About Dayphoto

My name is Linda Brown. I live on a farm on the western slope of Colorado, in the high mountain desert. I’ve lived here all my life, hailing back four generations on my father’s side. Today I blog about our farm, the everyday activities that keep the farm going. I also write about my thoughts and dreams and goals. On Friday’s I always write about TLC Cai-Cai. Our sweet kitty who helps keep the farm safe. And Boo Berry Betty, a breeder dog learning to be a Farm Dog! The lovely thing about blogging it opens the world up for all of us to reach out and meet people from many different cultures and different ways of life. You can find me every day (but Saturday) at https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/ Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm, Linda Brown

A Tale of Sadness and Bravery —- Sunday, June 9, 2019

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Dayphoto

The Vietnam Wall came to Delta.

It broke my heart to see all those names…the list just goes on and on and on

Friends and classmates, brothers, husbands, and sons; the wall unfurled each name and date as our dazed eyes took in the enormous loss

Tears constantly filled my eyes

Even as I sit here typing, I still want to cry.

An amazing WWII plane roared across the sky during the remembrance of those who were lost on D Day.

Then I saw a wonderful old gentleman stand and salute the flag. He wasn’t part of the program, he was a serviceman forever more.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Off on an Adventure Chapter Two

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Dayphoto

Looking back once.

Looking back twice.

I was gone. Up and over and around the hill onto my way to Back Forty.

I was trotting as fast as my overly stuffed beagle body (winter flab, you understand) could go as I made my way closer and closer to my goal of finding Kit.

Kit is my bestest fox friend, when—-

“BOOMER!”

“BOOMER!” Some tiny little voice was calling me. I looked back over my shoulder and saw STEWART!

Stewart is Stanley’s brother. Stanley the Squirrel. Stanley the Squirrel who is on the grain head posing for Mom.

I pulled up to a stop and sat down and waited. To be honest with you my ancient Beagle bones and muscles were protesting just a tad. Nothing to worry about, but I did feel a little winded. Sitting and waiting for Stewart would not be a sign of weakness. No siree. Just being polite is all.

Puff, puff, pant, pant.

“Hey, Boomer where you heading? Can I come with you?” Stewart skidded to a stop, little puffs of dust flinging up around his squirrel paws.

“Sure,” I allowed. “Company is always a good thing.”

“Can I ride?” Stewart asked.

“No, not this time. We will just take it easy and slow. You can check out things you are interested in and I can check out the news along the way. If either one of us gets tired we will just stop under the shade of a rabbit brush or other weed; rest a spell, then go on.”

“Hey! Great Idea.” Let’s head out!”

I puffed myself up, shook the dirt off my feet, gave my whole body a good shake and we were off.

We hadn’t gone very far, just around the bend at the end of the second alfalfa field, when suddenly Handsome the Pheasant flew out of the tall grass yelling his fright/flight call.

That scared Stewart and I so much we both fell down. Then Stewart started scrabbling backward trying to get under cover.

About that time, I realized the bunch of screaming was coming from Handsome the Pheasant. I guess being able to recognize the fact it was Handsome helped when he landed right next to me.

“BOOMER!” Handsome yelled. “My Pheasant God in all the Heavens what are you doing up here? Why I haven’t seen you all winter, nor have I seen you all Spring. What gives? Where have you been? It’s been rather lonely up here, well, not really lonely…I do have three lovely hens to err, um, cough, to pass the time with, but I mean LONELY without hanging out with you. I miss our games of hiding and flight, squawk and flush. What is going on with you—-”

I put up a paw. “Wait! Slow down, Handsome, slow down. You are talking so fast I can’t process what you are saying let along answer your questions.

Okay, now, one thing at a time. It’s really good to see you again Handsome.”

“Thanks, Boomer, Now tell me what’s going on. I am so glad to see you– can we do something — come on Boomer, let’s get to…………”

Just then I heard and wee voice crying in the Wilderness— “BOOMER! STEWART! WAIT FOR ME!”

Around the corner came STANLEY!

Stanley slid to dust filled stop, panting heavily. “Whew! I made it. I was afraid I couldn’t catch up with all of you.” Stanley stood up and put his paws on his knees and hung his head panting heavily.

