You Rock!

My friend and neighbor Denny came out with me to spend the day picking rocks for the chimney & columns. Denny & Jen own Lot 27 and are looking forward to building a home there. Here Denny surveys the view from his lot.

The mason says a ton of stone covers approx. 35 sq. ft, and we'll need around 20 ton total. I'd say Denny & I collected about half that.

There are several ancient rockslides lying exposed on the slope of the ridge. Over the centuries these gray fieldstones have acquired a dusty rose patina and a colorful smattering of lichens.

We were able to get the pickup fairly close to the rockslides. We had to pitch some of the higher rocks down the hill first. Sort of like bowling or bocci with 20 lb stones, congratulating each other on a particularly well-placed pitch or finding the perfectly-shaped stone.

We made it through the day with no herniated discs or smashed toes, and we left the hillside looking pretty much as it did before, having removed just a tiny fraction of the stones out there.

Thanks Denny. A good friend indeed, and a good day.

About Thyme

Last spring I planted some desert succulents - sedums, creeping thyme, etc - in front of the vineyard sign. They spread quickly and the colors this time of year are spectacular. I'm rooting for the purple thyme to take over, so I'll only water that this summer.

Cayuse Wildflowers

Mouse Mansion

There's a mouse who lives in my valve control box. His pad must be the envy of the colony - high ceilings, running water. He's even drug in a cigarette butt from somewhere (not mine of course), for that special touch.

The property has just one tiny little drawback. Every once in a while a great monster suddenly lifts the roof and scares the bejeezus out of poor mr. mouse.

Well, no place is perfect. They have earthquakes in California...

An Early Spring at Cayuse

Another sparkling day up on the plateau. The guy at the lumber store said he wished it wouldn't get any warmer. It's only the middle of March.

Plotting Holes to Plant Grapevines

I laid out planting holes for the vines last week. It's a real trick keeping a straight line on rows nearly 400 feet long. There's no magic formula(other than, I suppose, GPS surveying). Every farmer works it out his own way. I thought about it a long time, then went & got the longest tape measure I could find (300')and a 500' roll of yellow "Caution" tape (heavy reinforced, so it wouldn't fly around in wind). I stretched the Caution tape out, attached to a metal stake on each end of the row, then ran the tape measure down on top and spray painted the ground every six feet. That's where the vines will go.

I asked my farmer neighbor how the farmers got their rows straight. He laughed. "I don't know," he said. "I don't think it's possible."

Vineyard Irrigation System

The vineyard irrigation system went in this week.
Foggy mornings, but by mid-afternoon... just another sunny day east of the mountains.

Cayuse in Winter

Vineyard Concept

Decided to plant a vineyard and build a house. There’s an area of open space above the entry drive that has a nice south/southwest slope to it. A vineyard would add a touch of class and grace to the community, set the tone. I’ll make it an estate by building a nice home on Lot 21 adjacent to the vineyard.

Entry Feature

The entry landscaping is maturing. We recently added some blue oat grass around the monument rock, which softens the effect. Still looks a little bare to me. I’ve been talking to my landscaper about adding some trees and more ground cover.

Farmland Parcel

A young couple purchased Lot 1 and 45 acres of farmland next to it. They planted hay last spring and invested in a new irrigation system. It was a pleasure to watch the various stages of the crop throughout the season, from sparse, bright-green sprouts in spring to full dark-green lushness in the heart of the summer to golden when they turned the water off two weeks before cutting. Here’s a photo of the last of the bales waiting to be picked up in mid-September.