The big birds landing in the field
The golden sun shining beautifully on feathers
The air full of delight
Starling landing
Joy!
Cheep
Feathers
Landing
Perch
On a wire
For some reason, I haven’t been able to get very good photos of the birds this winter. Still, I thought to share with you the good and the now so good photos.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The cowboys arrived early
The cows were ready…no real having to round them up or chase them down
They know, they understand, head down the road, to the loading chutes, heading to new pastures
Less than thirty minutes…our girls were gone.
Come Back next year, I yelled! We will be waiting for you!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Chapter Nine
I hopped up on the windows sill to ponder this whole sad mess.
It was about the time I was feeling most discouraged when I saw
Boomer following Mom to the house.
I sat up and MEOWED “BOOMER! YOU ARE BACK!”
I kept meowing and meowing. I ran to the back door and meowed some more.
“Mindy Sue-Lou, what is up? Why are you so agitated?” Mom asked me after she came in from outside.
“COME TO THE BACK DOOR! BOOMER IS OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW! He followed you to the house. COME, MOM!”
Mom put on her coat and opened the back door for her and me to go outside.
“It’s dark, Mindy. Are you sure you really want to go outside?”
YES! YES! Hurry, MOM! Boomer is outside!
Mom and I made a mad dash out the door.
We looked all around.
Everywhere.
I would walk a little and wait for Mom. If she didn’t come, I meowed at her.
We looked at lots of places.
Sigh!
Nothing.
Mom and I went back into the house.
I headed back to my window.
Boomer WAS out there I know it!
BOOMER! I yelled mentally to the Rainbow Bridge. If you were out there please show me. Make it real!
I need to see you again!
I need help! BOOMER!!!
Meanwhile, right outside the kitchen window
“Anticipate each day as if it is your Birthday and you are turning 6 again.”–Mike Dolan
Today I am 72 years of age.
Seventy-two! What a gift!
Seventy-two years— hovering around me; my memories full of all those marvelous people who have filled my life — throughout my long years of living.
The cartwheeling joy of each and every day
Full of purring sounds of birds and everything which lives—compact, Specific on our farm.
72 years of constant, warm, space, my life,
In a pattern of scattering notes; creating, in the end, a melody called my life.
What a joy.
Happy Day of my birth.
Thank you, Mom and Dad!
From my world to your heart,
Linda
I love the sun, and the moon, and Light
For without those things we can not have that other thing I love
Shadows!
Those unremarkable {But VERY remarkable} steady signs of Light!
Telling us anything is possible. For if there are shadows there is light.
And time is ours to create, imagine, explore, experience!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Yes, socks and flip-flops 🙂
Early morning walk to feed the hens
A walk around the yard
A walk back from getting the mail
A walk with night rising up on the land
Finally a walk at dusk.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
Love works magic. It is the final purpose of the world story, The Amen of the universe. — Novalis
The sun’s light rays shining gold upon the house, the barns, the fields
and cows.
Tenderly lighting the world
With a subtle magic
A type of healing
Which connects to the earth
Sewing it’s beauty into our souls.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
When the season of winter arrives turning the air all bitter and cold
I still have sunflowers—made from rotary hoe wheels—
And a crafted of metal sunflower
All dressed in rusty brown
Perfect reminders of the warmer seasons!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Chapter Eight
It’s been a nice two weeks.
I’ve made sure the mice are at bay
Scared off a few birds
Patrolled the whole farmyard every day, more than twice a day
And even found Dad’s tire jacket laying on the ground
Just perfect for me to play hide and seek in.
Hide the Mindy
Run out
Run back in…jump on it to hear the crackle
Run away
What a blast!
Then yesterday, Black Beauty and Loki showed up.
“Hey, Mindy! Where is Boomer? I haven’t seen him for a very long time” Black Beauty woofed at me.
“Yes, Where IS Boomer?” Loki echoed
Their question just stopped me in my tracks.
“You don’t know, Black Beauty? You came every day to visit Boomer.”
“Yes, yes, I did. But then Mom stopped bringing me. Where is Boomer, it would be good to play with him again. To go sniffing around the farmyard seeing who and what has passed through.”
“ME TOO!” Loki yelled. “I haven’t seen Boomer since July when I was here last. Tell him to come out and play.”
I just stared at them.
They don’t know.
They really don’t know.
It shocks me how many love Boomer and are missing him.
Geez.
I sat down, wrapped my tail around my feet, cleared my throat—and began.
Afterward, Black Beauty just hung her head and walked over to her Mom’s car and sat waiting for her Mom to come out.
Loki just looked at me with a huge stunned look on his face.
“But he was HEALTHY in July! Healthy!” Loki sputtered.
“I know. In October he wasn’t healthy. And he left us. Mom cried for days.
I tried not to cry. But there are times when the whole farm just seems lonely.”
“Wow, I can imagine,” Loki exclaimed. “Gosh, it just doesn’t seem right.”
“No, it doesn’t.” I agreed.
About that time Loki’s Mom and Black Beautys’ Mom came to the back door.
“What’s wrong with Black Beauty?” Black Beauty’s Mom asked.
“Gosh, she acts like she is afraid you are going to leave her.” Loki’s Mom replied.
I just looked at both of them. People just never really understand animals, I thought.
My Mom walked out with Shannon and Misty; stooped down and picked me up.
We watch everyone get into the car and drive off.
“I’ll bet you had to tell Boomer’s friends about Boomer, didn’t you, Min-Min.” Mom said while she petted me.
We stayed there a short while.
Then Mom sat me down and I went back to work.
Mom headed into the house.
Boomer’s friends. I thought. How many more do I have to tell. How many friends are Boomer’s friends who don’t know?
Let me count— Freddy Fox,
Oreo the Skunk,
Freddy’s Mom (Shudder),
all the Raccoons…
OH, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME TELL THE COYOTES!!! I yowled up into the sky.
I don’t even want to tell the fox family, or Oreo, or the raccoons…
I DO NOT WANT TO TELL THEM! I wailed.
PLEASE, Boomer, Help!
I ran as hard as I could toward the log pile and screeched my plea to the heavens.
PLEASE HELP!
Load by load
Three times a day 
Only taking off two weeks
For Christmas Holiday
Then back we started
Until yesterday
When all we had left were the giant chunks
TADA
The last load!
Set for winter (and maybe next year, only time will tell)
The sky was stunning. A perfect ending to a very big and hard job.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 