I can't believe another weekend has disappeared... this time we spent most of it "farming". Sunday was one of the big days of the rice growing year where we sowed 260 trays of rice.... well the machine did anyway! This year my mother-in-law insisted on getting two extra family members to come and help, despite my efforts to tell her that no matter how many people came the job would not be completed any faster as the machine controls the speed and the machine is very slow! So we all got our gloves and hats on and all basically sat around twiddling our thumbs - pulling the trays out as they slowly emerged, filling up the soil and seed hoppers, carting the trays etc. for about 3 hours. As predicted we didn't need the extra two people and it just meant I had to make more of an effort with morning tea and lunch!
Anyway, that job is now done for the year and if anyone is interested in the process I have attached a short slide show... pretty boring if you are not interested in machinery and I don't have time to try and find a decent sound track to go with it... sorry!
Another group of 5 girls arrives tomorrow afternoon for 2 nights. I can hardly wait......
Anyway, that job is now done for the year and if anyone is interested in the process I have attached a short slide show... pretty boring if you are not interested in machinery and I don't have time to try and find a decent sound track to go with it... sorry!
Another group of 5 girls arrives tomorrow afternoon for 2 nights. I can hardly wait......
our rice planting consits of paying ichiman to the builder up the road to get his tractor in the paddie, although I think GK and hub go too to do the edges.
ReplyDeleteGood luck for the next batch of kids. Are you around this weekend? Just in case I need somewhere to stash a two year old for two or three hours (very optimistic birthing plan of pushing bunster out in short time)
I loved this part of your post..
ReplyDelete"despite my efforts to tell her that no matter how many people came the job would not be completed any faster as the machine controls the speed and the machine is very slow!"
That is so so very true Jo. I know that too. I see the machines myself and they really won't go any faster no matter how many people are there. Ha ha ha. : ) You're right!
Enjoy your next group of visitors!!!! : )
Wow, it seems late to be planting the seedlings - at least in Nagano time. Everyone here has already planted all their rice paddies (except us of course - slackers that we are)
ReplyDeleteWhen do you plant and when is the harvest in your area?
I was just going to say the same as Kevin (Hi fellow Nagano-ite) your vegetables are streets ahead of ours and you're just getting the rice in? Is it a special variety? I heard somewhere (Southern Kyushu? Okinawa?) they actually get two harvests in a year. And the machines may be slow but spare a thought for the poor people on triangular terraced paddies who can't even use the machines- that's slow work!
ReplyDeleteI find it really interesting how food etc is cultivated, I like visiting tea rooms- tea fields, etc I find it so interesting to watch.
ReplyDelete