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

THEY ARE BACK! — Sunday, October 12, 2014

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Dayphoto

Winter is fasting coming upon us!

The Sandhill Cranes have returned!

I couldn’t get all of the Sandhill Cranes in the photo; they were scattered here there and everywhere in the disked corn field. But they are back. And they beat the Canada Geese.

I’m sure it won’t be long now before our skies have the sounds of geese talking to each other as they wing their way from the North.

It’s nice we have winter birds. They help brighten the long winter days.

It’s storming here right now. The wind is blowing, tossing the corn here and there, rain is splattering on the windows. I started a fire in the woodstove. The house was decidedly cold.

Later on today I will need to gather my fire making things, kenneling, starter sticks, smaller logs and then the large logs that keep the flame going. I will have to go down to the other house and do the same thing there. We are making headway at that house, but there is at least another week to go.

Also Terry found out that the furnace system needs to completely be replace. “(If it isn’t one thing,” my Momma used to say,”it’s another!’) That means a possiblya new furnace and new duct work. SIGH!

My theory is: to do one job it always takes at least five other jobs so you can get the original job completed.

Gradually we will make it…one step at a time.

Your friend,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer—Boomer Turns Nine

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Dayphoto

Boomer is nine (9) NINE YEARS OLD this month! He has lived with me, er us, for four years now! I just think that is the best thing ever!!!

EVER!!!

But the bad thing is Boomer isn’t feeling good. He’s been having ear problems since the Cheat Grass went to seed. He even had to have his ear washed out and lots and lots of medicine.

Mom took Boom to the Vet yesterday and had to have a whole new round of ‘stuff’.

Sigh!

I told Boom, we were a pair, him and I. I can’t walk very well because of my back legs and he doesn’t walk very well because he is always shaking his head.

Hopefully the medicine take effect quickly and this time Boomer gets well. Feeling good is a very nice thing.

It’s been raining here and cold. When Mom and Dad are home and not down at Misty’s old house we ALL STAY INSIDE BY THE FIRE!!!!

It’s a very nice thing.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE NICEST?!?!

Watching the cats!

HAHAHAH Sharing is not their strong suit!

Doing stuff like that gets them put outside Fast.

You would think they would learn!

Silly fur balls!

Boomer and I just laugh at them!

Fuzzy

Sundog and a Holding Pen Fence—Thursday, October 10, 2014

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Dayphoto

We saw a sundog the other day…three days from the sighting of a sundog colder weather is coming. Friday we should have colder weather…yep. I looked on the weather channel and Friday we will be in the 60’s.

For my fence today I’m showing you Mr. Davis’ holding corral. He uses this when he loads out the cows.

It’s all metal and hand welded. I think its really pretty neat!

Well, head on over to Teresa’s place and link up your fences or gates. If you don’t want to do that check out what the others have linked!

You friend,

Linda

Fun Photos from Friends—Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Dayphoto

The following photos are from OneFly…they are taken in the White Sands area of White Sands New Mexico north of Alamogordo and south of Carrizozo.

The mountain range in the far distance is the White Sands Missile Range. Just look at these unusual and dramatic cravings on this huge rock!

Rock Art is found all over the world. These are Petroglyphs —information carved into the rock… Signs-on-Rock-2 Pictographs are painted on rocks. I think there is another type but I can’t think of it’s name right now.

It’s always mystery what they were saying…but I think I see a horse and either a deer or a mountain sheep. 🙂

Your friend,

Linda

Rabbit’s Foot Grass (Polypogon Monspeliensis)–Invasive Species–Tuesday, October, 7, 2014

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Dayphoto

Although Tuesday is usually the day I post all the wonderful photo gifts from you, my friends, today I shall continue yesterday’s post with the answer to my mystery weed.

Unable to to find a ‘for certain and sure answer’ I decided to chop out part of the plant and take it over to our neighbor who is an expert weed master. Paul and his son have a very successful spraying business.

Grabbing my trusty shovel, hopping onto the four-wheeler I drove down to the Priority Ditch and chopped out a large section of the plant—roots and all. Then I drove on over to our neighbor and politely asked for help in identifying this unusual grass.

“Goodness!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know we had that invasive weed here. We’ve had information on this plant for a couple of years now, but haven’t seen it so far!”

Turns out this is a nasty invasive weed, sometimes planted as an ornamental in people’s yards. It’s hardy to Zone 3.

Needless to say that plant has been chopped out and dumped into the burn barrel!!!

Thank you everyone for your help! Because of the alarm bells that rang out loud and clear from you everyone in our neighborhood will be on the lookout for this exotic plant. Shovels and buckets and burn barrels will be Rabbitfoot Grasses new friend.

Tomorrow I will showcase my photo gifts,but for today I bring you this weed update. 🙂

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm

Linda

A Question —Monday, October 6, 2014

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Dayphoto

We have a new grass growing on the one of the cement ditches. I have never seen it before (or at least I don’t think I have).

Does anyone know what it might be called? It sure is a ~~purdy~~ pretty thing.

Your Friend,

Linda

A Rainbow Sky—Sunday, October 5, 2014

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

When the storms started to leave our area the sun was underway to waking up the world on the opposite side of us. The clouds had become ragged and sparse in the West allowing the sun to break free and shine wonderfully upon the land. The East still held the massively dark storm clouds, although they were moving on toward the mountains and the people who lived and worked and played among them.

I was upstairs putting my daily paperwork into a pile and getting ready to turn off the computer when I saw a very faint rainbow filling the east and southern part of our sky! (Close to Olathe)

What a joy I thought to myself! Gazing out the window I watched it fade to nothing. Turning off the computer I headed downstairs.

Wait!!! What do I see around the Eckert, Cedaredge area?

