Update on the Farm - Winter Lingers

February ended with a major storm and we joined the rest of the country with a visit by the polar vortex. Projected to get another dusting tonight. Trying to keep in perspective - irrigation season begins in 5 weeks.

Those of you with outside livestock know the trials and tribulations to keep everyone healthy, fed and watered. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. I was pleased with my pre-planning moving stock close to water troughs that can be heated and brought down a weeks worth of hay. Only 12 inches of snow predicted to last 5 days. First night dropped 3 feet of snow. I dug walkways everywhere and unburied the chicken house openings. By day 3 below 20 degree temperatures were projected to last 10 plus days.

Fortunately I have neighbors, politically we may differ but are always ready to assist each other.

I was allocating 2 days to reach the hay barn and return with a load budgeting time necessary to dig out the chained-up 4 drive pick-up a few times. The phone rang it was the 71 yo neighbor recovering from a knee replacement vetting about how he could not run his tractor or help his wife shovel shovel snow. If I need help he would send down the 83 yo neighbor (D) with his dozer (very large bulldozer)with the 10 foot bucket to clear the driveway. The hay was more complicated, D wanted to assist me loading hay bales into the bucket and I refused to let the post-heart attack 83 yo lift bales. So we pre-arranged to have a helper do the hand work for him. The place is now littered with 7 foot piles of snow up to the barn, hay by the corral and a path I will use Sunday to drive up to the hay barn.

soe corral.JPG

Why deal with all the work? Because I like the challenges, experiments and satisfaction of a job well done. The section of field being watered similar to a marsh was producing enough insects to attract swallows to feed last year. Seventeen years ago no small birds were around the house and barnyard areas. Now they are so numerous smaller hawks regularly hunting. Working on expanding areas for more frogs to winter over and lay eggs. A Red fox is regularly visiting for rodents and a chicken last fall. Pygmy rabbits have a den by the current bushes.

Vehicles are tough environmental choice. It is easier to vilify them, hard not to use them. Did turn in my old van for a used Prius for highway driving. The gas guzzling pick-up is limited to hauling. A necessity for a few days of the year. Looking forward to the electric pick-up mentioned a few times on C99. It appears more appropriate for farm work than the electric golf carts I have used over the years.

Serious risk to keeping the farm appeared late summer 2018. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has funds to work on the traffic issues in Terrebonne, a small rural community nearby. During the public workshops several anonymous were put forth for a bypass that would go through the acreage. Some took out the house and others the modular home designated as a future a caretaker cottage. One plan took out both residence and all outbuildings. On the plus side, ODOT favors a plan avoiding the bypass issue for at leat 20 years. On the negative side, concerned business owners just submitted a plan to State Transportation Committee to ignore ODOT's plan for the community and update one intersection built that will have capacity for land development immediately and a tie in to a future by-pass when funding is obtained.

The last political election reduced the clout of the by-pass supporters but it may not be enough. The pro-development county commissioner who lost still sits on the state committee. There appears to be significant outside money driving the highway change and properties along most of the route has changed hands the last 10 years. Oregon is not the pro-environment state I was raised, it has become owned by developers and business. While most of us were feeling good about public beach access, land use zones and recycling different business lobbies took over. Polluted by Money How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America

It is an odd feeling to know multiple people are planning on destroying your home some for personal gain and others for increased tax base. My last home the city required a developer to simply end a new road with completed sidewalks at the edge of the pasture so it could be tied into the next phase they wanted developed. Which after several years the road was completed. Not sure of the next steps, simply wishing good thoughts is not going to be adequate. But for this season I will move forward on my gardening plans as soon as I can reach my supplies.

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They are worth their weight in gold. Sorry about your bypass issues. I get more and more envious of my BIL & SIL. They sold absolutely everything they had and bought a new pickup truck and 5th wheel. They summer in Michigan and winter in Lake Havasu & California with lots of side trips to the Grand Canyon and different places and states along the way. They pay zero taxes, and the only worries they have are their kids, grandkids, and the clothes on their back.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

studentofearth's picture

@dkmich @dkmich but did like driving a big rig. Gas and space rentals have become a lot more expensive. Improvements in satellite dishes and smart phones make it easier to work with the internet than my last extended trip in an RV.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

@studentofearth

Wonder how it shakes out when you add up the costs and compare homestead vs vagabond. My gut says vagabond has to be cheaper, but maybe not. He parks on his daughter's property and uses her power when he is in Nev and CA. He has a slot, slip, lot whatever you call it at an RV? park in MI. That he pays for.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

smiley7's picture

hwy issue hanging, is that around Medford?

Thanks for this update, miss your weekly farm exploits, good to see you.

