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

Letting in Insects and Sunshine—Monday, September 10, 2018

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Dayphoto

Good Morning!

After taking off Sunday—we always try to keep Sunday free of un-necessary work

We began again on the pinto bean field. Because of the nature of dried pinto beans, we can’t start work until around 2:00 in the afternoon–and then will work until the light holds no longer. (although there are lights on the combine, by that time of day we are tired.)

Mornings are not lazy nor are they particularly drifting

They are full of all sorts of tasks and projects which must be done by lunch. Then there are those things which also must be accomplished in a most ordinary fashion in a daily basis

By two o’clock in the blazing magical light of the afternoon sun, we set back out for the pinto bean field

Once more until it is time to stop-grab a quick supper, continue on…then gather ourselves into the last push of changing the water before dark

Working together in a companionly way

Until we stop for the night.

Harvest…a lovely satisfaction.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

2018 Pinto Bean Harvest —-Sunday, September 9,2018

Posted on September 9, 2018 by Dayphoto

The pinto beans are finally dry enough we started the harvesting process.

Off we went (Boomer and me on the four-wheeler, Terry in the grain truck) until we arrived at the in-place combine.

The earth was warm, the air hot to scorching, and the dust flying out of the back of the combine as the dry plants were lifted up, shelled and loaded into the hopper….while the broken stems and pods were crushed and flung out the back.

Then later in the day…late afternoon, a surprise rainbow appeared.

We took a wee break as the daytime dissolved into the night. Setting the water for the still green and growing corn field.

Then we went back to the field continuing until full dark.

Glorious Harvest! No one could ask for more.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday— Mindy Min-Min Cat-Cat Brown

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Dayphoto

This is Mindy Min-Min Cat-Cat Brown

You’ve met Mindy before. She has been with me for a spell now.

We are good friends.

Actually, I’m good friends with lots of animals, but Mindy and I live in the house together.

Well, we come into the house and go out of the house and hang out and do stuff together all the time.

Mindy is a feral cat who decided she wanted a family. She came to us when she was somewhere around five years old. So, Mindy must be around 6 or 7 now, Mom isn’t sure. I’m not sure and Mindy says she doesn’t know or care how old she is…she is just glad to have a family.

Mom lets Mindy into the house when she sits at the door and yowls…which isn’t often, but it does happen. (Like if it’s raining outside.)

Most of the time Mindy prefers hunting. Or going with Dad to irrigate, or hang by Mom when she is working in her yard.

Most of the time Mindy wants to be outside!

Sometimes Mindy and I take walks together, but not often.

She thinks I have some pretty strange friends…friends she considers ‘un-safe-for-cats’.

She also thinks I have some friends that might be good for her tummy. I don’t let her come with me when I visiting THOSE friends.

So anyway…Here is My Best Cat friend…Mindy. She is lots and lots of fun!

(Oh, by the way…that cut on her lip was from when she was a lot younger and a big bird in the sky tried to eat her. Mindy said she got away by the skin of her lip.)

Boomer Beaglie Brown

A Wee Ride—Thursday, September 6, 2018

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Dayphoto

One day last week we took a wee ride; after putting the top on the car 🙂

This was the most darling yard in Ouray, Colorado. I just had to take a photo to share it with you.

As everyone knows, not only is the west burning, we are also in the midst of a terrible drought. Water has been extremely short this year; areas in the up-country (Cedaredge and the North Fork truly suffering for water.)

Here on the farm, we have made due with 60% or less of our allotment (we have shares of Uncompaghre Valley Water).

The horror stories of the shrinking of our dams prompted us to drive up and see…Blue Mesa is extremely low…extremely

Ridgway Dam so low the boat unloading and loading dock is wayyyyy up there.

Everyone is saying if it doesn’t snow this winter…and snow LOTS! In feet of snow…there will be no farming next year.

Very scary!

Still, no matter what, I have hope!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

We are all Members of the Earth—-Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Dayphoto

We woke up to a gray morning, clouds closed down and mist like rain falling on the land

It has rained off and all so far this morning the light gray with the ghostly shimmer of falling raindrops

It’s beautiful. We are so much a part of the earth that when the earth suffers so do we. And when the earth is nourished so we are.

