What a peaceful day we had.
Not a care in the world,
Visits with good friends
Perfect weather
And a fish fry in the evening.
Then home again, home again in time to set the water for the last time that day.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
We finished up the work we must get done…just that stuff that could not wait.
After the company came, supper was over and all were in bed…late into the night.
Terry and I went outside and sat in the glider…just sitting. Not really doing anything.
Just sitting– listening to the leaves rustling overhead, the back and forth of the glider peaceful in the very warm night.
The moon a crescent, a sliver of light close by a shining brilliant star
We sat there gliding back and forth, back and forth like we were riding on the wings of angels.
“It was rapture enough just to sit there beside him in silence, alone in the summer night in the white splendor of moonshine.”—L.M. Montgomery, The Blue Castle
From my heart to your world,
Linda
A Geometrical and Scientific concept— where Time is a part of the whole.
I’m running behind right now. Not just in Time, but in each and every facet of the moments which make up my life.
I know I’m complaining at this moment, although I don’t wish to be protesting, ranting, screaming. Still, I understand this will read like a huge big cry-baby whine.
I’ve reached a place whereby I just want to sit drifting…my thoughts in wisps
Nothing to do, nothing to think about, nothing to worry over, nothing to finish so I can ‘get to’ that other thing—Just void, blank, empty
I just want to drift on fragrant little breezes with nothing much to do
So, methinks, I might finish up some stuff, sit some other things aside, and close my mind and actions until company comes at four. The house, the yard, my world will be whatever it is at that moment they arrive. And I will be alright with it.
I want to enter that fractured space whereby neither time or worries, action and pressure cannot exist.
Once I make it through the complications of DOING NOTHING and come out on the other side…Time will once more be my friend.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
Chapter Eight
Ethie and I plodded on all the long hot day after a night of extreme terror.
We rested for a spell at the beginning of the night. But I wanted to get home. We were in dangerous territory.
Ethie argued with me and refused to budge. About that time the leader of a coyote pack walked up the road heading toward us. I quickly shoved a sputtering, clucking, hen into the high grass along the canal and SAT on her! I mean…what is a dog to do when a chicken just WON’T SHUT UP!
I didn’t sit hard, but I did sit long. I couldn’t risk that silly hen flapping herself into the canal or her squawking drawing attention to us.
After the whole pack of six trotted by I waited a little longer, then got off the hen gave her a push up the bank with my nose and we were off again.
This time Ethie listened to me and hopped and ran alongside without me having to prod her along.
We had just reached the little bridge where Dad’s water from the headgate enters into the little corn field. Ethie and I had stopped for a rest both of us getting a drink of water.
Suddenly lots of chittering and chatter and racket were heard coming out the cornfield…Raccoons! And the whole family of them. Ethie and I took one look at each other and took off fast!
Nothing tastes better to raccoons than CHICKEN!
This time we ran and ran and ran until we made it to the old cottonwood tree! At the bottom of the old cottonwood tree is a little hollow. We were so tired neither one of us could take another step.
I pushed Ethie into the hollow gave her a little time to fluff herself up and settle in way close to the tree and the tree’s roots. Then I laid down and front of her ………………………….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Morning arrived and with it was STANLEY! Oh, yes! STANLEY the squirrel. It was so good to see STANLEY! Just seeing Stanley meant we were getting close to the farm.
Well, closer. Stanley and Stewart had moved themselves up to the old cottonwood tree some time back. I missed them in the farmyard, but it wasn’t too much time to trot up the farm road. Well, way up the farm…way, way up the farm road and visit them.
I would do that ever so often. I rather like Stanley and Stewart.
Anyway, Stanley woke Ethie and I. then Stanley talked a mile a minute about everything going on in his squirrel world.
I told him what we were doing, introduced him to Ethie, then he was off. He said he had lots of work to do to get ready for winter. Winter was coming you know…he yelled over his shoulder as he took off down the farm road.
The day wore on.
My it was hot!