WOW! I grabbed my camera and headed out the front door to stand on the top step

What an amazing splash of color!

It was filling the whole basin with brilliant light! You can even see some little puffs of clouds captured within the prism ray of sunlight!

I stayed an watched until it faded. What a pleasure to be able to experience the wonder of sunlight on droplets of water!

Today is Sunday. Today we stop and rest, only doing those things that are necessary. Tomorrow we will be back to working on the other house and picking back-up the dropped tasks of the week. The fields are starting to dry enough the dogs and I will be able to go out and start gathering in the siphon tubes, the plastic dams, and the metal tin dams. The corn is still green, but if the storms stay away it will continue to dry down taking all the moisture out of the stalks, leaves, and the little seeds. Once it is dry enough we will begin the last harvest (for us) of the season.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer—Banished

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

I just don’t get it! I really don’t!

Sometimes Mom is just sooooooooooo mean!!

Pout, pout!!

Why? What’s the deal, Boomer? You look just fine to me.

It’s MOM, Fuzzy! She is a real Meany! She doesn’t play fair…Mom is…just plain WEIRD!!!!!!

Hummm, I’ve never thought that, what happened to make you so upset Boom?

Well, yesterday, you know when we went down to the other house —Dad was under the floor crawling around working on that furnace duct work and Mom was painting…and you were sleeping on the step close to Mom.

Yeah…sleeping in the sunshine. That was real nice.

Well…I decided to go sniff around and see what sort of new was down there. First I went up to the apricot tree…

*grey ground squirrels….lots of storing of nuts and stuff going on

*the bunnies are starting to get on their winter fur…they are REALLY fluffy

* the baby quail look like teenagers….I had a great time laughing and giggling with them

Then I trotted on over to the old orchard…not much news there. Then the wind came up….

SSNIFF!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I headed over the hill by the old orchard and squiggled myself down through the Sage and Chico brush and FOUND IT!!!

OH! YIPPEE!!! A TRUE DELIGHT!

It was wonderfully ripe and squishy and goopy and well…JUST PERFECT!!!

I rolled all over in it—first my neck, then I scrapped my throat through it, that felt so good—I laid down and gave myself a really nice back rub ALL OVER MY BACK—from the top of my head to the base of my spine…it was a great massage in the most perfect of massage oils.

After that I got up and decided to walk in the remains, of what I’m not sure, I squished the squeaky goo up into my toes; wiggling each toe so I could feel the whole nasty wonderful slop way up into the pads of my feet.

It was marvelous! Then I thought I would check the wonder smell out a little more so nosed around in it seeing if I missed any more slime. Nope, just a drop or two that was all. I was lucky to get the stuff all over my snout and even around my eyes on the top of my forehead!

Shoot! I was done. But, OH WELL!!! It was Heaven while it lasted.

I headed back to the house…there you were just dozing away in the sun all stretched out taking in every warm ray of light…Dad must be under the house for the lawn was littered with pipe and whatever it was he was doing…where is Mom?

OH!!! THERE YOU ARE MOM!!! YIPPEE!!! See what I have and what I brought back for you!! IT’S MORE THAN WONDERFUL, MOM! IT’S PERFUME OF THE GODS!! I trotted right up to her — she had her back to me painting on the window trim of the house; I figured she would smell me and turn around.

She didn’t right at first…shish. Mom just turn around! Instead she started talking to herself… “Whew! Something really stinks around here. UGH! I wonder if something died in the hedge.”

“Oh, Hi! Boomer-bee”, she said as she reached down to pet me!

“Gag, swallow erup! BOOMER YOU STINK!!!!”

“Oh nooooo, Boomer! What did you find! Gag, gag…urp!”

Oh, Mom, it’s really cool isn’t it? It’s just wonder—-

“GAG! Boomer! You can NOT come down here again! You always seem to find something nasty to roll in! As soon as we get you home you are getting a bath! GET! Get over there until I get done and DO NOT Move!”

Then, Fuzzy, she marched herself right in to the house and told Dad that I HAD TO WALK HOME. She was going to clean up her painting stuff and walk me home so she could clean ME up!

Sigh.

Oh well…I get to have my perfume until we get home! HAHAHAHA

I wondered why you didn’t ride back with Dad and me. I looked for you and Mom but you didn’t get into the truck with us so I just enjoyed myself without you.

Mom and I walked home, Fuzz! She wasn’t very happy about it because she had to walk carefully in the mud on the field roads, but we made it! She walked on the weeds and I walked wherever I wanted too.

There was a brisk little breeze blowing! We had to walk up for a spell, then we had to walk left for a spell, then we had to walk down for a spell, then we had to walk left again for another spell, then we had to walk down into the farmyard. You know how the roads go, Fuzzy.

On the way I decided that Maybe, just MAYBE if I gave Mom a chance to REALLY smell me, by the time we got home she would love the perfume as much as I do and let me keep it. So if the wind was blowing into us I made sure to walk in front of Mom, if it was blowing a different direction I walked so the wind caused the odor to waft right into Mom’s nose!

I thought it was a very good plan!

Although, it didn’t work! As soon as we got home Mom got out her Dog washing supplies and started scrubbing me down with soap, and peroxide and lots and lots of warm water. It TOOK FOREVER!!

Yep, about an hour, Boom. I watched.

Then she took me into the house and put me IN THE BATHTUB!!! MY GOODNESS!! I am the cleanest dog in the whole wide world.

Yeah, you are, Boomer! But you got to sleep inside last night. Dad said if you had just one little faint smell you had to sleep out in the dog house.

Yes, and Mom said I can’t ever go down to the other house with her now, because this is the second time in three weeks I’ve found something nasty to roll in.

I guess you will just have to get used to not going down there, Boomer.