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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

Gladness Makes the Heart Lighter —Tuesday, March 8, 2016

The-storm-clears

Sunrise!

The storm cleared leaving us with a brilliant chilly morning, heavy with frost on the ground.

Terry has started farming today.  The first field to tackle is the alfalfa field.  It is 5 years old and starting to wear out.  He will plant ten more acres this spring—enough to keep him busy, but not as much as before.

WOW

Last night’s sunset!

After much thought he has decided to downsize.  Not in acres farmed, but in What he farms.

He will be cutting back on the corn, but increasing the pinto beans.  Pinto beans are much easier to grow and to harvest.  So once we get to have fresh pinto beans right from the field.  YAY!

It has been a gladness that has made his heart much lighter—this farming decision.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

 

 

 

A Small Storm—Monday, March 7, 2016

SR

(Sunrise this morning…sun through the heavy clouds in the east)

A spring storm moved into our area yesterday bringing with it snow in the higher country, splattering of rain around us and on us.

Last night we had a huge wind, thunder storms and lightening.

A spring storm.

Today it’s still cloudy and cold, but the long months of desolation are coming to an end.  Our air is full of bird song

Listen-to-the-blackbirds-singThere are Red-Winged Blackbirds in the cattails and in our apple trees!Apple-Tree

Along the fence linesWestern-Meadow-LarkThere are Western Meadow Larks adding the joy in the air.

Robin-7The delightful chirp of the Robin joins into the cacophony.

Geese-3

All replacing the  lonely calling of the Canada Geese and the trill sound of the

Cranes-2Sandhill Cranes. We can hear their calling their way in flight forming Vs of  courage toward the promise of a distant breeding grounds.

CrowsThe Crows and Raven’s on swirling wings bear them up and away to other parts unknown to me. Leaving our trees available for the song birds.

Friend-Hawk-2

In winter, we see the raptors;

Owl-in-tree

It is in winter the feathered world is reduced to the brutal hunt and eat.  Dark shadows pass overhead, dip down as the big birds hunt for mice along the ditch banks and fence rows. Sometimes a Ring-Necked Dover or a smaller little brown bird provides food for the owl and the hawk.

Storm

(Sunset last night…rain on the plateau with sun bursting through the clouds)

As late winter storms come and leave, the song birds return — even though the air is still cold, but not the bitter cold of winter; the sweet fresh cold of thawing earth, the brightness of sprigs of green and the hope of tiny swelling buds on the trees.

I can handle these storms…for it won’t be long now…not at all until the whole world I live in bursts forth into a riot of color!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

Common Things—Sunday, March 6, 2016

I saw my first Robin yesterday.  It was early morning, then in the afternoon I saw another one. Two Robins.  One at our place and one down at our other place. Spring is here!

Many of the other birds have  started coming back, some I just don’t know the name of, but recognize them as Spring birds.  The last to arrive will be the Swallows.  Once the Swallows appear it will be full on Spring, without a hint of winter.

Stopping-By

Every morning we wake up to a smattering of Canada Geese…stopping by of an evening to rest and feed upon the corn fields.

Sand-Hill-Cranes-1The Sandhill Cranes leave the upper cornfields late morning heading North.  For some reason the two bird species do not share the same area of the farm.  Also the geese leave early, early in the morning and the cranes about an hour after sunrise.

I love to stand and watch them.  Boomer has learned to sit quietly by my side so I can take photos, his ears cocked, watching with interest. Still enough I can hear the beating of my heart.

Baby

After the birds fly away Boomer and walk back home.  Through the cows and the calves.

Sometimes it’s just these still moments that blaze themselves upon our hearts and brain, allowing us to recall them in complete detail for the rest of our lives.  Small little moments of peace and contentment.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

 

 

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—We Slid into Spring

These days are wonderful!  Mom and Dad, the cats and yours truly—BOOMER the Beagle, have been spending every minute of the day outside doing all sorts of things.

Road-Work

Dad works on his ‘stuff’,

Mom is working on raking around all the outbuildings, the chicken house, the three woodpiles and is heading over to the equipment storage area and the corrals next!

The cats hang around outside and act pitiful.  Just pitiful…gosh, geez, they are outside and the wind blows and messes up their fur, and there is no really comfy bed to lay on, whine, whine, whine.

I get sick of it!

BBeagle

Now ME!  I go out the first rattle out the box every morning.  First light!  And I don’t come back in until the sunsets.  (By that time I’m ready to come in.)

I can’t linger too long in the house, you know…there is a whole farm of snacks out there…first I go out and get snacks.  Then I bring them in and toss them around on the grass for a spell.  After that I EAT them.  Then I take a nap.  After my nap I repeat my run to the fields.

I used to try and bury my snacks…way back when I was new here, but when I went to UNbury them they were gone.  Just Gone! So now I drag them into the yard.  I used to drag them in arrange them in areas….beef jerky here, milk duds there.  But when I was out getting more Mom would come by and gather them all up into a sack and take them to the trash barrel!!!!!

(I have to be wary of rain…for some reason rain melts my milk duds so I try to bury them under leaves and weeds in Mom’s flower beds. Mom doesn’t like that either.  Go figure.)

Mom gathering up my snacks and destroying them Horrifies me!  So now I scatter them here and there and everywhere.  Mom still tries to get them all picked up, but she misses some.  Tee Hee.  Those are the ones I snack on when she isn’t looking.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO  anywho…

HUH

I repeat this off and on all day.  I want a nice pile of snacks, for when the cows leave in the next couple of weeks.

