Almonds Coming to Life

    Each Spring is an amazing transition to life. The almond trees go from dormant, to buds, to blossoms and leafing out in the course of a month. I asked Sheryl to share some of her photos so you could see the transition. The first picture is mine. The rest are Sheryl's. She has been brave and patient. The bravery comes from the fact that she doesn't like bees and they have been busy working in the trees. It takes patience to get the right shot. Some days the wind is blowing. Other days the light is not right.

                             Pink bud

                                        

   Can you see the baby almond in the center where the flower petals have fallen off? In another week all the flower petals will have fallen off and the green leaves will be filling the trees.

   We have been watering the trees this past week. Next week we will be killing weeds- again. We will also put on another application of fertilizer.
   We have been working cotton beds, getting ready for planting. This warm weather gives that false sense of security that Spring is in the air. There is still plenty of unstable weather ahead. We'll leave the seed safe in the sack for now. But, the planter is ready, the tractors are ready and the fields are ready.

Paddling Fast

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright February 2013

                Driving by a farm is a lot like watching a duck on a pond.

            When you drive by a farm you rarely see much happening. Even during harvest we are focused on four rows at a time while the other 1600 rows wait. You may see an empty field when you drive by, but someone’s thinking about that field. Maybe it is getting irrigated. Maybe it was cultivated yesterday. Maybe it’s ready to harvest. Even during the off season a lot is getting done as we prepare the fields for the next crop.

            It’s a lot like watching a duck on a pond. He’s just slowly moving along. But, you look underneath and he’s paddling like crazy. On the farm there is a lot going on during the seasons, even if you don’t see it. There are-

            -fields to irrigate
            -weeds to cultivate
            -equipment to fix
            -every week I scout the fields for bugs

I think you kind of get the idea.

            One of the things that attracted me to farming was the quite country side. It can be quiet—and peaceful. But, often-just out of sight, we are paddling like crazy.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P