One of many freak storms

Just yesterday, Carl and I had just finished weeding some bulb fennel and flowers, after which we went up to our trailer around 6:45 PM, when the sky suddenly turned very dark. I was outside petting Kaiser (who is our NOT livestock guardian dog) when I said to Carl that the clouds over Bluff Mountain are very dark. So Carl went to his computer and checked weather that had a WARNING for “SEVERE THUNDER STORMS AND HIGH WINDS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH”. So Carl and I literally ran down to our greenhouses (interesting since we are 50 years of age) to close up our greenhouses and gather row cover blowing around in the fields.

Our paper mulch, that we have layed between our beds of winter squash and pepeprs, and the paper mulch being held down by rocks, went flying everywhere! Our paper mulch is approximately 275 feet long covering 8 beds which is around 2200 feet of paper. (Some of the mulch is still down but most of it flew away.) This is the second time this season that the paper mulch, used to prevent the weeds from overtaking our squash and peppers, went flying in the wind. Carl said he is not laying down paper mulch again this year. Paper mulch worked last year. I guess we had less wind.

After rescuing our row cover from being blown into the trees, our greenhouse plastic nearly blew off on the tomato greenhouse because the wind was blowing apart the wiggle wire channel that was holding down the greenhouse plastic. Carl and I were holding down the wiggle wire channel so that it didn’t blow our greenhouse apart. Then Noah came and rescued Carl so that Carl could get his self tapping screws and impact driver. Sabrina then came to help Noah and I hold down the wiggle wire channel while Carl was off finding the tools. We SAVED the TOMATOES! THANKS BE TO GOD. I was praying the entire time that we would not lose our pepper and winter squash plants that have just recently been transplanted so they probably do not yet have strong root systems. I was praying that our tomato house would survive.

Noah offered to feed the pigs. Carl said he had enough of farming for the day and was very appreciative of Noah for feeding the pigs….