Stewart ran over and toppled Stanley; they started wrestling right there in all the dirt.

“Stop! STOP!” I yelled.

“It’s good you are here, Stanley, but what about Mom. How did you get away?”

“Chip showed up. As soon as Chip showed up I jumped down and crashed through all the brush so your Mom wouldn’t follow me, then I scampered onto the road and ran for all I was worth.”

“YAY!” Stewart and Handsome and I yelled.

“We are all off on an adventure,” I stated

With that, we picked our paws and claws, and headed out!

In the Warmth and Glow of a Late Spring Day —Thursday, June 6, 2019

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Dayphoto

The quiet beauty of a farm is not the glamor and glitz of a town, city, metropolis

Still, there is a bright glitter in the green growth of weeds and the

Quick flutters of wings and feathers.

To be able to actually see the enchantment

A human must be like a creeping shadow

Instead of blending into the raucous noise of a cities roar

Care must be taken to experience the unusual, instead of flinging oneself into the

Shimmering excitement of towns

The gold is lifted to our eyes on gentle breezes

As the shadows fall sharp upon the furrowed land.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

My Whole Heart is Brimming with Joy —- Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Dayphoto

The sunshine has been wonderful lately

The days warm, but cooling down nicely in the night

Which is lovely, because the amazing spring flowers are still blooming heavily

Brightly offering sweet scents to the air

And color for the eye

So far this spring has been kind to us

A few days of over the top weather, but nothing to be overly concerned

Having shrunk my yard and therefore my workload

Taking care of the three rather large areas have become nice

Gentle on my back and the reduction in the amount of watering and weeding

So now everything is a pleasure, not a ‘job’

From early morn

Through late evening

I feel ever so grateful.

From my world to your heart.

Linda

Sweetness in the Warm Spring Sun and on Soft Gentle Breezes —- Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Dayphoto

The delightful air is full of song

Tiny voices swirl and tumble creating a very bright sound

The pollen gifting life to bumble bees, the hummingbirds and the honey bees

And from afar in the Black Forrest by Colorado Springs, Colorado

A double rainbow filled the sky adding wonder to the smell of rich damp forest floor, the rising smells of the wet trees; a promise of abundant wildflowers to to appear.

Thank you, Elaine, for sharing your double rainbow with us!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

A Gleam in the Eye— Monday, June 3, 2019

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Dayphoto

I was sitting still waiting, in the peace and quiet— when a wee joy set down on the edge of the grain head

She fluffed and fluttered, turning this way and that.

Until just the perfect man arrived!

Sometimes we are gifted with the ordinary

Which really isn’t.ordinary after all.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

A Newspaper Article by a Wonderful Friend—-Sunday, June 2, 2019

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Dayphoto

Terry is enlarging the pasture

Working at it steady so the grass will grow big and strong and healthy before the heat of the summer arrives

The other four pastures are really looking rich and green…Terry says it really nice to have the time and the energy to work on some of the other parts of the farm.

Which brings me to this post I’ve wanted to do for a little spell.

Our cows back in the day

A long time blog friend writes for the local paper in her New York area, the Amsterdam Recorder, she took a wee trip and wrote about it for all her readers to enjoy. I asked her if I could reprint a bit of it for my farming blog and she said yes.

The grandchildren watching the cows being moved years and years ago

“And speaking of being, as opposed to seeing, green, we encountered evidence of recent hot “green” issues along the way. While waging our own battles on the leg of the trip south through Pennsylvania, dodging potholes with varied success, and heaping language not befitting ladies and gentlemen upon some of the drivers with whom we narrowly avoided close encounters of the crashing kind, I noticed something interesting.

While all of America frets and stews about flatulence from cattle, most of which live in the relatively clean, green, rural countryside, a little air freshening around urban backdoors might be in order.

As we wound down the mountains of the Keystone State, sometimes mistaking the potholes on 81 for valleys, the actual valleys were filled wall-to-wall with cities; houses, factories, malls and parking lots.

