outfitter.
He said I should plant one tree and move cage.

I will plant a thicket of trees and have 2 more corrals to work on. Someday I will find more trees.
3 narrowleaf cottonwoods, 4 aspen, 2 native plums. Currants and serviceberry. Wild rose clumps for the flats.
Shade and food.

Have a meadow growing in orchard area of native grasses.
Bare ground 10 years ago.
Watering the big pinion on the west side to try and save them. Need to get drip on them.

Sun coming out for sunset.
Maybe more rain this weekend.
Water is good.
Life is good.

 

[Wild Bill]

Doing the Lord’s work, Hank. Good stuff.

 

[hank4elk]

Doing the Lord’s work, Hank. Good stuff.

Me?
More like Lard work. LOL.

2 boomers came through after sunset. Crack, Boom ,then heavy short downpour.
Dotti growled.

67% humidity.
45% is the magic number up here.
Add 2 fronts spinning flow from Mexico north is the magic.

Watched the local half hour special on monsoon forecast....put a smile on my face.
3 of 4 said positive for good monsoon. The 4th knows NM...Maybe.
The East/West divide is ?.
Does East NM & Tejas get flooded or does AZ/NM then CO and Kansas?

I'll stay positive and use what I have.
A good well producing more than when drilled and the sun and poly pipe and a few valves.
Corral panels and some wire.

5,000 years ago the ancient ones dug the 1st acequia's ...ditches to water beans and corn, chiles.
Juniper poles and thorny branches to protect crops.

100 years ago Mr & Mrs. Hogg homesteaded this place.
No one had lived here in a thousand years.
They built a duggout home.
They hand dug some wells. Grew beans and corn and ran some cattle.

I saw elk coming back to the land roamed by Merriams.
Rockies have taken to it. In a big way.
Going with the flow.
Giving wildlife the edge.

 

[hank4elk]

Got 1/4 inch, it helped some.
Got cage done minus some barb strands. Water hooked up and runs like a garden hose.
Wore my old ass out and the hip was hurting, some hand joints.
Doves ate a bunch of seed.

Red flag fire watch again today.
Dry already with 35mph winds today.
I'll plant some tomorrow.
Rain again for next week maybe.

Saw elk and antelope this morning leaving the water.
Deer trotted down at sunset last night.
Cool.

 

[hank4elk]

Got maybe .02" Tues..........Tucumcari got 5.50".
Hit 88 too.
New lid is nice.

Got the 3 bigger trees in. Soil is soft for 3 inches, then rock hard packed dry mud. LOL
Have more wood coming today and have to stick around this morning and water near house.

Had some antelope watch me work yesterday.
Mallard pair in big tank. Killdeer in flats.
Too many Pdogs...waiting for a downpour myself.

Dotti is after lizards, cicadas and got a baby mouse last night.
She brought it in and dropped it next to her bowl and I stomped it and trashed it...she looked at me in disgust.
I look at her in disgust when she eats cicadas...also a favorite protein source for Rio....Dogs.

Watering the pinions in front has helped. 2 are pushing flower cones now. I'll get drip on them soon.
Will plant the bigger aspens in back yard so I can see them grow from house and add to the 3 I have now.
Had suckers from NM locust come up where roof water collects. Next to walk in.
I'll leave them as they are also flaco's and throny...like me.
Fitting.

3 serviceberries will go in tubs next to fence that had sandplums, that did not make it.
Orchard area is native grass meadow now. A foot high. Wildflowers coming up too.
The tank cage is full and can't fit anymore...maybe a golden currant on edge.

Waiting for monsoons...still extreme drought here.

 

[noharleyyet]

We're getting multiple consecutive days high percentage percipitation forecasts but no rain. Pop up cells & fronts that split or dissipate.