Quote:HB, never ask a farmer about water unless you have a lot of time!
Short answer is yes it's better. I heard yesterday that our snow pack is at 88% of normal. I'm assuming normal is like a 10-year average or something because in the last few years we've had no real snow pack at all.
I like to look at this site <a class="bbc_url" href='http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/rescond.pdf'>http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/rescond.pdf</a> which shows a pretty quick and easy graph of all our water storage.
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Long answer and long-term wise we'll still be in trouble, we definitely aren't looking at a "one rainy season and your fixed" situation. I'm not sure if your familiar with the Delta Smelt (<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/us/threatened-smelt-touches-off-battles-in-californias-endless-water-wars.html?_r=0'>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/us/threatened-smelt-touches-off-battles-in-californias-endless-water-wars.html?_r=0</a>) or the San Joaquin Salmon Restoration (<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.restoresjr.net'>http://www.restoresjr.net</a>) but basically due to those two issues, it's a constant battle between how much water to send down our rivers and how much to conserve for farming - when we really don't have enough to satisfy either.
Personally I don't take county water (ditch water from the snow pack) but last I heard Madera County will not be allowing water this year and Fresno County will allow two irritations I believe. That's two total waterings to your crop for the year, so if you don't have a pump - it's trouble. For the two big crops, grapes can survive that and produce a half crop. I'm not sure almonds would survive the year with that amount of water - which is kind of what you see when you drive up I5 these days.
I sit right on the County line so I'm surrounded by neighbors either not getting enough water or getting none at all. Some people with a good pump situation began selling water to neighbors and pumping it down to them to help them out last year. I'm not sure it's going to be any better this year or if anyone will be willing to share again this year.
Everyone's solution right now is just to dig deeper wells, which only takes things so far before all of us will really be up a creek. It's kind of like that movie There Will Be Blood. Your neighbor drinks your milkshake.
In the future a lot of us hope we can improve our water storage ability. It's felt that on the whole Ca gets plenty of water in say, a 20-year period - but we don't have enough capacity to store it for the 5-7 year droughts we experience. The main idea most farmers I know get behind is the Temperance Flat Dam Project (<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/storage/docs/10-14-2014_meeting/2014102427x39_Portrait_posters.pdf'>http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/storage/docs/10-14-2014_meeting/2014102427x39_Portrait_posters.pdf</a>) but the State decided to build the bullet train instead - which may or may not still happen. Total mess.
Farmers have a hard enough time with their love/hate relationship with the weather. You guys in Cali have it with the government too.
I just saw a girl sitting on the hood of her car with one of those "Please help..." signs scrawled on a piece of cardboard next to her while she talked on a cell phone. An older guy who looked like he had a history and was gassing up his Moto Guzzi next to us rode over and gave her some money. I'm betting his words were something like; 'So, you like to party?' What is she going to say?
Thank you for reading my Social Observance of the Day.
Well the kids overheard me joking about the easter bunny so the cats out the bag on that one, but who cares no one really does the easter bunny right? Except the kids now went and told the neighbors kids and the neighbors parents are all mad.
Quote:Well the kids overheard me joking about the easter bunny so the cats out the bag on that one, but who cares no one really does the easter bunny right? Except the kids now went and told the neighbors kids and the neighbors parents are all mad.
My son told me he will believe in the Easter Bunny as long as it keeps getting him a basket every year...lol
Quote:My son told me he will believe in the Easter Bunny as long as it keeps getting him a basket every year...lol
i dunno seems kind of petty to be mad at us because my 6 year old slipped up. I wanted to say really, grow up. But I gave a sympathetic apology, i'm sure it'll all blow over in a few days.
My last warning fell off.. Time to reload..
Quote:i dunno seems kind of petty to be mad at us because my 6 year old slipped up. I wanted to say really, grow up. But I gave a sympathetic apology, i'm sure it'll all blow over in a few days.
I really enjoyed being the Easter bunny and Santa when my son was little, so I can kind of see where they are coming from. And depending how badly their kid took learning the truth...lol
Quote:And depending how badly their kid took learning the truth...lol
Welcome to the real world, where adults are crappy people who will lie to you because it's easier than telling the truth.
Quote:Are you guys allowed to harvest rain water at all?
Sure but you need rain for that.
Quote:Sure but you need rain for that.
Lol I guess that would help
Quote:I really enjoyed being the Easter bunny and Santa when my son was little, so I can kind of see where they are coming from. And depending how badly their kid took learning the truth...lol
I didn't know people really did the Easter Bunny?
My wife gets mad at me cause I didn't do any of it growing up so Im just naive to all of it. But there kid already knows about Santa She told my oldest he wasn't real last year. I didn't say anything cause their kid probably just plays along for the presents. Eh I didn't move far enough away this is why I didn't even want neighbors.
Quote:I didn't know people really did the Easter Bunny?
My wife gets mad at me cause I didn't do any of it growing up so Im just naive to all of it. But there kid already knows about Santa She told my oldest he wasn't real last year. I didn't say anything cause their kid probably just plays along for the presents. Eh I didn't move far enough away this is why I didn't even want neighbors.
Yep...people really do the Easter Bunny. :yes: I personally don't know anyone that didn't do the bunny thing when their kids were little...except for one family I knew growing up, but that was because they didn't do any holidays or birthdays because of their particular religion.
Quote:Yep...people really do the Easter Bunny. :yes: I personally don't know anyone that didn't do the bunny thing when their kids were little...except for one family I knew growing up, but that was because they didn't do any holidays or birthdays because of their particular religion.
Having little kids often impedes doing the bunny thing...
Quote:Having little kids often impedes doing the bunny thing...
Which is ironic because doing the bunny thing brings more kids.
Quote:Having little kids often impedes doing the bunny thing...
Just like with the Easter Bunny, you've got to be stealthy!! :thumbsup:
Quote:Just like with the Easter Bunny, you've got to be stealthy!! :thumbsup:
And sometimes that's more fun.
Well I visited the cemetary today. It was 23 years ago today that my Grandfather passed on. I miss him but I can still hear his voice in my head. Straightened the flowers on 3 graves, His and my Grandmothers, My Uncle Robert L Sheckles, and the Aunt I never knew, Dorthy May Sheckles who died at 1 year old. They were all side by side so it really didn't take much. Just a small gesture but it was inportant to me.
![[Image: lion-king-circle-of-life.gif]](http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/lion-king-circle-of-life.gif)