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studentofearth's picture

@smiley7 north of Bend and Mt Bachelor ski resort. We have become a commuter community for Silicon Valley, drive or fly. Frustrating I was one of the major supporters in the 90's of building up our infrastructure for high tech. Did more for real estate than creating well paying jobs for locals. We are now about 20% of the population.

Miss the weekly reports myself, forced a focus each week on what was happening in the present moment. Created a great photo collection capturing the year on the farm. I was doing a poor job of keeping up with the comments with timely replies.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

smiley7's picture

@studentofearth
conference in the eighty's when a panel enjoined to say that if communities invested in art, the multiplier of dollars invested would pay for local fire departments and EMT's and such nonsense.

Certainly, i advocated for investment at the time and not for art's sake, but for improving the human condition, fostering curiosity and so on; however, i surmise that to this day, grant seekers and art administrators still boast of enormous economic returns.

Tourism, touted to be the panacea of these beautiful Appalachian mountains for decades, has driven up real estate prices way beyond even two local school teacher's salaries to purchase a modest home; so, locals lose and have lost in our community as well. The wealthy have second homes, huge ones in gated communities.

The one percent problem.

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janis b's picture

@studentofearth

Thank you for your effort.

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dystopian's picture

Very interesting post SOE. The Pygmy Rabbits are very cool critters. I'm pretty anti-developer. I have watched them destroy lots of great habitat. I have also seen a lot of small towns where a bypass killed Main St. for biz. That should be the folks against it. The snow and cold sounds brutal, especially with animals to take care of. Stay warm! Spring is on the way.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

studentofearth's picture

@dystopian Proposed to start about 1/4 mile North of Redmond city limits and re-enter the existing highway a mile down the road. Would create 2 large clover leafs, one at each end and remove state oversight on driveways in the unincorporated community. Think of all the box stores, fast food outlets or warehouse that could be built. The second busiest North-South truck route between Washington and California.

The pygmy rabbits are cute. Easy prey for foxes and hawks. I do not let my dogs free range in that area anymore. Thanks for the input.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

I've been reading from people all week complaining about calf drop. They drop right into the snow, and sometimes the new mom is protective and in any case it's doggone cold out. The smell attracts lots of predators too.

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studentofearth's picture

@ban nock their first meal quick enough. In Europe traditionally calving season started with first flush of grass and milder weather. In America we changed our calving season to meet the feedlots schedule and moved away from nature's. Less work when nature's is followed.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

janis b's picture

Thank you for this post, and I wish you and the earth more promising times.

It’s the same here; the battle between good use of the land and commerce.

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studentofearth's picture

@janis b escape from the land and communities they destroyed. I am hoping your Country is able to do a better job than we are at the moment. Thanks for the photos in your diary this evening. Or is it morning?

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

janis b's picture

@studentofearth

but with limited success. Hoping for the best that's possible.

It's afternoon, and I'm pleased you enjoy the photos. All the best.

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Cassiodorus's picture

I was looking at the weather reports and it seemed (from those I viewed) as if spring was going to start easing in around this time. I hope warmer temperatures are eventually headed your way!

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

studentofearth's picture

@Cassiodorus of Oregon you drove through in Feb. It is not unusual to go from winter weather to low summer temps. Our seasons are labeled winter, summer and fall with a few days of spring showing up here and there.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Cassiodorus's picture

@studentofearth But it still looks like the weather will improve.

https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/or/terrebonne?cm_ven=localwx_10day

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

studentofearth's picture

@Cassiodorus Warm enough today I could take quick trips outside without all the winter gear. Smile

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

mhagle's picture

Climate change Texas weather. It was in the 20s for four days early this week. Now in the 70s. That should be the end of the cold weather so I planted out early tomatoes and other cold crops. We will see. Ah . . . .

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

studentofearth's picture

@mhagle and frost possible every month of the year. That is normal for my local environment. It is distressing to see similar weather patterns showing up in our major food growing regions.
Gardening a new adventure every year.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Granma's picture

Or were the big dumps of snow the last of it? I hope when the snow eventually melts, it will leave the soil moist enough that you won't have to irrigate quite as much.

Thank you for the update. Stay warm and safe while taking care of your animals.

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studentofearth's picture

@Granma accumulating. Roads are clear, which is a big help for a quick run to town.

Irrigation is a constant. Located in an agricultural irrigation district water is delivered on a schedule. My responsibility to take what is delivered and grow non-native plants as a commercial crop or landscaping. Working within the rules attempting to create habitat for native wildlife, maintain the livestock and expand food garden. have been making changes every year and it now takes half the effort to water.

Safety is my first concern and carry the cell phone on every trip outside. Thanks for the prompting.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.