Life in Washington - May 2005 |
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Home > Life in Washington - May 2005 |
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Our first full month as ranch
owners! With the beginning of harvest only 6 weeks away we are
learning on the fly! Fortunately, we have 3 very capable and
experienced guys working the orchard. They had been with the
previous owners for about 20 years and have decided to stay on board
with us. We are thankful.
As we've walked the property each day Dave and Jimmie have had great fun finding asparagus growing down by the canal. There is nothing like freshly picked and grilled asparagus. What a fabulous flavor!
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Asparagus found on our property
May 19th: It's been a very busy first 3 weeks of being ranch owners! Everyday we learn lots and lots of new things, face new challenges, and write loads of checks! But, we're having a great time and are settling in to the process. The cherries are beginning to turn red so we have to watch for the birds. Soon the valley will be filled with bird cannons, netting and other bird scare devices. Such is life in the cherry orchard! We've been spraying for mildew and aphids and prevention of cherry fruit fly. Dave's been busy mowing and weed whacking and getting familiar with all the equipment. Jimmie and Dave are also planning out the family garden for the year. It's going to be great! Becca and Connie are plotting jams and sauces to be made in the evenings with the various fruits (number 2s, of course!) Dave and Ron are also finding time to go trout fishing and mushroom hunting. They've been extremely successful with both! They've come home with buckets of morels three times so far. Becca's been monitoring the brix levels in the cherries. The values are rising nicely. We're looking to harvest cherries in about 3 weeks. Exciting times!
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5/24/05: It
was a gorgeous day at the ranch. Wonderful views of Mt. Adams and
Mt. Rainier. Two great views from our property!
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