Water at Winterpast equals life. And life is blooming right now. Or trying to, anyway. Fifty foot hoses are at the ready to deliver water to any struggling bushes or trees. Two, not one, automatic sprinkler stations watch the time for me, delivering much needed drinks to my yard. At least, one half of my yard.
Automatic sprinkler systems can lull you into a false sense of security that everything is getting a drink. You see the lawn getting water and smile. How lucky you are not to find it necessary to water each tree to the minute. Because, of course, the SYSTEM will do it for you.
Well, my SYSTEM has failed me on a few points. Today is the day of reckoning, as my new friend is on the scene to provide another person to find the source of the problem. Diagnosing problems is something he does very well. Me, not so much. Heck. There is only one problem right now. No water along the perimeter of my property with resident plants drooping as the hours of sunshine lengthen.
Peonies, with their front row seats next to my living room view are quite happy, although maybe a little too wet. Their alien sprouts are moving heavenward. These plants are the most odd I’ve ever grown. If you haven’t had the experience of growing them from a bulb, do so. From the emerging sprouts, to the tennis-ball-shaped buds, to the tissue-paper-flower like blooms with their beautiful fragrance, they are a flower not to be missed. Mine are right on time as they say “Hello” to 2021.
Yesterday was a day of reviewing the layout of the sprinkler system with an analytical person next to me. The main shut off, drains, solenoids, wires, and mother-ship-brains of the operation, the control panels all faced inspection. Winterpast has two very nice panels that control everything. One of them is a Bird-In-The-Rain brand. Very beautifully marked and easy to use. Right in the garage in plain sight. Easy to adjust and maintain.
The other, is NOT a Bird-In-The-Rain, but rather a Charging Bull Station. In the RV barn, it’s easy to forget, which I did last year with my perimeter plants taking a hit last year. Not being sure when the problem started, a problem there is and we we’ll be on the hunt for answers and fixes today.
My friend pointed out that one must look backwards sometime to find the source of a problem. Elimination of each possible cause must be examined and ruled out, until the problem can be solved. I really just want water and will be along for the ride. I’m a wonderful “Go-For” girl.
The quest involved opening up boxes in the earth holding numbered pipes, wires, and lots and lots of spiders. In one box, there is something large that used to be moldy. Neither my friend or I really want to investigate that, but, today, it must be removed. EWWWWWW.
To say that his presence is an overwhelming JOY is putting it mildly. So many days, I go to bed, immediately falling into deep sleep from sheer exhaustion. The cause? The constant demands of Winterpast, an unrelenting master. One half acre is equivalent to 21,780 square feet according to Google. Yes, I WAS a teacher. No, math WAS NOT my best subject. Hence, I write a daily blog and am not a up and coming scientist.
21,780 square feet is equivalent to taking care of 10 of my houses, in addition to the house I do take care of. Every inch can be covered with leaves, or weeds, or broken sprinklers, or any number of things. One space could have an invasion of toads, while another is gasping for water, while another is suffering under a pile of mustang poop. The jobs are endless around here, and multiplying every day.
As K pointed out while we were soaking in the spa, “There is so much to do. But, there is so much to do.”
Understanding that, one needs to understand that without the necessary care of Winterpast, by now, I would either have written my 20 novel, or be a very, very bored person. Gardening is second only to writing in my world. Gardening and writing represent life for me. Water is necessary for the life of my garden in the high desert.
Best-est Friend taking the lead, today will be a fun one. Budding fruit trees give the yard a fancy feel. The new bird house and watering can I found yesterday at the hardware store will find their Place in the yard. I have more plants to pot and more pots to plant. My garden is a happy place, ripe with possibilities for beauty.
Find a problem today and follow it to the source. Analytical thinking uses an important part of our brains, redirecting worry and sorrow into something productive. Enjoy spring!! Go water something!!!