Hiding the Mess

There are those who like to try making complex pictures, or at least to try harmonizing complexity in their pictures. Some have said that Garry Winogrand was like that, although one of my favorite pictures of his, Statue of Liberty Ferry, New York (1971), is, perhaps, simpler than it looks at first. In any case, my own intent is to do the opposite. Mostly this is because I’m not competent to handle complexity, but also it is because I am always looking for a thing that reminds me of peace.

When one is looking for pictures that are not complex, one quickly sees the advantages provided by fog and ice. Fog covers the detritus of man’s rush to build as many pink stucco mansions as the southwest can hold, and ice covers the trash. Yesterday, we awoke to fog and ice. Valerie suggested that it might be a good time for making pictures. She was probably right, but by the time I got around to it, the strong April sun had burned most of it away. I drove out to a clump of cottonwood trees that I like. What I found (above) was trash, and weeds, and the roof-tops of a development in the distance.

I have, on the other hand, been lucky with that clump before (below). It just goes to show that fog and ice can be an advantage, but that it is best to wake up early if you want to use it.

High Wind Warning

It was supposed to be a camping weekend, but when we got up the National Weather Service was forecasting winds of 35 with gusts to 55. Now, I don't know if you've ever camped in 55 MPH winds, but it generally amounts to dust in your eyes, sand in your food, and a clattering in your dreams as all your stuff starts down the road to Piute County. So, we postponed it for a week. Instead, we went out to Jackrabbit Mountain and climbed around on the hoodoos. The wind blew, we got dirt in our sandwiches, we saw a jack-rabbit, and then we came home. As soon as we got back, the wind stopped. Maybe we should have spent the night?

Pea Fence

At Rural Ways, we will not be fooled: We know that winter isn't quite over yet. But, it was 70F today, and time for some gardening. Actually, peas are a good cold weather crop and they can go in the ground by about April 1st (no joke). So, today I installed the pea fence . . . tomorrow the (whirled) peas. BTW, see the soil? Nicely tilled, huh? By hand. Yeah, 1200 square feet, tilled by hand. I'm not smart, but I'm strong.

2,4-d

In one corner of The Homestead, we have a salt cedar shrub (Tamarix spp.)—an ugly invasive that I have cut and sprayed repeatedly. I recently asked one of the guys who maintains the city streets if he could come and grind it out with his stump grinder. He said that it would be best to make sure it is dead first, and recommended spraying it with 2,4-d. The herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid has been widely used against broadleaf weeds for at least 60 years, and should be as common as, well, weeds. Unfortunately, it is a little bit difficult to find. Almost everything at Home Depot is a glyphosate, like Round-Up. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Round-Up, but it isn’t 2,4-d. Fortunately, the Home Depot web-site includes links to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each of its products. After looking through a dozen of them, I found that Bayer Advanced is made of 2,4-d. I’ll try some tomorrow.

Talking About the Weather

This week marks the end of March and beginning of April. Every year at about this time, Rural Ways begins fitfully transitioning from winter to spring. We spend one day working in the garden and the next day huddled around the stove while a blizzard blows through. Last year, we engaged in public speculation for at least a month (here, here, and here). This year, we look set to do the same. After pruning the orchard, raking the garden, and doing more deer fencing, we welcomed another winter storm yesterday, and woke this morning to The Homestead covered in ice. Welcome, as they say, to spring in the Rockies.