A Tree Grows in Mexico

In Mexico, I got to do a few of my favorite things.  Paint things, move rocks, and garden.
I watered avocado trees in the canyon.  And I watered apple trees at the farm.  And I will not complain about hauling buckets of water from my rain barrel to my SFG ever again for at least three months.
The canyon had an amazing cistern and hose system.  The most amazing thing was that it was on the side of a mountain.  And the trees that needed water were tucked along the mountainside.  In any nook and cranny where there was a semi-level spot.  And in numerous places where they created a semi level spot and stuck in a little tree. 

I tried to get a picture that would capture how much work was required to sustain an avocado plantation in a canyon.

Like extensive rock walls.  The Tarahumara, in addition to being amazing barefoot ultramarathon runners, build amazing rock walls.  The very sight of these struck terror into the hearts of the Goob and the STP.  As though I would get ideas in my head and make them haul more rocks into my yard. Really.

See my friend Lori waiting for me to feed her more hose?  While I am already occupied taking her picture?  But, no really, see how much of a mountainside we were on?

The apple trees at the farm had challenges of their own.  The STP planted some of these two years ago.  And it was encouraging to see them growing.  Because the STP has not been as lucky with the trees he has planted here in Dodge City. 

We watered the apple trees at the farm with a 5 gallon bucket.  With a hole in the bottom of it.

So we filled the bucket as fast as we could and then poured what was left in the bucket into a wheel barrow (which also had a hole) and wheeled the water to the trees that were just planted.  Our goal was to get 10 gallons on each of the twenty trees that were newly planted. 

So the question is, if we filled the leaking 5 gallon bucket two times and poured it into the leaking wheel barrow, and wheeled the sloshing leaking wheelbarrow a fair distance to the trees, and did that about 20 times, how much water did each tree get?  (If we were going 80 mph?)

The answer is that nothing is Mexico is easy.  And in addition to flexibility, you need adaptability.  And maybe some chewing gum, which will at least temporarily fix a hole in a bucket.

Side note:  The lilac between my rain barrel and my SFG shows signs of life.  I rewarded it with a two gallon bucket of water.