And every single one of them was shadowed under its own smoggy mantle of flatulence. The kind that emanates from cars and trucks and heating systems and all the things associated with large collections of people. I have never seen a miasma such as that over a barn, pasture or even the most crowded of feedlots.

Alas, because there aren’t many farmers left, the people who eat what they grow and who wear the products of those cotton fields, don’t understand them anymore. They blame them for something they are.”

Marianne Friers,

Northview Dairy

Amsterdam Recorder

Our cows out on the pasture on the Back Forty,

I know that each and every one of you, gentle readers, are not the people who condemn farmers or farming as a way of life, but huge supporters, for often times I get emails saying “Thank a Farmer”.

Our cows coming in for breakfast years and years ago

But for those who are new to my blog, or new to anyone’s blog about farming…I thought what Marianne wrote was well said. Often times it’s the very thing we are condemning others for, which we are (also) guilty.

So too not preach or make anyone uncomfortable I leave you now.

From my humble heart to your world,

Linda

Off on an Adventure Sherlock Boomer Chapter One

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Dayphoto

I know! I know! Mom told me I was getting way too old to go about sleuthing. Or searching for lost friends. Or just plain wandering around on the farm without Mom close by.

BUT

I am bored!

I mean really, really bored!

Yes, I know I can go for walks with Mom.

And I do.

I go everywhere she goes and I come back with her also.

But — I mean geez. It’s been a long time since I walked over to the equipment area by myself.

You see I have to go by myself because all my friends hide when Mom comes with me.

Anyway, while Mom and I were sleuthing for photos to take, I sidetracked Mom and took off!

I just left her. I use to leave her all the time when she and Dad were changing the water, but I can’t do that anymore.

Well, I could, but Mom and Dad don’t change water all the time like they used to so there just isn’t a chance for me to go exploring W.I.T.H.O.U.T Mom!

I waited for Mom to settle herself down on a log over by the equipment area, put the camera to her eye—-“I hope I can get some good photos of animals that live here, Boomie.” She said. I whapped the tip of my tail waiting and waiting for Mom to forget to keep tabs on me.

When I thought I was going to have to wait FOREVER I saw Stanley.

Stanley the Squirrel. Stanley moved all his nuts and seeds over here when he figured out there were lots of other squirrels to play with. Stewart, Stanley’s twin brother went with Stanley so our farmyard is now squirrel less.

Which is rather boring, I might say.

Anyway, I saw Stanley and motioned him to come over.

“HEY, Boomer! Wow! You are here! How cool is that! I haven’t seen you for a squirrels’ age!” Stanley jumped up and down in front of me and grabbed me by my long soft beagle ears. “Gosh, is it ever good to see you!”

“Wait! Wait! Stanley…. slow down. Can you do me a favor?

“Sure, you just name it and I will do it.” Stanley jumped up on my back, then scampered over the other side, “What ya need, Boomer?”

“See my Mom over there…sitting on the log peering carefully into the trees and the equipment?”

“Yes,” Stanley replied.

“Run over there and play on the equipment and let Mom take a photo of you. She will take lots of photos and put you on her computer then your photo will go way, way out into outer space and you will be FAMOUS!”

“Cool!” Stanley said. “I’ll do it! I’m off to become outer of the space famous!”

I watched Stanley scamper and skitter over to the equipment area. Then I saw Mom slowly, slowly raise her camera to her eye, click, click…

Perfect!

Mom was smitten and busy.

Now off I go to check out what is happening on the farm and to see how my friends are doing.

Tangled in Clouds and Raindrops —- Thursday, May 30, 2019

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Dayphoto

We experienced a brisk wind all day yesterday,

Yet, at different points sunlight splashed between the foaming clouds

The slight sunrays pattering the sky and dappling the earth

We watched ragged rain play along the mountainside

The wind was strong enough to tatter the trees; flinging leaves here there and everywhere

Then sometime overnight, the wind rose higher and higher in the atmosphere

Giving us the most beautiful sunrise and clear skies!

BUT before all that occurred…just there in the east, as the wind moaned and the clouds rushed away from us…I saw a Rainbow…a fat beginning of one anyway; before the clouds and wind pushed it away.

From my world to your heart,

Linda