Our Majordomo texted me last night that there would be water to irrigate in the morning. I went out at dawn, but there was not much water in the irrigation ditch. There was a lot of sticks and cotton floating on top of the water. Therefore, I didn’t want to open my gate before the water was flowing over the main gate because a lot of the debris would clog up my culverts and ditches. I texted the Majordomo and asked when the water would be let in, and told him I’d be back home around 11:00 am to let in the water if it had come up by then.
I went to work, and we moved the remaining file cabinets, shelf units, tables and cabinets out of the downtown office. We put some of it in the storage room on the south end of the building, and loaded the rest of it into 4 pickup trucks and delivered shelves to a church in northeast Albuquerque, and then I delivered file cabinets and desks to our pharmacy in Corrales on my way home. At 10:30 am the Majordomo texted me that the water was up. I thought I would make it to Corrales by 11:00 am, but then an employee at the market asked if we had more desks. We did, so he got his truck and we loaded it with 3 file cabinets and two desks. I wasn’t going to make it home by 11:00 am, so I called Laurie and had her open out gate and get the water started.
Speaking of cotton, not only does it cling to plants and other things, it clogs up our swamp cooler. The above photos are the swamp cooler all clogged up again after I had cleaned it on Monday afternoon. I have to pull out the pads and brush the cotton off of them, and then I have to use a hose to spay the cotton out of the vents in the panels that hold the pads.
Around 1:00 pm, storm clouds were building up. It started raining around 3:00 pm.
This native bee was working the Shasta Daisies. The insects really love the Shasta Daisies while they are in bloom.
The rain stopped around 4:30 pm. I went out to shut down the irrigation gate at 5:00 pm and the storm clouds were breaking up.
A Pearl Crescent butterfly was also enjoying the Shasta Daisies this afternoon.
A yellow lily started blooming this afternoon.
While I was checking the progress of the irrigation water, I noticed we had one yellow Bing Cherry on our cherry tree. That’s the biggest harvest I’ve had in years. I think we had four or five cherries in 2018. The cherry was delicious.
Pre-sunset at around 8:00 pm looking southeast. Resa’s tree lighted on the left, Dale’s Peach tree in front (it has peaches), and Rebecca’s Black Bamboo patch with yellow tops in the middle right background.
Closer to sunset around 8:15 pm east/southeast. From left to right: Tiffany’s tree, Gabriela’s tree, Gigi’s tree, Teagan’s trees behind Gigi’s tree, and Susan’s tree.
Sunset looking west.
Off Center & Not Even 
Timothy, I do not know how you do everything you do. You are a magician.
I can see my tree too! YAY! Thank you so much for the pictures. Hugs to everyone.
Thanks, Gabriela. Irrigating is a 300 year old tradition here. Something I’ve done as long as I remember and I will do as long as there’s water to irrigate with. This year water is really sparse. It’s been a month since the last time I irrigated. I water a lot of our plants with drippers and soaker hoses, but I can’t get everything watered that way.
How’s your shoulder? I hope Maya and Mr. Churchill are taking good care of you? Hugs and purrs from out household to yours..
I understand the tradition and admire you for your talents. I know water is sparse there. It’s not good at all. I hope things will get better.
My shoulder is healing. Thank you for asking. I will be ok in about 2 months or so according to the doctor. It’s been a weird year for me with all these injuries. Maya and Mr. Churchill are fine. They are happy.
I wrote a poem that I want to publish tomorrow. I printed it and left it in the library room. It contains a line that reads “A sailor drowned a cat at sea.” That line created an entire commotion. I was told that my creativity crossed the line. Now I am afraid to publish it. You may not like it either and I will be in the doghouse forever.
We are sending everyone hugs and purrs. Have a wonderful summer. Let’s hope is going to rain more.
xoxo
I’m happy to hear you are healing. I have no problem with the line. Poetry is an expression of all the ups and downs, goods and bads, caring and cruelty experienced in real life as much as in fantasy. If the line is fitting for the poem in context it should work. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to be misunderstood these days as so many readers are seemly unable to distinguish between reality, allegory and fantasy. Therefore, it’s even easier to unwittingly trample on people’s oversensitive sensitivities. Of course, if the line read “A cat drowned a sailor at sea.” Most everyone would love it. What’s a sailor’s life worth compared to a cat?
First of all, I like that butterffly, he’s so beautiful. Cotton seems to be a real problem this time of the year. Compared with the last twoo years, we have much more rain this year but still not enough… Water becomes more and more a problem.
The natural distribution of water is and always has been problematic. Thanks, Rudi.
Agricultural Albuquerque.
Amazing photography again, Sir!
Thanks, Inchcock.
Busy day but it looks like most of your office leftovers are going to good homes.
The office leftovers are finally finding good home. Thanks, Couriers.
Fascinating. We don’t have or do anything like this. Loved reading this post.
Thanks, Shey. I think you have a lot more water than we do. we average 8 inches of precipitation in a good year.
Oh aye, we drown out here!
I’ll start off with a huge WOW, for your amazing shots of the master painter skies, flowers and workers and my admiration for you, pulling off so many errands in a day!
Being carried away by your gorgeous shots of cottons, I didn’t want to spoil it by mentioning how irritating they are, but reading your post, I can tell you now, I hate cotton time of the year. Not only they clog stuff, they carry various diseases to the plants. Every year I have to be alert during their fall, to clean up my plants. There’s also the allergic element too! 😉
But, as I said: WOW! And as Gabriela says: you are a magician!
Thank you for your wonderful comment, Marina. Cotton is such a pain. Last year a late frost froze the tatones, so we didn’t have cotton. This year it’s abundant, but then again we have pears on your tree, peaches on Dale’s tree and apples on on the apple trees.