I put Ethie in front of me giving her a little push now and again. Down the long hot farm road, we went.
Gradually we made it to one of Dad’s farm equipment areas. By this time the sun was starting to set.
We were close, but still not close enough.
Then suddenly and without any warning, Ruth silently glided down out the sky and grabbed Ethie around her very skinny but feathery body and lifted Ethie up into the sky.
Ethie took one look at the ground, then one look at the claws around her middle and fainted.
I saw Ethie’s neck go limp, her neck all stretched out looking like a very dead chicken.
That is for sure.
“HEY, DOG! SEE YOU IN THE FARMYARD! IT’S TIME THIS BIRD MADE IT HOME!”
With that Ruth and Ethie flew way up into the sky turned toward the farmhouse and was gone!
I picked up my feet, tail wagging and ran as fast as my beagle legs could take me to HOME!
Summer….one thing about hot summer days and warm summer evenings is:
BABIES
Lots of babies…the Barn Swallow nests on our house there are about 8 nests all full of various stages of ‘kids’
I still have not seen any little baby hummingbirds…although, I keep looking and watching. I would have thought there would have been something by now.
But…not yet.
I will keep watch. Surely I will get to see something soon!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
I spend every waking moment (that I can) outside. Working in the yard, helping Terry in the fields, reading a book on the lawn furniture
It’s terribly hot here this year, 90* (32.2 c) by 9:30 in the morning. Terry wilts after the thermometer hits 90*.
I seem to perk up.
We balance each other that way.
Still, the heat IS more like August; then July.
The plants are reacting to this unusual heat, by speeding up their growth. Already the corn is starting to tassel out, and the pinto beans are shooting runners.
Early.
Almost two weeks early. Seems very strange to us.
The weeds are loving it! Growing rampant and wild and (even in some cases) lovely. Still, they are weeds, and therefore, undesirable.
Of course, they always and forever more pick the worst spot to grow—is there a good spot?
The little birds chatter and sing until around noon when the heat is too much for their songs. From noon until seven in the evening they sit with wings spread out, tail feathers wide, beaks open, and eyes half closed. Trying to stay cool.
But my flowers in the yard!! Oh! My! They are bursting forth in such beauty. Their scent silken as it caresses the air.
The touch of the sun warm on their breathtaking allure.
Then the evening sun fills the sky with gold, orange, and apricot.
Ahhh….summertime…and the living is good.
From my heart to your world,
Linda
For two days straight now, the afternoon heat has given way to huge wind storms, with misting of rain.
But before the cooling of the skies, the heat creeps steadily throughout the day, building sweat on bodies and causing animals and birds to pant.
The sun beats down on the plants, the buildings, and the trees.
The lacy shadows spreading slowing on the ground allowing a repass for anything or anyone stopping in the shade.
The myriad of wildfires in the surrounding areas fill the skies with smoke, the smell of briskly burning timber coming in faintly on the wind.
Huge winds push the storms along, moving them to us from Utah, across the Uncompahgre Plateau, knocking branches down and stirring colossal twisters in the loose soil
Then the wee tiny gift of moisture arrives…causing one and all to tremble with delight and relief.
Not enough to really dampen anything, but enough to refresh the air, the mind, the body and the soul.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Since the duck was white, everyone decided she needed to be named something from the movie Frozen. So, Elsa, she became.
I rigged up a wee pond, a pallet fence, gave her all the food and water she wanted and we all settled into watching Elsa enjoy her new life with us.
Then checking my FB messages I found out, that Elsa had a home. About a mile from here, way up the canal with two really big headgates in the canal. She lived with 8 other ducks, 6 big dogs, two little dogs, several horses, a sheep and two tiny tots.
So Terry and I and our youngest granddaughter loaded up Elsa and took her back home.
When we drove into the yard, Elsa started getting very interested, even excited, she knew she had come home!
Well! A perfect ending to a rather eventful experience for a really nice duck….we named Elsa!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
