Monthly Archives: November 2012

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Posted on by
13

8:00 this morning saw much warmer temps than yesterday at the same time….

Still cold, but I’ll take it.

The dry, powdery snow is just about gone except in spots on the north side of things.

But we have snow in the high places

This a photo of Grand Mesa at the front of our place

The snow along the Craig Crest Ridge on Grand Mesa.  This part is closer to the Cedaredge, Eckert area.

The snow along Green Mountain and the Ragged’s.  I wasn’t able to get a photo of the Paonia Mountains or the Gunnison Mountains or the San Juan Range because of a haze covering those parts of the mountains surround us.

But the Uncompahgre Plateau was looking good, with a little snow ridge in the higher parts of the Plateau

The canyon, that our mesa tops off, is called the Roubidoux…

No snow there, unless you look way, way, way at the top where you can see a tiny white ridge of snow.

A good start for the potential of water for next year!

Linda

 

 

 

 

 

Clear Skies and Warming Up Some

Posted on by
13

The windy, sleet-filled, blustery, bitter cold storm has moved on.  The last two nights have been very cold but beautiful.  When out getting wood or checking on something the sky is a delight of twinkling stars in the deep, deep frozen sky.

The dogs always sleep in the house when it’s winter time, but Fuzzy much prefers outside in his dog house, he will open the back door and go out — I will find him there and ask him to come back in.  He always comes, but if he gets too hot out he goes again.

Boomer has very little fur so he very much enjoys the house routine.

As it warms up (at night and in the daytime) they both like being outside, as there is so MUCH to do while others sleep, you see.

I have to force them to come in, soon Fuzzy is outside and Boomer is panting at the door to be let out. (He can’t figure out how to open the door—just push Boom, just push)

Anyway, as the storm played around with our area, a gentle little rainbow glowed over our neighbors metal building.

We were lucky enough to see it!

( I hope you can see it)

I was lucky enough to have the camera ready.

The temps this morning were around 18* (at 5 A.M.).  The weather guy says we are going to have a small warm- up before the next storm comes in sometime next week.

Thank all of you for your support and also for your understanding of what a fool and a jerk that man was Sunday at Wal-Mart!

Linda

Veteran’s Day

Posted on by
18

I missed Veteran’s Day yesterday, but I did NOT forget!

I had a horrible incident at Wal-Mart that made me very mad and then made me very sad.

I had stopped at the table where a lady from the VFW was selling Poppies (for remembrance  and pins for support for those returning vets with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

As I was giving the lady my money, she called out to a man (I will NOT refer to him as a gentleman—ever) and asked if he would like to purchase a poppy!

He replied in a nasty sneering way: ” I never support your F*%*&%# organization and I ain’t going to start now”!

Right at that moment my daughter called me on my cell phone, which (in hind-sight is probably a good thing) as I was ready to give him a good talking down too.

After he smugly walked on in I asked the lady if that happens a lot.

She replied: “Sadly, yes,”

What has this world come too?  I am horribly embarrassed for that man and for those who think like this way.

People may not agree with the policies of the government, but the men and women who are there–in the fight — are putting their lives on the line.

And NO it isn’t just a job to them…it is a fight for US-you and me!  Just ask any vet or any person in any branch of the service.  They are foremost and first fighting for US, you and me, and YES for that pathetic man who was so incredibly rude.

In his 11th hour of need I wonder if anyone will be there for him?

I thank both my grandfathers, my uncle, my Daddy and my son for for care and belief in America and in freedom for all.

Linda

 

 

 

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Posted on by
15

It’s terribly cold here!  As you can see….wind chill is zero.  Not much snow and it’s a dry snow right here on the farm.

Although, we can see lots and lots of snow on the mountains surrounding us….which is wonderful!  The farmers in our area have been told that, unless we get lots of snow in the mountains there will be no water for the farmers next year.

Towns and cities come first, then however the call of the water happens in the rank of seniority.

Please pray and cross your fingers and your toes and whatever else that we get lots and lots of wet snow in the mountains.  Please also add in that this horrible drought, which has effected all the states in the mid-west and the west ends.  Food is a precious thing.

Yes, I am well aware that food will still come in from other countries, but local food is always best.

And Yes, I know that I am also saying, that with local food the local industry of farming stays solid and whole.  Another dust bowl is not something the United States needs or should ever want.

But I should not preach to choir, as all of you loyal readers know and understand the plight.

So I will get off my soap box and show you….

My 4 O’clock photo.  You can see the snow is starting to fall.  For two days we have had terrible bitter wind and sleet and rain.  Then the snow.

The 10-day forecast shows us warming up starting tomorrow.  This has been a brief taste of winter….the snow is most welcome.

Please enjoy your Sunday, and Thanks for visiting our blog.  I will try not to whine too much about winter as I KNOW WE NEED THE SNOW!

🙂  🙂 🙂

Linda

 

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Dog Walks

Posted on by
15

We now have jobs!!!  All of us…Shannon’s two Rottweiler’s, Balau and Rock, and her Mountain Cur, Huston,

plus Hank, and Boomer and myself….Fuzzy “The Dude” McDoodle Brown, Fuzz to my friends and Dude to my Mom.

Anyway, we all have jobs now.

We are dog walkers.

Mom and Shannon volunteer at the local shelter to walk dogs —we all knew something was up because the NEWS on their clothes when they came home WAS SOMETHING ELSE!!!! Let me tell you!

So Mom told us last Sunday…you boys have work to do and it’s to help shelter dogs have fun.  What is going to happen is some of the shelter dogs are coming out here to play and socialize and learn farm skills so when they are adopted the new family will be really pleased at all their new dog and do.

