Wind machines and smoke pots

[Hummer]

Is your birder friend Dave G.? Darn smart fellow. Hope he did ok and that his health is good now. Small world, thanks for the thread.

Yes, I first met David at an ornithology convention in GJ in 1984. He spent many years traveling throughout South America teaching agriculture and marketing his genetic strains. I haven't heard from him in a few years.

[Hummer]

I have met (one of Hummer's birder friends) but can't place his name. (I know him/his face well, chatted quite a bit) Seems like it might be Dave but might be off. He normally does the bird count for the autubon at my place of work... but was strangely absent around christmas in the first time in forever. If two and two are the same someone give me a heads up.

I believe you're thinking of Mark V. He's a fine and impressive fellow who grew up in the mountains of Boulder County near where I did. He is a longtime GJ contractor and helped me obtain materials to insulate and rebuild my cabin roof off the Peak to Peak last fall. I hope to see him tomorrow evening.

[mjzman]

So you have already had some bloom! Amazing to me how climatically diverse Colorado is. I am a little east of Colorado Springs and it is probably more than a month yet before bud break on my handful of fruit treees. Night time temperatures still in the teens. I have been here only six years from the midwest where I grew some wine grapes and fruit trees. There, bloom was at pretty much the same time for 600 miles around. Colorado is so different.

[Brian]

Thank you, Grey. We're down to a few apricot and peach trees now as I just finished removing the last of our orchards.

Glad we had a chance to see the orchard before it was gone. My daughter still talks about how much fun it was, even with just the short time we were there.

As for the "wind machines" - I had no idea. I've seen a few (I think) and thought they were just odd-looking windmills or cheap wind turbines.

[Hummer]

Hummer, thank you for this thread - I found the information enlightening and educational. What struck me the most was how well written it is. You painted a picture with your works and made me want to keep reading. You've got talent brother.

Thanks, Ginsue. The night time rumble and roar of the wind machines around the valley really is an awesome experience which inspired me to write. Most people visit the area during peach harvest or for the winefest in September so they aren't aware of the massive effort to counter the spring frosts.

Ask him what happened to the bird count! Nobody this year on the dike road (Gunnison), unusual. No contact even.

I haven't been able to connect with him, they may be traveling. The count was conducted as always but I don't know whether that area was covered during the Christmas Count. I think they concentrate on the cemetery which is rich with roosting owls.

So you have already had some bloom! Amazing to me how climatically diverse Colorado is. I am a little east of Colorado Springs and it is probably more than a month yet before bud break on my handful of fruit treees. Night time temperatures still in the teens. I have been here only six years from the midwest where I grew some wine grapes and fruit trees. There, bloom was at pretty much the same time for 600 miles around. Colorado is so different.

Yes, many apricots are in full bloom here, ours are usually a bit behind. It can be due to the variety and/or the micro climate of one farm vs. another. We get a crop of apricots only about every 3-4 years due to late spring frosts. Peaches will bloom next, then pears and apples.

Glad we had a chance to see the orchard before it was gone. My daughter still talks about how much fun it was, even with just the short time we were there.

As for the "wind machines" - I had no idea. I've seen a few (I think) and thought they were just odd-looking windmills or cheap wind turbines.

I'm glad you got to visit. It's sad to see the trees gone. Every block and row of trees was a little different. Every tree had a number and I kept detailed data on exactly where and on what branch various banded birds nested from year to year, and from their first to second and sometimes third broods in a single season.

I've kept a few 75 yr. old apricot trees but the field is ready to rip, plow, disk and land plane to plant grass, alfalfa and oats. We'll sell in a few years and let the next owners decide whether to invest in orchard or vineyard, or keep it in hay.

[Hummer]

Bringing back this thread in part to illustrate that life goes on in flyover country despite the seemingly dark situation weighing on our nation. This morning at 2 a.m., the wind machines roared to life again around the Grand Valley to protect the fruits of farmers labor. Much of the apricot buds froze earlier but the peach crop is still safe. Tomorrow with be a critical test with the temp predicted to drop to 22 degrees.

I was planning to prune my few remaining peach trees today but will hold off to see how many buds survive.

[BladesNBarrels]

Record low this morning in Metro Denver.
Some of the trees had just begun blooming, the bugs were hatching, the squirrels and birds were mating.
I guess they can't read the calendar. Not yet, grasshopper.

[hurley842002]

Record low this morning in Metro Denver.
Some of the trees had just begun blooming, the bugs were hatching, the squirrels and birds were mating.
I guess they can't read the calendar. Not yet, grasshopper.

Absolutely will not miss that crap!

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[D_F]

Good luck to all the Grand Valley farmers. We missed getting a pump drained last night and had a leak this morning.

[whitewalrus]

Record low this morning in Metro Denver.
Some of the trees had just begun blooming, the bugs were hatching, the squirrels and birds were mating.
I guess they can't read the calendar. Not yet, grasshopper.

We can hope that it helps kill off the amount of wasps/hornets that seem to have become so popular lately.