When we started this project, I knew it was going to be a big job, but I guess I didn't realize JUST HOW BIG!!!! We are 3 weeks into it and there is still soo much to do. Mel has been working his butt off getting all the pipe laid and making sure everything is correct. I have been helping when I get home from work and on days off. All of the pipe is now in the ground, as of today!!!!.....so the next chore will be to get the sprinklers built and hooked up to all the trees.
Sprinkler assembly # 1 of 14
Then to get the valves built, mounted and wired in.
Box of valve parts.......
If you are not familiar with a system like this, each valve will control the water to a specific section. We have all the citrus and avocado trees on 1 system since they all need about the same amount of water and all the veggie gardens will be on 1 system and so forth. In our yard, since the citrus and avo trees are all around, it was alot of work and alot of pipe to make sure that these all connected together and to 1 of the valves. There is even a valve that will take water to a specific spot in the yard where I can put my Plumerias in the winter when they don't need much water, but they will need some on occasion. The controller that controls all of these valves will be programmed for specific water amounts for the types of plants that are in the different areas of the yard. This controller then knows the weather history and rainfall history for the area and it can register evaporation and moisture rates, so it will compensate for these different conditions and run for a shorter or longer amount of time depending on the weather......pretty complicated system, but we really won't have to worry about any of that once it is done. You can see why it is alot of work, but it will be worth it when it is all finished. We did the front yard this way last summer and we literally barely even have to think about watering, it just does it.
So, back to the progess on the yard..... my job will still be to get all the ditches filled in. It doesn't look like much has been done....... Here are some before and afters:
Our poor lawn and going towards the casita path.....
between the garden and casita....
The yard is just full of these risers. They have caps on them for now to keep out the dirt. Once all of the ditches are filled, the above ground part of the project will start and there will be tubing attached to all of these risers. The tubing will run all around the yard. Some of it will have holes to water directly onto the ground and some will have the spaghetti lines that will run specifically to each plant..... Then all of this tubing and risers will be covered in mulch.
Remember all that mulch we hauled to the back yard.....we tried to save as much as we could before trenching, but it got to the point that we didn't have any place to put the dirt that the trencher was digging up, so we had to bury a lot of the mulch. Now some of that mulch is going back into the ditches as I fill them. We are going to have bring in more mulch!!!!! UGH!!!!! We would like to have this done before we go, so......we will be busy for awhile still!!!!
Once we are done with that, we will try to test everything to make sure the water is flowing to the areas that each valve controls. We won't need to hook up the entire system right now, just the parts that will water the existing plants. The rest can wait till we get back and figure out where to start in on planting.......
Onto other news....
I think we have all our plans made for the trip, we just need to find a place to stay for 1 night in Phuket and our first night in Bali. Exciting to make these plans, we are getting close now!!!! I am soo looking forward to this get away!!!!
Our Custer of bees have finally left. They stayed with us for quite awhile and they have been slowly moving on. I am soo glad because I really didn't want to call someone to get rid of them.
More plumeria are starting to bloom.
They have been a bit neglected this year so I am happy to have whatever blooms I can get.
My favorite "Jean Moragne" is just opening a bloom as of tonight so I will post a pic next time.
The search for a car continues, but I think we have narrowed it down to a Scion xB. They are pretty boxey looking, but there is tons of room for just about everything....including surfboards!!!! YEA!!! They get good gas mileage, have good reviews, and most important, they are very functional for what we need right now......and it is in my budget!!!! We will get more serious about looking for one when we get back.
Very cool dishes I found.... on sale of course!!!!
These are plastic, I was looking for something to use outside instead of paper plates. They will be great for camping as well.....I just LOVE the bright colors!!!!
Our raccoon is back!!!! He/ she showed up a few weeks ago when the figs were ripening. He was pooping in the RV shelter every night. We tried all different concoctions that are supposed to deter them, but nothing worked. We went to Goodwill and bought a lamp to put out there and played a radio (on low) and that kept him away for a week. We thought maybe his habit had been broke, so we turned off the light and radio 1 night and sure enough, he came back and pooped again!!!! Then he figured out it was just a light and radio, nothing to be afraid of and he continued to poop even with them on....... So, now we have a live trap....
And someone on the internet says they LOVE marshmallows
So...marshmallows it is.......
Every night Mel sets the trap and he hasn't been back since!!!!! Hmmmm!!!
I'm still selling stuff on e-Bay, but it is slow now being summer!!! I keep putting stuff in my store so it will be ready to go when we get back and it is closer to people shopping for Christmas!!! I swear this stuff is multiplying!!!!
Tonight after finishing up with the pipes and trenches we grabbed some chips and salsa and a drink and had a relax and watched this spider build his web........talk about zoning out!!!!
The flash made him white, but you can kinda see his web......what a job he has.....every night!!!
Yes, I do see that the bushes need to be trimmed........they will just have to wait!!!! :-)
That should catch you up a little bit, I will post more pics as we continue with the yard.
Have a great weekend!!!!
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