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

Happy Birthday to Me—Thursday, January 14, 2016

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Dayphoto

Today is my birthday…well, today is the day I was born on. I actually arrived on this earth 4 minutes until mid-night on the 14th. So, if I’m a purest, I won’t be sixty-seven until 4 minutes until mid-night. But Oh, Well! Today is the day!

I found this really cool quote: (yes, I’m a product of the Beatle era…I say COOL 🙂 )

This is the way I am trying with every fiber in my being to live by — to be honest, sometimes old habits die hard, but I’m working on it.

“Tis a strange thing, that considering we are born but once, that our days are to have an end, and that the morrow being out of our power, nevertheless we always put off till the next day to live. So that our life is spent miserably in these continual delays….for we occupy ourselves in everything else, but to Live.”—from the book Nature’s God, by Matthew Stewart {Actual reference from Pierre Gassendi’s book, Three Discoveries}

There is still corn in this field, but we ARE hauling. So far they are taking every load. A gift of harvest.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

All Together Now—FLAP!—Tuesday, January, 12, 2016

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Dayphoto

While I was waiting for the truck to dump, I noticed the birds were flocking together; I think it is called a murmuration.

Although, these birds were not Starlings, they were practicing the same art, as Starlings.

Okay, now! Everyone here? Ready, get set

FLAP! Raise those wings….now turn to the right

Turn to the left…harder! Harder! Break out a sweat!

Now lift up and fly as high into the sky as you can

All together now! 1-2-3

Well done! (see the heart they formed?)

Good now!

Rest! We will go again later. A job well done!

Your friend,

Linda

As the Dawn Cracked—Monday, January 11, 2016

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Dayphoto

As the sun started peaking over the Gunnison Mountain range…Terry and I were

Taking a load in —- what a nice way to start the week.

It’s still a little too high, but they said bring it in and go get another one.

So we are!

(Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just bring in all three fields? Work all this week and be done? — Oh, well, we are NOT complaining, just very grateful.)

Your friends in a sorta, kinda, maybe, corn harvest.

Linda

We Woke-Up to a Fairy World—Sunday, January 10, 2016

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Dayphoto

Yesterday we had a wee melt. Complete with dashes of sunshine here and there, off and on!

It was lovely. Boomer and I walked in slush, and mud, and even on some dry spots.

Later that afternoon, Terry, Boomer and I took a four-wheeler ride to the rocky hill. The chilled air knifing back in a shower of tiny bits of snow from the wheels of Terry’s four-wheeler, causing Boomer to snuggle up tight against me. I found this comforting-his warm body smashed against my back.

Our farm and the neighboring farms were a winter painting, cows dotting the landscape far and away. As we sat there, the sun hanging low in the sky, the silence was broken by a murder of crows, settling down on the farm, actually on the corn still standing in the fields, for their supper.

Then over night the air cooled allowing us to wake up to a

Winter wonderland. It was lovely. A vision of frost draping everything in it’s path. Life in the middle of a frozen cloud.

It’s all gone now…warmed up and melted away. A winter fairy-land.

Your friend, in January, on a farm, on the western side of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. 🙂

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—A Little Girl from Our Neck of the High Mountain Desert

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Dayphoto

Mom and I have been on the watch for ‘good things’. Mom says it breaks up the long, gray days, and opens us up for more interesting things.

So every day I head out to check things out…sometimes Mom comes sometimes not. Sometimes the pads on my paws just get so toasted I can walk on snow and not feel a thing.

Once out there I look around for all good things—seems like I always find good things, yummy smells, interesting news, barking someone down the long, long lane all good things.

Like Mom says—it’s fun to look for good things. Look at this….

http://www.fox.com/watch/597366851556/7716941568#http://www.fox.com/watch/597366851556/7716941568#/details

Jeneve Mitchell! This is a young woman from way up country of our county, Delta County, in Crawford, Colorado. As you watch you will see Needle Rock, a famous rock in Crawford. Proof of what she says…that she is from our neck of the High Mountain Desert.

Now wouldn’t that be nice if she became the NEXT AMERICAN IDOL!?

