Tragedy can bring about many gifts if one is open to receiving them. My tragedy has shown me the depth of caring and generosity in the hearts of my family, friends and neighbors. Wow.
After the Riverside Fire took my home and everything on our property, time and money became scarce for anything but rebuilding that life. The farm and many of the end of season projects I had planned for this year took a back seat. The one project I felt I couldn’t let go of, though, was getting water piped to the new high tunnel before winter hit so I would be ahead of the game come spring. But Peter has been consumed by all the logistics for cleaning up the burn sight and getting the new shop and house built within a year.
Enter Brian Gibler, beloved owner of Captain Blueberry farm on Folsom Rd. outside of Estacada. He heard of my need for a design, materials and labor for this project and generously offered them all to me. I am still blown away by this gesture of love and support from another farmer. Of course, I accepted, and he promptly went to work to put it in motion before the weather would make the job unbearable.
The materials got delivered last Tuesday. Brian and his son, Ian, showed up Thursday morning with the beast-of-a-trencher (see picture below) and the magic began. We had a few stops and starts (I made about 5 trips to True Value that day for missing parts and supplies) but the bulk of the system was completed the first day. The second day was all about the controller for the irrigation system. Again, a few stops and starts plus a trip to Canby for more wire and the system is in.
Now, its my turn to figure out the controller and program it…
So, this PTSD, scrambled-eggs-for-brains, completely distracted farmer has to learn a new language and then use it to tell a machine to water my plants. It may take all winter to get to that point. I just want to know how to turn it on and off for now. The rest will come. In the meantime, I have a gorgeous new frost-free hydrant with fantastic water pressure in the middle of the high tunnel and only one hose to lug around. Its all I need for now. Not much in the high tunnel this winter season. My seasonal plant starts didn’t survive the burning of my greenhouse at home.
All my love to Brian, Ian, Rhoda and Monique over at Captain Blueberry! You all rock and everyone should be eating your blueberries! Check out their website for blueberry plant sales now and picking season next year. I do believe they are working on their divine blueberry sauce as well. Yum. Blessings to you and yours.
