In the Glittering sunlight
High in the air
On a crisp, bright, warm September morning
The little Barn Swallows gathered in dense clusters in the sky, then
they filled the electric lines above the canal.
All early morning they came, swooping in, resting until they rose all as one, shimmering and glittering, into the autumn sky; dipping and rising in a choreographed dance taking them away from us.
Leaving the air around our yard empty of sound.
From my world to your heart.
Linda
We’ve had rain…the days damp and the mornings with a chill
The days warm up nicely.
The pinto bean harvest came to a screeching halt—the bean puller broke…
Then as it got fixed…
The rains came. Which means Terry will have to go out and lift all the plants up out of the soil, (rains smashes plants) before he can combine the two fields—there is still one to pull and let dry and then combine.
I’ve been canning…pineapple candy peppers and
Salsa
Plus we’ve turned off water to the place. Irrigation is done for the year. The only thing left now will be picking up the syphon tubes and flushing out the ditches.
Fall galloped in…complete with wild geese flying over us in the wind!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Our daughter and son-in-law, Cliff and Kimi, had a beautiful double rainbow light up their sky as the westering sun broke through a very loud and flashy gathering of clouds!
They so graciously sent to me giving me permission to share it with you!
From my world to your heart!
Linda
After much checking and checking and more checking Terry has decided that the corn is now made
All the signs are there
The husks are turning golden
The silks no longer bright and shiny
When the animals try to bite into them the kernels are hard
We made it!
The growing season is done.
Although, we are NOT over yet….
The pinto beans are drying…big fluffy plants
The new fall field is soaking up the water..
The alfalfa is really growing, but it won’t be cut again. Four cuttings deplete the plant going into winter. (For us anyway)
Slowly, slowly, the summer is dwindling down…sinking into that hugely busy time called harvest!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
These bright Autumn days are full
We had an overnight visit from our Grandson…he is getting TALL—5’11”
Tally came for two days and two nights
Then the last load of hay
Left…1,500 bales all cut, stacked, sold and gone! YAY!
Terry’s sister and brother-in-law came for a couple of days
The hydraulic pump broke, went through the fan and pushed the fan into the radiator..sigh!
Of course, there is always the water to change
Life is busy, but still good.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
It’s constant now…that checking of the crops… are they made? Is it time?
We can’t take the water off too soon or the little seeds will not be at premium fullness.
As for the pinto beans….
In the wee early pause, between shadow and sunlight. as the sky paled toward sunrise
While the dew filled the plants, making them pliable and soft Terry headed out to begin the harvest of the pinto beans.
Then, when the sun filled the air, and the western stars started to fade…I went out to take photos.
Terry will work until the dew starts to dry up…then he will stop and start again the next pre-dawn day.
I’t important to pull the plants up from the ground, while they are cold and damp, so the pods do NOT shatter and spill the beans all over the soil.
Then we wait. A week, maybe more. All the time continually checking. Making sure the timing is right…. soon. Very soon…we will be hauling pinto beans to market!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
First I wrote to ask if this was the right place to ask what typed of hummingbird was in my yard —“I have never seen this hummingbird at my feeder. I have been feeding the Hummingbirds for 8 years now, and know the type I have here (I have seen Broadtail, Calliope, Black-Chin, and Rufus…for sure) But this one is new to me. I was hoping you could tell me what type this one is.
I took the photo on August 20, 2017 Here on our farm, in Delta, Colorado in our back yard.”
Linda
******
“Hello Linda,
Many thanks for the interest in the hummingbirds in your yard there in Colorado! I’m sorry for the slight delay responding here–we are swamped at this time of year with taskings for the Citizen Science team, and the Admin mailboxes for all programs are not able to receive the attention we would like.
You should be able to attach a photo to send to us here–a number of people have done that over the summer so far. Then hopefully we can help you figure out what was visiting your feeders.”
Thanks and good birding,
Geoff
Geoff LeBaron
Christmas Bird Count Director
Audubon Science
The Christmas Bird Count is now free to participate.
Visit www.christmasbirdcount.org to find out more.
Please consider donating to support the CBC:
www.audubon.org/GiveCBC
“Hi Linda,It’s hard to be completely sure, but it looks like what you had there was a female or hatch-year Calliope Hummingbird. They would be moving southward by late summer, and I know when I used to spend time in Southwestern Colorado near Pagosa Springs this was the time of year that Calliopes would come through.
Thanks for sending the pictures, and I hope you’re having a great birding year in 2017.
Best wishes,
Geoff
Well, I guess this is what I have! I only saw her one day. But one day was a gift!
Here is the What is This bird FB page
The answers were mixed so I decided to go to Audubon!
Thank you one and all for your help in this little quest to know what type of hummingbird stopped by!
Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,
Linda
A tiny movement of color
Shining like stars amid the flowers
A spirit of air, sunshine and wings
Shimmering in the light like sparkling waves on water
A whisper
On little wings
Love,
Linda
I thought you would like to see where we are in the new building
All done by Terry
And some random help from me—
the would you get me, hand me that, help me lift this up….sort of help.
The real stuff
All created by him!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The horrible fires here in the west
Are wrecking havoc on all the wonderful trees, homes, and lives of people—although the news is not mentioning anything about them.
Our skies tell the story….clouds running thin and high or even slackening veering off to other places … leave only the smoke to color the world
We work under that huge orange orb; evening, noon, and
Morning.
Although, there are no fires right here. There is testiment, in the skies, of the horror others in the west are experiencing.
The sun, like a torch (which it is) throwing masses of color into the air…speaks volumes of the terror stalking those in the burning west.
From my heart to your world.
Linda