Boomer

Where are You Going?—Thursday, March 3, 2016

Walk“Where are you going?”  I asked as Terry headed out the door.

More-Dirt

“I need to disk the ends back on all the fields, just in case of fire.”  he replied

pidThen turning back around,  with a smile on his face  ” But really I’m going to go play in the dirt!”

Yes, I thought to myself, that smile says it all.

With much joy,

Linda

The Fire Season—-Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Fire-Road-1We have been  working on the fire roads.  This is a scary time of year for us.

Fire-road-1As you can see there is lots of fuel, if a fire were to get away from someone burning off their fields.

fire-22

Twice we had two different neighbors start fires below us and go off and leave them. The fires came just five feet from the barn and corrals at our rental.  It was terrifying.

The photos here are of the one in 2012.Fire-10 (the second fire…was in  2011 from a different neighbor)

Then on March 16, 2012 the ditch company burned up the other two sides of our place.

Since that time we have been very, very careful! to keep fire roads open and well maintained.  For years and years we never even had fire roads, nor did we need fire roads.  It just all started about 8 years ago when people decided to burn instead of work the ground up.

Terry, also, disks around all the corn fields and the alfalfa fields.  Having those fields disked actually stopped the second fire from swooshing across to our house and barns.   Fire makes it’s own wind and with the wind blowing it can travel very fast, even jumping from spot to spot.

Road-1We feel the roads are in now good shape; so today he will start disking around the ends of the fields.

Road-2

Usually I drive the tractor  with the loader, but sometimes Terry and I switch.

Yes-I-driveHe’s MUCH better at the scary stuff and than I am!

Honestly!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

For Me March 1st is the Start of Spring—-March 1, 2016

Jagged-HeartI give to you a jagged heart.  For you see, for me — Spring begins today.

Always spring begins for me on the 1st of March, no matter the weather…Lion or lamb.

Blade

For most everyone Spring begins as soon as the days are longer than the nights…which is based on the equinox.

HOTThe weather has been delightful.  Warm days, woodfire worthy nights…dry soil so I can clean around the buildings. Light winds.

4My winter weary body is gradually building itself back up …Life is good!

Sending you love on a fine Spring day!

Linda

The Land Calls—Monday, February 29, 2016

Oh! Jolly!  This the LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY!  YIPPEE!!

Combine-ready-to-goTerry and I have been working on the corn combine…little repairs here and there.  Yes, I help, invariably we come into the house with cuts and bruises, but it’s getting finished.  Ready for next years harvest.  As I write this he is putting in the last couple of bolts.

Truck

Saturday afternoon he started on repairing the heater in the grain truck. It’s very cold sitting down at the elevator withOUT a heater.

farming-starts.jpgWell, I think you have now guessed the answer to the million dollar question—Terry is going to farm.

“Are you sure?” I asked.  Worry in my voice and concern on my face.

“I’m sure. There are still things I want to do on the place, stuff I want to improve on, things that need my attention.” he replied with a huge smile.

morman-creasing-the-corn.jpg

“Only stuff I will do, not someone else.”

Planting-alfalfaI need to tear up the old alfalfa field and reseed a new field, take the dirt ditch and turn it into a cement ditch….fix fences so Hank’s cows can come again—if it’s rented out Hank has to take his cows someplace else.

Hubby

“I really can’t see myself sitting around.”

“But you won’t sit around, you have tons of projects you want to work on, not related to farming.”

kick-the-dirt

” I know.  I truly think I have dirt for blood.”

Sunset and combine 1So there you have it!  We begin again.  At least for one more year.  As long the body and mind can keep going.  We will keep farming on this farm created many years ago by Terry’s grandfather (purchased by us), until time demands stopping.

Changing-Water-at-Sunset-2Your friend  on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

The Sad Part About Spring—-Sunday, February 28, 2016

Burn-SeasonIt’s BURN season!

Neither Terry or I get this rather new practice of farmer’s burning off their farmed ground.

fire-003

The quality of air is just not there.  For at least three weeks.

fire

We see it everywhere…all around us.

Disking-2010-009

We are old-time farmers;Terry and I.   Terry still disks the stubble back into the fields; (I do the same thing in my gardens)  adding rich nutrients into the earth, creating a better growing environment for earthworms and our crops.

Burn-Season“Why do they do this?” I asked Terry, as we watched one of the huge plumes of smoke on the horizon.

“I don’t know,” his puzzled voice came back to me. “Maybe burning off the fields helps it dry faster.  I just don’t know.”

I don’t know either.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—Milk Duds and Beef Jerky

2The cows are here!

4

Mom and I are in cow heaven!  Every day Dad, Mom, and I head out and count babies.  Right now…the count this morning was forty five calves on the ground.

3

Some just born overnight, a couple being born, as we drove by, and several are days and even a week or so old.

5

Now I admit, the other thing I like about CALF season is SNACKS! Mom gets rather irritated with me about SNACKS, in calf season, but (golly-geez!), I can’t help myself they are SO good!

8

I have to head-out by myself, as Mom gets grossed out and won’t let me snack.  (I must admit Fuzzy never liked these snacks.  I don’t know why he didn’t, he would just turn his head and walk on by.)

9

The first day of figuring out the farm is now loaded with Milk Duds (calf poopy) and Beef Jerky (after birth) I ate so much I had a belly ache.  Mom told me she didn’t feel one bit sorry for me.  Well, so what, I felt sorry for me.

BUT NOT ENOUGH TO STOP!!!

Checking-Cows

Boomer