The skies change so quickly out here that it’s hard to keep up with all the changes and any moment. The painter must be exhausted by nightfall.
I looked for the Strawberry moon last night, but the clouds were blocking it from my view. Laurie was at her parent’s house and said the moon peeked out for and instance as it rose over the Sandias and it was really pink. Too bad I missed it.
I can imagine how exhausted the painter must be!
I also missed the Moon last night as I’d been out early to get one more odd sunset. I would have to wait another hour to get the moon rising and I was too tired! Oh, well…
Understandable.
I bet! 😉
Lucky butterfly and bee…only one task to accomplish. Magnificent photos!!
Thanks, Mary Jo. There task, really. Eat, don’t get eaten and reproduce. Still a nice, simple life it seems to me.
Great shots, Tim!
Thanks, Teri.
You’ve been working hard, Tim. But I’m glad you could find homes for the furnishings. Horsefeathers! That’s a lot of cottonwood cotton. I was amazed by it when I lived in Rio Rancho. Fascinated too. Once driving home, it looked like a blizzard — at 90 degrees. Stay safe and well. Hugs on the wing!
Cotton storms are so weird when it’s hot. Thanks, Teagan.
It’s beautiful down there, Tim! The skies, insects, animals and flowers always a delight to the eye. Water – yes, we are going into summer under drought conditions. The forecast is for 113 here on Sunday, atypical for June.
That’s really hot for your area. Thanks, Lavinia.
Always such beautiful images. The cotton made its way to the clouds on those first ones! Yay to the cherry and woot to the pear, peach and apples trees! Hopefully all will be able to be picked and eaten/used in various ways 🙂
It would be nice if the cotton would stay in the clouds. It will be nice to have fruit. You peach tree had a lot of peaches in 2018. They were really good. Thanks, Dale.
I bet. From what I’ve read, it’s rather invasive! I am so happy my tree has lots of peaches!
Wonderful photos, Tim! 😍 Thanks for the pic of my tree, it’s quite gnarly and still beautiful!
Your tree is one of the more gnarly trees. It has a great gnarly shape to it. Thanks, Tiffany.
Beautiful skies and very interesting to read about yourcotton and water situations.
Thanks, Heidi.
I found it so interesting to hear what you do with the irrigation ditch and how you get to water some things. We have friends that get to do this once in a while in AZ.
I had 1 cottonwood tree in Ohio and every June it caused soooooooo much of a mess. I had cotton EVERYWHERE!
It got struck by lightening and it was taken away! Yay!
Love your clouds, butterflies and bee!
Irrigating has always been a part of my life. And you only had one cottonwood. Thanks, Nancy.
Only 1…
I can’t even imagine what you are going through with more then 1.
A bosque full of cottonwoods.
wow, this is quite a task Timothy and I can’t imagine the work but fun to hear the underpinnings of what you do.
so exciting to get a cherry so yummy. I know the feeling of coming up empty.
Wonderful pictures and such a gorgeous sky💖💖❣️
Thanks, Cindy. Have you been to the Salton Sea? The Salton Sea happened from of an irrigation project.
Very good shot of that bee in the middle of the shasta daisy – the white highlights on the bee compliment the outer pedals. The butters are nice as well, but they tend to blend in a bit with the center portion.
Thanks, Brian.
What a day for you! Lots to do.
Lots here, too! Believe it or not the construction nightmare has added to the agony. No mail..OR any deliveries of any kind since June 14. The construction zone is considered too, dangerous.
So, is that my tree’s cotton making all the mess? Oh dear!
The gown is coming along. I spend about an hour — 1 1/2 hours a day sewing long lines. It’s a full gown, so the seams are long and the panels many.
Adore the tree & sky shot. Of course my tree is golden.
Take care of yourself, Resa -what you are experiencing is not for the faint of heart!
Thank you Rebecca! It’s harder and harder to focus as this insanity clings to my life.
LOL… it’s like I’m practising to live in a war zone. My heart goes out to all who do.
I feel so helpless. There’s so much hateful dogma and violent responses in this world.
I see deciding for peace like quitting smoking. It takes less money, less time, less health and less thought.
YAY, I live in a decent country, and have had my second shot.
Thank you, Rebecca. You are a thoughtful person.
I second that, Rebecca. Resa is not in a good situation with all that construction going on.
Hi Resa. Your tree is just one on many making cotton. The gown sound so cottonwoody cool.
Whew!
I was very interested in your irrigation system, TIm. I know very little about this process. I LOVE my Black Bamboo patch with its yellow tops. What a wonderful gift to receive!
Thanks, Rebecca. Irrigation is mostly a dry climate thing. Your Black Bamboo patch is magic like the Tangle Heart Tree.
I felt the magic, Tim!!! It is powerful stuff!
I can only echo what others have said.. Wow indeed… I can’t imagine..cotton in your water..!
Thanks, China Dream.
Congrats on your cherry crop. Oh how I remember swamp boxes from when I lived in Tucson. I never had to clean them, nor do I remember any of the cottonwood cotton.
There are probably not many cottonwoods in Tuscon. You have to go up to Cottonwood, AZ.
I did not realize before that cotton could cause problem to equipment as such. I guess you would need to clean the equipment quite often through out the year?
Beautiful pictures of the daisy and the matching butterfly!
No only for about a month. After the cotton all blows away I install new pads and it’s good until the next cotton season. Thanks, YellowCable.
Wow busy day Tim! That cotton looks like a job to remove .. Wonderful shot of the bee and the butterfly enjoying the daisy. Super sky shots as always ..
Thanks, Julie.
Aw, I’m glad a cherry bloomed and that it was enjoyable! Cool bee and butterfly.
There were more blossoms, that one survived the frost. Thanks, Linda.