4th of July!

We hope everyone has an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on our nation's birthday.

In the last week we've made 3 trips, each about 2 hours from home; there and back same "day".  Milton-Freewater, Grand Coulee Dam and Reardan.  At least one leg of each trip was done in the daylight. Some roads we've probably never traveled, others we've been on countless times.  

We are admittedly country people and thought it was awesome we could count the number of cars we saw between our house and Grand Coulee Dam (via Almira).  Where we live is rural - but not really THAT rural.  I always love the opportunity to go and be in more rural. Our little adventures took us through beautiful country. After a nasty winter and wet spring crops in the dryland area look awesome (would undoubtedly appreciate another shot of water or two, but compared to recent years - wow!).

I call our blog "On the Chase", we are always chasing something.  And often it is what is on fire - not literally; and here's to already having enough wildfires for the entire season - what needs to be done NOW (if not three days ago).  I also read a great Facebook post (from someone I don't know) that got shared many times.  Author talking about seeing farmers working in the fields at 1 am and appreciating the get'r done attitude of farmers.

Every farm area has their own busy times.  Harvest sticks out in dryland areas.  This is one of those pretty quiet times for those that rely on water from the heavens (saw some fallow being worked) and produce dry grain. Here in irrigated country it is go time! Last night we pulled off the freeway at our exit at about 11, we had to wait for a group of big bale stackers before we could get off the exit ramp.  On our Milton trip we saw a field outside of Othello of grass hay. Headed south they had just started baling, with too much equipment in the field to count. On our way home (in the twilight) the same field was still full of equipment (lights moving everywhere) and they were almost done. The harowbeds were almost keeping up with all those little balers. Living on the edge of irrigated country it is pretty obvious to drop into the project and go from huge, dark fields to the irrigated ones that are dotted with the lights of circles and see equipment running at all hours of the day (from now till Sept).  After just visiting the area our water comes from makes the foresight of previous generations even more appreciated. 

On the anniversary of a seemingly impossible task I am thankful for all that have given so much to allow the rest of us to do what we do. So much to be grateful for amidst the natural beauty and bounty we find ourselves.