Thursday, April 16, 2015

I've Been a Ditch Rider

 Just along the edge of our property line
there's a dirt ditch which
is 2-3 feet deep.


It's a small part of an intricate irrigation
system that weaves it's way
across the prairie just east of the 
foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The ditch rider controls when and where
water flows and how much.
It's not my water to use. 
Others have the water rights.

This week, though, I have 
been spending a lot of time in the ditch.
No, not cleaning out sticks
or weeds, but instead,
right in my sewing studio.
Although, I wish I had a picture
of me sitting in the ditch
stitching!

Sometimes, if the ditch rider
doesn't get things just right
the water can jump the banks.

 Guess, sometimes the same 
thing happens to me.
 Oops!
Things happen!

Just a couple of pictures of spring
around here
because today there's snow predicted.






Until Next Time-

18 comments:

  1. I think that happens to all of us every once in a while!
    My redbuds are late this year. It's one of my favorite spring trees!

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  2. Love your posts.
    It’s hard to stay right in that ditch and sometime when I jump out I will color the thread with a permanent marker the color of the background if it’s too noticeable -mostly I just don’t worry about it. Looking forward to seeing how you quilt this one as I have one to do.

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  3. Interesting about the ditch. I never heard of something like this.

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  4. Kyle, you are a great quilter and a very funny writer! Happy ditch stitching

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  5. Your tree is beautiful!! I hope the snow doesn't spoil the blossoms! I know your Di Ford mystery quilt will be beautiful too!

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  6. What a lovely sight for spring!! We had a share of the head gate water, in those far away days when I was growing up on the farm. The ditch rider was a friend...it was fun to see the irrigation water coming down the ditch! I grew up on the Western slope of Colorado.

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  7. We have the same kind of irrigation around here Kyle - but there is no ditch on our own property. I'd say that small little oops isn't going to impact the beauty of your finished quilt at all - I can hardly wait to see! We got 4" of snow yesterday - the biggest storm of the winter - hope you get a good amount too!

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  8. Such beautiful blossom, I hope you dont get too much snow. Been there with stitches jumping out of the ditch...like water it disappears....well you stop seeing it, when you look at the big picture!

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  9. Have fun in the ditch - it's not often one gets to say that. Such pretty spring photos. Is it late in the season for snow?

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  10. Enjoy Spring - love the blossoms! We all have to get out of the ditch occasionally ;)

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  11. Your blossom tree is magnificent!!!!

    Keep stitching! Can't wait to see your quilt finished! :)

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  12. We have water rights here on the farm and the ditches are critical for irrigation. Sometimes it jumps the banks and floods our whole yard.
    I like the visual image of you sitting in the ditch, stitching. : )
    I also jump the ditches when I quilt. It is much more obvious when I do it on a mini quilt--big quilts, not so much

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  13. Your ditch reminded me of my Mom's place in Arizona. She had to go out and open the gates sometimes at midnight. She always hated going out in the dark. I jump the ditch too, sometimes I think I can't sew a straight line.

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  14. Hard to believe that winter is still rearing its unwelcome head ... hopefully it'll be spring-like weather from here on out. I love that redbud in bloom.

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  15. I hope you do not get the predicted snow - all your spring blooms are so lovely!
    Wishing you great success upon the completion of all that beautiful quilting!

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  16. Love your little ditch rider comparison. I jump the ditch all too often! Your quilt is sensational! and your tree! I love spring just for those trees!

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  17. What a gorgeous tree! wowzer I love all that pink.
    I've never heard of ditch riders. What an interesting and natural way of watering.
    You can always use a little pigma to cover those stitches that jumped the wrong side of things ;)

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  18. I loved the snow on the lilacs...if a person can Love snow in April! Good luck with your ditch work :-)

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