Creek and ricefield, Part 2

After typhoon Koppu (local name "Lando") fell down so many trees and caused heavy flash flooding in October 2015, the irrigation canal going to Nong Endring's rice field was covered by a thick layer of mud and sand. So Nong Endring painstakingly and patiently cleared all those things that blocked the canal.

These photos taken December 19, 2015.

It's back to irrigating the rice field. Nong Endring standing with our dog from Makati, Shiver. Shiver is now staying at Danny's house in the barrio near the farm.

An improvised water impounding system -- cogon, covered by sack with sand, covered by a layer of stones and sand.

The water enters here, with improvised barrier so that dried leaves from the creek won't enter the irrigation canal and contribute to silt and mud.

Many of these young trees beside the canal just grew on their own, never planted by us.

Nong Endring has expanded the rice field as more water can now enter the field.

Further down, a small natural pond, about 2 1/2 feet deepest part. This is where I submerge and relax my body for a few minutes before going back to Manila.

See also:
My swimming pool in the farm, 2005, June 10, 2011
Creek, canal and irrigation, September 05, 2011
Relaxing in the creek, January 05, 2013
The creek and the rice field, October 13, 2015

The creek and the rice field

The creek in the farm is among its most important asset. Its winding path can irrigate many areas of the farm for water-dependent crops like rice. Photos below taken last September 26, 2015, my last visit there. In this photo, my treehouse is about 30 meters away, left side of this spot.

Nong Endring Paragas, our caretaker, cleared this area of the creek so he can plant some camote (sweet potato), a crawling plant which is good in controlling grasses and cogons.

The rice field on the left and the creek on the right.

The newly-established camote, few weeks old.

The creek irrigates this rice field which Nong Endring has been tilling for more than three decades now. He plants and harvests twice a year. Harvest though is not big as there are many natural enemies there -- maya birds, rats, snails, etc. This field has no neighboring rice fields, so those pests' attention is not diverted elsewhere, only this area.

But Nong Endring keeps planting rice, partly to keep it clean and beautiful; otherwise, grasses and cogons will easily invade this area, and it will look ugly. My treehouse in the background, surrounded by mostly mahogany trees in the back and on its two sides, and the rice field in the front.

The ricefield viewed from the 2nd floor of my treehouse. I am greatly relaxed when I'm in the farm, even if I stretch my arms and muscles working on anything there. And especially after taking lunch at the treehouse, just resting my sleepy and tired body for half hour or less.

View on the right side of my treehouse.

Nong Endring expanding the rice field as the creek is shifting its path. That area where Nong Endring is standing on used to be the creek. After several years of flash flood, the water deposited eroded rocks, stones and soil here while it has shifted path on the right side.

Nature has its own work on natural landscaping and re-landscaping.
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See also:
My swimming pool in the farm, 2005, June 10, 2011
Creek, canal and irrigation, September 05, 2011
Relaxing in the creek, January 05, 2013