It was irrigation day today. Water flowing from Stoney Creek is held in Black Butte Dam and then some of it flows into a series of canals and once every two weeks or so some of it will run into the ditch at the back of our 5 acres and we “flood irrigate” the pasture. It is the same technology used during the Mesopotamia Era (which our internet service is also closely modeled after too.)

It takes a few hours to try to get the water flowing where one wants it to flow. Water likes to flow downhill, even if uphill is only an inch higher. Still, it is kind of enjoyable being outside when you are “getting your water” as they say out here. Often, all this happens in the middle of the night, but today the water came at 9 am. You see, your neighbor calls you when they are done “getting their water” and “hands off” to you. That hand off can be two in the morning.

So today, I am standing in water out in the pasture and I look up to see a Swainson’s Hawk hunting over my head looking for gopher snakes to come out of their snake holes from the irrigation water. Amazingly, this hawk migrates each year nearly 7,000 miles. It can live up to 26 years. (Not being a birder, I asked family and friends to identify it for me. I got 4 unanimous votes for the Swainson’s Hawk. If you have another suggestion, let me know!)

Another one of those unexpected but much appreciated “wow” moments.