Why They Call it Riverwalk
Springtime is coming to northern Utah and with it, 70 degree temperatures (in between storms) and lawns that burst into growth. We just planted 5 fruit trees in a great patch of lawn along the north front side of the house (2 peaches, an apricot, a 4-in-one grafted cherry tree, and a 4-in-one grafted apple tree. We also got the lawnmower started and found out just how much thick bluegrass we have in front of the house. In the back there are garden boxes, a patio, and an area with a playset left by the previous owners along with a fenced dog run that has been turned into a raspberry patch, but no lawn. Along with our culinary water, there is a second water line that has been newly installed for irrigation which is supposed to be turned on by now, but isn't yet. For a flat fee to the city, we can use as much irrigation water as we want. At least we don't have the water problems that existed in New Mexico, though I did hear of one dry year when they cut back on use.

Riverwalk Drive runs right along the American Fork stream which comes out of a mountain canyon a few miles north of here, and one of the nice things that has newly happened is the city's construction of a walking path along the river, with railings and gabion (wire baskets containing rocks) emplacements along the bank where needed. The Santa Fe County public works department used this type of construction to contain erosion when I was there. The stream is twice the size of the Santa Fe river, and we gave some thought to possible floods when we bought our house in the top picture, but it is high enough above the stream that it was not considered to be in the flood plain.