The weather has been warming up and I’ve been into the garden a bit more than my shop. I’ve been working on redoing our irrigation system. Years ago we setup a drip system. It mostly works, but has proved to be a maintenance headache. The drip heads clog, the lines break, the cats think it’s their job to knock drip heads out-of-place – seems like Heather is always needing to fix something. The other big problem is that the water in our area is hard, very hard, that is with lots of minerals that constantly clog up the works.
So I am refitting some areas of the irrigation system with more traditional bubblers and spray heads. It’s all run off a timer so we can control how often and how long they run.
First step is to dig up the existing lines and add a few more risers:
One of my favorite jobs, digging holes.
When the new spray heads are in place, we’ll plant a few more shrubs and a bit of ground cover.
Here’s a new bubbler on our plum-tree:
We think this tree never got enough water with the old drip heads.
Finally, here is Spotty Kitty watch what I am doing:
Our Spotty Kitty “supervising” my work.
If you need me – I’ll be out front digging a trench.
Andrew
Andrew's View of the Week 
I’ve given up on drip irrigation – it’s just gone from bad to worse. Also, since we’ve been so droughty out here, everything just cracks and shatters. I admire your perseverance though. 😉
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The drip is a nice idea, but it’s just too much work for the kind of garden we have. We still have everything on timers so we can regulate how much water is going out each week.
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Ah, Spotty Kitty. What a doll. You have a plum tree? How wonderful! I admire your energy in getting all these projects done!
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Yup, three fruit trees actually – plumb, apricot and a peach. I don’t really have that much energy – it’s all a camera trick. 🙂
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We have peach, orange, and lemon. The apple and nectarine are doing squat. I think we got 5 cherries this year on the cherry tree.
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I forgot about the two apple trees in the yard. None of the trees are producing much this year – I think the late winter storms affected them.
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When we bought the apple tree, it had a few apples on it. We’ve had it for years and haven’t gotten an apple since. I think it hates us.
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You are getting this system done just in time considering the warm temps that are predicted for the next week. Stay hydrated, Andrew.
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I was hoping to beat the heat, but looks like I’ll be up early tomorrow to finish this before the day’s heat sets in.
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A good plan.
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Beautiful kitty.
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She is a cutie.
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Ah, Spotty Cat. Watching is such a neat game. 🐱🐈
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Spotty’s favorite.
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There’ll always be a career in post-hole digging.
That being said, anyway to put a water softener on your system and eliminate some of the effects of the hard water?
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or breaking up concrete, I am good at that too. I’ve looked into a water softener, even things like Culligan, one problem is the way my houses in plumbed. Likely I can get it easily to the main part of the house, but getting back to the irrigation system wouldn’t be easy. This house was built in 1954 and has a concrete slab foundation and all the pipes are in the slab. Lots of problems making it happen. Someday, but at the moment a little PVC work is easier/cheaper.
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I think Spotty Kitty understands more about what you’re doing than I do. If I did a job like that, I’d have water spraying out all over the place!
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But spraying water everywhere is half the fun!
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Is there any Handy Man activity you can’t do? Sigh.
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Well, let’s see, umm, no. I one of those disgusting guys who can do it all. 🙂
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If that is the case, Andrew, do you want to come over and install a patio door?
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I’d love to, but my wife currently owns the rights to all my non-at-the-office hours and you’d have to talk to her…
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