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

The Light Flooded Around Me—Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Dayphoto

Yesterday evening, Terry, Evan and I finished our load of firewood for the day and headed home. We actually got done in an hour. We are doing one load a night. The pile is shrinking—thankfully. And growing larger at each of our houses. Maybe by Saturday we will be done. We sure hope so, all of us are getting tired of the cutting and hauling of firewood. 🙂

(Wild turkeys)

Storms rolled in again in the late afternoon, cooling the skies and bringing rain. Still the pintos are doing okay. By tomorrow the rain is supposed to gone for several days. We will begin again in earnest after the storms get out of here. (I would like to share with you a little secret….although it doesn’t look so: Harvest is grueling work–and dusty—and worrisome. Most of all worrisome)

(more wild turkeys)

Terry and I had to finish up some stuff back out on the mud ditch last night, after the firewood.

The sky was stunning.

Darkness rolled up from the canyons, trying to fill the air with shadows. But the light of the setting sun had other ideas.

The deepening shadows turned red and glowed in an amazing splendor behind and through the racing clouds over head.

Terry headed back in, with his load, but I stayed out there. Letting the light flood around me. The silence fell in waves; the minutes with Boomer, myself, the light, and the coming night passed by uncounted for. It was a stunning

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Our Farm is a Peaceful Place—-Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Dayphoto

But is also is a very busy place. I am late posting today because of so many calls upon my time.

We stir early, early. The day is not even waking, when we stir to life and the farm is whirred into action like a freshly wound clock; the cogs and wheels shifting and spinning until the night rises to meet the day. Then it starts all over again just like magic the next day.

We are working on the mud ditch. What a huge messy job. Terry got the a few of the dams out, I helped with the gated pipe—but we still have to pick up all the syphon tubes. Maybe later this afternoon.

We had several little rain storms move through our place last night. We were out cutting firewood—still several more days to go—when the downpours occurred. Not good for the pulled beans, but it is what it is. We just move on forward.

The little swallows have gone. My heart feels sad…it means summer is officially over. I love their pursuit of insects diving and swooping on slender outspread wings. Still the days are warm, but

I saw a sundog while we were cutting firewood… a cool down is on its way. The oldtimers say in three days.

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Step Three/Pinto Bean Harvest—September 12, 2016

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Dayphoto

The pinto beans are harvested with a pinto bean combine and pinto bean header.
This is how it works, gently lifting up the rows and moving them through the combine, where it breaks out the pinto beans and put them in the hopper

The trash—everything that is NOT a pinto bean is thrashed and left behind. Now if you have cockaburs, sunflower seeds, or Canada Thistle seeds they will also be combined and flung into the hopper with the pinto beans.

Once there they all go into the truck and hauled to the Beanery, where we are docked for trash in the beans. Therefore, now you know why we always hand weed our fields–the cleaner the beans the more money we bring home. (You can see some of the ‘trash’ [in the back of our truck] which wasn’t cleaned out in with the pinto beans…this is also trash, which will dock us.)

The other problem, with those seeds, is when the pinto beans go over the shaker at the Beanery, they are the same size as a pinto bean and shake right with the beans. If you have too many and have to have the pinto beans triple cleaned….well you get the picture.

A storm is coming in…I hope it stays far way. If it rains we will have a mess with the pinto bean harvest in the field that is pulled. 😦

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Step Two/Pinto Bean Harvest—-Sunday, September 11, 2016

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Dayphoto

Step Two is to blade the beans—which means the next day, after the pinto beans are pulled Terry goes back in with a special blade

Designed to go under the rows of beans, lifting them up and cutting off any weeds or beans the bean puller missed.

All of this MUST be done in the very cool of the morning—it would NOT do to have the pinto beans pods shatter and spill all the pinto beans onto the ground; lost in the dirt.

Once the stems and weeds and pods get to the right level of dryness we harvest!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—-Mom Tricks Me

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Dayphoto

“Come on, Boomer! Let’s go for a ride!”

RIDE!! OH! GOOD! I’m Ready Mom!

“Here, wait just minute; your collar needs to be on.”

Huh!? Collar?

Collars usually mean I’m going somewhere I have to be on a leash—town, the Vet’s…I wonder where.

“Okay, Boom. Here we are. Wait just minute you have to be on your leash.”

Oh, well. Hurry Mom, snap it quickly there are smells that need to be smelled.

“Come on Boom, Houston is coming and you are first.”