Boomer

It IS January After All—Thursday, January 7, 2016

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Dayphoto

We were going to test the corn again today. By that I mean we would gather three ears of corn from each corn field, keeping them in separate buckets, bring them in and shell the kernels off the cobs into their bucket, then run (each bucket separately) through the corn moisture meter tester. If the moisture content was low enough, Terry would then take the three buckets down to the elevator and have THEM test each bucket. (Remember each bucket represents each field).

It doesn’t NOT matter what your moisture tester says, it only matters what their moisture tester says. They buy and store and sell the corn so they know what they want in their silos. We have our moisture tester set to match theirs, but we are always erring on the side of caution. To combine a huge load of corn and have it turned away would be not be a very good thing.

Anyway, that is what we were GOING to do. But not anymore.

It’s snowing again. Snow is a good thing for January. Something we have prayed for in the past, enjoyed when it was here, and just plain understood, that is winter after all.

Until this year…until this very strange year when the corn doesn’t dry down in a normal way and is harvested by late November and/or early December. This year we are eagerly waiting for the snow to dry off (or fall off) the corn shucks; then we go out and hand check the shucks for dryness. If everything is looking just right we get our buckets set up for the next day…and wake-up to more snow.

So for now we wait. Even if the corn is dry enough, the shucks are not, maybe next week. Only time will tell.

As I was hauling in wood to fill the wood stove this morning, Terry was standing at the back door looking out, “Snow,” he mumbles. ” Well, I guess it is January.” Turning around he headed to his spot on the sofa, feet stretched out toward the wood stove; matching Boomer’s four paws toasting on his side of the wood stove. “I guess we wait some more.”

I guess so.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Small Warm Up —-Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Dayphoto

We had a small warm-up yesterday, which was a HUGE help. Finally, Terry and I got the frozen drain working down at the other house.

Terry is still perplexed why the drain froze.

Last night the temperature didn’t drop as terribly low as normal, which was another nice thing.

Today another storm is rolling in. The weather people said we could have RAIN this afternoon. RAIN?!?! What an odd thought for this time of year. I guess we will find out later on today.

Outside everything is quiet, I can not hear the Canada Geese or the Sandhill Cranes. Sometimes I can hear in the far distance cow talking to another cow…it’s too early for calves yet.

There is a sense of ‘hunkering down’ — a waiting.

“Storm coming! Prepare, hole up, stay warm.”

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Mixed Blessing—Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Dayphoto

It’s snowing here again. A mixed blessing of sorts. (This is an old photo…from three weeks ago.)

The snow has warmed up the air a tad. Always good.

The gray light across the landscape has lifted the world from night shadows into a soft filter of sun.

The dying night speaks volumes of what our frozen landscape is made up of—

Vast fields of white and, of course, last years [still] standing corn.

A quote says it all…. “there’s just something beautiful about walking on snow that nobody else has walked on. It makes you believe you are special”.—Carol Rifka Brunt, Tell the Wolves I’m Home.

So we move forward, you and I…day five of the year 2016. Searching for those little bits of joy that fill our lives with happiness.

Your friend,

Linda

Discoveries of a Common Kind—-Sunday, January 3, 2016

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Dayphoto

Boomer and went for our walk just as the evening sun started sitting.

Saturday morning had been cold, very cold, but by noon a small melt was in place, the earth was bright and shiny from all the sparkling snow, the air dazzling with dancing sun motes.

The tangible evidence of last years crops still standing silent and snow covered gives proof nature is always in command on a ranch or farm.

But standing at the edge of two corn fields, as the sun sets or rises, feet warm and toasty in winter boots, listening to the secret murmurs of the dry leaves and corn stalks—walking further on, past the now harvested pinto bean field, up to the dried alfalfa field, then onto the rocky point…the whispers of the chico and sagebrush, the rabbitbrush and last year’s cattails tell me that my mind, body and soul is firmly in the grip of the land.

I love reading the books by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas… here is a quote from her, by which I totally agree:

“I saw that animals were important. I saw that plants were even more important. I was also to learn that compared to many of the other species, we weren’t important at all except for the damage we do. We do not rule the natural world, despite our conspicuous position in it. On the contrary, it is our lifeline, and we do well to try to understand its rules.”