Dr. Ditch

This post was mostly written last spring, but never finished. It was a huge ordeal last spring. And it just happened to be when Troy took on teaching one evening math class at the community college that quarter. Made for a BUSY spring. A spring we just HAVE to remember. So, one year ago exactly this weekend is when the 6 week project was completed. Coincidentally, it started the day of Alana and Hanna's regional History Day competition, and ended the day they went to the State History Day Comp. I remember that day was a GOOD day, after all the long and often frustrating work. The girls both placed made it to their finals round, our new friend Julie who was staying the weekend with us on a house hunting trip found a home that day, and the water finally got turned on the grass. 3 (4) huge blessings in one day. So, to go back in time...

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Troy's dad calls him "Dr. Ditch" because he's an Irrigation Engineer. Even though this isn't really his day-to-day work, it's a project he's working hard on around our place lately. Installing a new irrigation system on our 11 acres, separate from the "Buffalo Man's" that we've been sharing the past 3 years. Something that was supposed to happen when the previous owner divided their land and sold it in separate lots. So it's now happening, and good ol' Dr. Ditch volunteered to do all the labor. Lucky us, we "got" to help too.

Here he is "outstanding in his field".

He thought it would be a quick 1-2 weekend job. Nope, it turned out to be an extra part-time job for about 6 weeks, and he was trying to rush so we could get water on the grass. It was thirsty. Also, because the "ox was in the mire" literally. The cows kept playing in the trenches. Didn't want them busting the pipes, or breaking their legs. (Just happened to be the same time Dad taught an evening math class at the community college too. And Seth's spring soccer season. Not such great timing.) It was a glorious day when it was finally done!

Bridger jumping over the holes with his friend Chris. A little counter-productive with all the dirt he knocked back in. :) But we didn't want to tell him "no" when he was having the time of his life! He did help pick out a lot of rocks though. And helped lay out the pipes too.



Jump! I love this picture. Good ol' farm fun.

Incidentally, those big rocks (buried treasure!) got dug up when the backhoe dug the trench. It's super rocky around here. So alongside the new trench for the water lines, there's also a line of "leeverite" rocks. "Leave-er-right there" rocks!

This picture is kinda misleading. Yes, the "leeverite" rocks created little caves in the dirt, that were fun to play in. But Aspen is really acting it up here, and Bridger's having fun. It wasn't really as bad as it appears. We sure tracked a ton of dirt inside the house, all through our clothes and hair and shoes and pockets. Thank goodness for a mud room. And vacuum.


RRRIIIIIIPPPP! (In more ways than one!) (And more ways than 2 too!)

Showing Seth how to use the "purple stuff" to glue pipes together. "I need Purpled!" or "Purple me!" was heard over and over. It's all over our shoes and jackets and Mom's maternity overalls too. The purple primer, and the gray glue. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for Mom to be smelling that stuff when pregnant, but that's about all she could really help with. There was usually good "ventillation" (wind). She could also drive the trailer loads of sand around, but shoveling sand was too hard for her too. Sand is heavy!

That's a pile of sand that's been there ever since buying the house. Kids love it, but Mom hates it. It's the "poopy sand" (thanks to the cats) so it's nice to have it mostly gone now! Had to line the rockier trenches with it. We found a big toad hybernating in it too.


I was running back and forth getting water jugs to put into the tractor that we borrowed. It has a little, no, BIG leaking problem!



Our beautiful Mother, actually helping with the work, not playing the farmer's wife job of staying in the house. This lady gets down'n'dirty! Except she couldn't fit into any of the ditches with her big belly to pick rock! And, just between you and me, isn't she pretty?