Houston! Oh good. I adore Houston!

WAIT! NO! MOM! NOT THE GROOMER!!!! Jerk, pull, drag my feet….

Sigh

“Come back and get Boomer in an hour,” Theresa, the groomer told Mom.

A WHOLE HOUR!!!!

MOM! YOU’RE BACK! GET ME OUT OF HERE FAST!!!!

(Sorry, Houston, you are on your own!)

Boomer

Pinto Bean Harvest— Step One—-Thursday, September 8, 2016

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Dayphoto

The pinto beans are ready for harvest. The leaves have dried and fallen off leaving only the pods.

Early, early Terry headed out to put the bean puller on the tractor and get into the field.

It was cool enough he had to put on a jacket. It’s important to go early…long before the sun heats up the earth like an old-fashioned flatiron.

The pinto bean plants need to be cold,so when the tractor goes through the pods stay on the vines, and the pinto beans stay in the shell.

The process is in steps–first the pinto beans are pulled

Laying the beans in neat rows to dry.

Then the bright morning warmed up, gilding everything. It was time to stop.

One field down, one more to go.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

That Hour Before the Rise of Darkness—Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Dayphoto

Yesterday was the ending of summer.

We turned off the irrigation water

and cleaned all the ditches. Terry created this little device. It is pushed along by the water, lifting and flinging the mud in the ditch in front of it, leaving the ditch clean behind–you can see the different in the water behind the scraper—the water is clear enough to reflect the weeds.

A tiny bit of magic for the [forever] cement ditches. It preserves your back from shoveling.

We finished in that hour before the rise of darkness.

The farm was slowing down, pausing —sighing deeply as the heat of the day cooled and the summer bees slowed their echoing buzz, as they headed toward their hives

Yesterday was end of the growing season.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

An Afternoon Like Honey—-Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Dayphoto

It was late afternoon yesterday — I was mowing the lawn and Terry was blading the long lane from the house to the county road, when suddenly

Bladen came riding in on the bike!

What a huge delightful surprise. Being the wonderful grandson he is; he finished mowing my lawn for me.

Then the others showed up…Blade kindly helped Linkin along (sigh! ) Hurrying them into the house. Grandpa and I were ecstatic, to say the least.

Then their parents came over—they had all stopped at Aunt Shannon’s first.

All too soon it was time to leave–Misty wanted to buy groceries in Grand Junction, Colorado, before they headed back to Battlement Mesa, Colorado.

What a superb way to spend Labor Day. The fall sun was thick and warm…like honey all glowing with golden light.

Family and friends– the thing that makes our lives rich and full and joyful.

Love,

Linda

The Soft, Bright Glow of the Sky—-Monday, September 5, 2016

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Dayphoto

We have had a series of storms move through last week.

Along, with the overcast sky we were gifted with many rainbows— The sun’s rays glinting off the rain droplets settling the stretched and frayed sky

From here to my friend, Rene’s sky in Paonia. (A rainbow over the Paonia Ragged Mountains)

A closer view of the deep storm tangled Raggeds wrapped in hues of wonder

Even my zinnias wrapped themselves in the colors of the sky

The rainbows wrappedthemselves around our small corner of this big magnificent world.

Flickering like sunlight on the snow, spanning our daily work in an amazing manner–nothing lackadaisical, but stunning, and gorgeous, and wonderful!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Moving to Delta, Colorado—Sunday, September 4, 2016

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Dayphoto

Yesterday we helped our daughter and son-in-law, in Grand Junction, Colorado load up some of their stuff to move to Delta–home for Kimberly and back to Delta County, for Cliff.

Terry made this trailer years ago to haul bulls, cows, and pigs. It has also hauled furniture to Denver, back from Denver, to Grand Junction, and now back from Grand Junction.

(I must brag a little bit here—my man is sure talented! If he needs it, or wants it, he figures out a way to make it. 💕 💕 💕–how lucky I am!)

We were fortunate to move them in-between storms. We’ve been having lots and lots of thunder and rain storms. It sure has been nice for the yard. A welcome gift for the plants and for me!

The tomatoes and peppers are coming on strong now. It’s canning time! My pears are ripening in big, thick, warm blankets then it will be time to ‘put them up’.

We are still working on the firewood, although the pile is MUCH smaller. Maybe this week we will finish it. I sure hope so. I’m a tad wore out. We are taking off today and maybe Monday, maybe not Monday, we will see.

(Early morning sun)