A wee ride to the Upper End to set the water in the pasture up there was a tad wet…but ever so joyful!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm

Linda

As the Days Cool Down and the Light Shrinks—-Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Dayphoto

Autumn has arrived. You can see it in the fields—the pinto beans are either turning yellow or, as ours are, lying pulled and drying, waiting for the combine.

The land is glittering and bright…as we move closer and closer to winter the trees will turn colors announcing the move from warm into the silvered blanket of cold called winter.

The Canada Geese are back…in droves.

Very early —is this a sign of a hard winter to come?

The little hummingbirds’ numbers are thinning noticeably…I have gone from 2 gallons of sugar water a day to 1/2 gallon every other day.

I will miss these little jewels, but they must leave and hurry. For the air is thinning and cooling extremely noticeably now.

A large flock of Barn Swallows left our farm yesterday, but the little fledglings and their parents are still here. Until they are gone I’m holding onto the belief we still have small amounts of summer left. 🙂

Summer work still goes on. It isn’t time to stop watering the corn; the alfalfa fields must NOT go into winter dry.

Still, change is here, in how the air smells, how the sky feels, and how the earth looks.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Many Wondrous Gifts—-Monday, September 3, 2018

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Dayphoto

I was zipping back toward home when I spied out of the tail of my eye a most unusual rock…one I had driven by many, many times, but didn’t notice until just then

Turning back around, and getting off the four-wheeler (telling Boomer to stay)

I saw it was a gift from the gods to me—

A little heart-shaped rock. I picked it up. Gave a silent thanks to earth and the rock; brought it home where it now resides in my garden.

Then later on, as I was picking up the garden hose in preparation for mowing the lawn…I saw a Rainbow!

A huge delight!

Yesterday

while Terry and I were working on the gated pipe—-gated pipe has a tendency to work itself apart

I saw

Another heart-shaped rock

and

ANOTHER ONE!

Three in two days!

WOW!

But that wasn’t all the gifts bestowed on me (or anyone who might be around)

There in the sky…just as the sun was starting to set

We saw a sundog. In three-days-time, a cool down will arrive.

Magnificent Gifts! Perfect in every way!

From my world to your heart!

Linda

Contentment of a Misty Sky—Sunday, September 2, 2018

Posted on September 2, 2018 by Dayphoto

My inbox contained a lovely surprise from Sara, in Kentucky…

“Finally, a Rainbow for you!: she announced.

“The first one I’ve seen all summer!”

Now I’m sharing with you…a stunning Kentucky rainbow covering the Equinox farm with lovely grazing sheep!

Thank you so much, Sara!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday— For the Birds

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Dayphoto

Well, here we are …Dad has pulled and bladed all the pinto beans and they are drying in the field. Now everything depends on the weather for how long it takes the pinto bean pods to dry.

So that is enough about that!

Now about the birds…. the little Barn Swallows are starting to try out their wings. Every day they fly just a little bit further than yesterday.

Still coming back to sleep in that very crowded nest at night. FOUR little ones in one nest! Beats me how they do it.

Sleep in the nest, I mean. When I look up there they look C.R.O.W.D.E.D!

They aren’t big enough to go out on their own…the mom and dad birds are still feeding them.

Even when the kids are sitting on the rooftop.

The hummingbirds are becoming less and less here. Makes Mom sad, but she told me (while petting all over my belly); “They have to leave, Boomie or they could never make it through the winter. Winter is coming.”

While out doing the ‘stuff’ we always do on the farm

I ran into a couple of pheasants! Boy! Those birds sure can scare the heck out of me…if I run into them they squawk really loud, flap their wings and fly right up into the air. Sometimes it scares me so bad I lose my scent on the ground!!!!!

Oh.

That reminds me. I saw Quade the Quail yesterday!

Quade was checking out the neighborhood on top of one of Dad’s pieces of equipment. He didn’t run off or jump down or anything, so I stopped by and we had a wee chat.

Quade agrees with me…. Fall is here! Quade also predicts a hard winter. I asked him if that means lots of snow…he just shook his head and said Hard. Very hard. Then lifted his wings and flew way up into the nearby tree.