Nuts to You

So far the water is holding out.  I'm not sure if you can tell, but it's very sandy.  We now have streaks of sand, running through the orchard.  We're about 20' from the bottom of our well.  Good thing we're to turn off the water in three days.  Then, it's time to prep, because it's almost harvest time.

 This year's crop is bountiful, plentiful, loaded with nuts, nuts, and more nuts.

 Look at all of those nuts!

The downside of a large crop (our first) is the constantly breaking branches.  Or maybe I should say limbs.  Huge, big, decades old limbs, that are LOADED with food, all are creaking and cracking with the weight.

Today we were told that most of our phone line issues are related to those nut-loaded limbs.  The power company comes out every year, to trim the branches away from the power line.  But the phone line?  It's hanging about 4' lower, and now has sagging limbs pulling it down.  We have a few options.  We can cut the limbs (which we'll probably have to do anyway), but if we do that, we'll lose that many more nuts.  Or we can ask/beg/grovel and try to get them to restring the line.  Or, we can see if we can get them to bury the line.  The repairman told me if we choose option 3, we'll have to pay for it.  yikes.

Just thought you might like some behind the scenes.  While folks wait for this year's crop to hit the store shelves, we're dealing with low water levels, breaking limbs, and even interference on the phone line.  I've said it before, and I'm guessing I'll say it again.  This farming stuff is not for the faint of heart.