The first to come was a baby…he is cuddly and sweet and cute and get got really tired the first time going around the farm…so we only walked two miles instead of what we could have walked.  The next time he did better and didn’t have to stay on the leash but walked with us as pack.

We walked around and looked at the corn.  He saw some great birds to bark at, although he didn’t bark.

 

This is a female Redwing Blackbird.

The two pit bulls are STRONG…Mom says they need to work as a team for sled dog race, they are really work well together.

They walk at the Confluence Park

 

Where lots of Canada Geese have flown back too.

They like other dogs and love to play, although the girl can be a bit bossy and wants to take over…I sat her in place.

Yes!

I am the head dog…no one forgets it!

Hummphhhhf!

So that is what our new jobs are since farming is over…we are volunteer dog walkers.  Who would have ever thought!

Boom and I talked about it after everyone went home.

The energy of the whole thing rather tired me out, but HEY! I’m game!

We decided that this is a good thing — since we are ‘found’ dogs, we know how they feel and can help them have joy in their lives until they get a forever home.

Here’s our 4 O’clock photo…a storm is moving, going to be a wet cold one my old bones tell me.

Anyway, back to our job…here is a thought— Boomer and I really enjoy paying it forward.  As you go about your day, try to pay it forward at least once — for one good thing brings on another good thing and before you know it all the dogs in the world will have a good home.

OOPPS, what I wanted to say is one kindness always brings on another kindness which makes the world a lot better place.

Fuzzy

Monday

Posted on by
15

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We finished the corn!  Finished up at 4:00 that day!

YAY!!!

 

Linda

The Next Night

Posted on by
16

The next night found us in Denver.  Terry had a meeting he had to go to and I thought I would enjoy having a break.

First Independence Pass then a canyon of very tall buildings… skyscrapers they are called (as all of you know).

We had a room fairly close to the 16th Street Mall so we were able to walk over there.

Now DO NOT laugh at me, but I get lost in places like that….all the buildings look the same, there are vehicles EVERYWHERE, and tons of people from all walks of life.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I had it in my head that I would walk around and take some pretty cool city shots…I didn’t make it.  Two blocks to the mall, one block one way and then one block the other way is about all I could do or I would have been hopelessly turned around and not able to get back to the hotel.

I admire all of you who live and work and can function in large and giant cities.

We had snow on the passes, but not too bad.

I’m just glad we are home.  (I don’t get lost in land around here or on the forest areas…just in concrete jungles, I guess.—I know, rather sad.)

Linda

 

A Whirlwind Weekend

Posted on by
19

What a weekend….Friday we took off for Buena Vista…we had an appointment there that had been made weeks in advance—

thinking we would take a short cut back home (and a different route) we thought we would go over Independence Pass into Aspen.

Let me tell you right here and now…never ever EVER go over Independence pass in the fall or the spring…they close it in the winter

 

The bottom of the pass says “If you are longer than so many feet do not attempt this pass”

I guess some people just can’t read.

This kind of driving is NOT FOR ME

 

The drive was beautiful snowwise, but not drivingwise, and I’m sure Aspen loved the snow.

For me…I was glad to get to DRY ground.

The next day we had to head off again!

Linda

 

 

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Finishing Fall

Posted on by
17

Where to begin, where to begin…so much to do, so much to do….

Fuzzy and I have been helping put the farm to bed, there is much to do.  I just so enjoy all this ‘so much to do’ stuff.

Fuzzy and I go with Mom to do her jobs;

the biggest one was to gather all the siphon tubes from the four fields that use tubes for the irrigating of the seeds.

I tried to stay with Mom and Fuzzy but, hum mm, it was a tad hard when there is so MUCH TO DO out there!

Mom would get the tubes, load them up and then move on to the next level, this went on for some hours and well, and I got bored with the whole repetitious stuff so went hunting.

It was hot out there…68*, but after a rather chilly morning 68* is hot.  And there is no water anymore, since the crops are all gone.

It went like this….get on the four-wheeler drive to the next level of the ditch, get off, pick up all the tubes

(Not One Mouse Came Out Of The Tubes!!!  Fuzzy and I checked out every hole and every tube, but NOTHING!), get back on the four-wheeler drive to the next level blah, blah, blah.

So I headed off in search of news.

Gradually Mom and Fuzzy got way ahead of me, I had to walk lots to catch up…and I admit it made me a little mad so I decided I would just walk on by them and GO HOME!!!

Huff!

But Mom kept calling and calling for me to come back…

So…

I…

DID!!!

I had to lick and dance all around her so she would know that I had forgiven her for LEAVING me AGAIN when it was SO HOT OUT HERE!

Then I realized that she wasn’t heading into the house and I had gotten mad for NOTHING!

After we got done Mom took us all for a ride.

Later on Hank and his girl kids came over to ride in the combine.  Hank said that he really enjoyed fall work.

We ran alongside the combine for a spell, and then we walked along the two fields of gated pipe checking to see if some critter had made a home in the pipe, Mom shut all the gates and closed the ends of the pipes. She said skunks, foxes, and other types of animals do not need to be living in the pipes over winter; they make huge nests that are very hard to get out come spring.

The fields that have dirt ditches have transmission pipe so Mom closed those ends off also.

Hank and I had a great time together.

After the last load was in the truck we all went home to rest.  Tomorrow Dad starts up the combine again, I’m sure there will be cool things to do once more.

Right now, Fuzzy and I are a tad tired so I have to go.

Boomer