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

We Finally Finished—Thursday, February 5, 2015

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Dayphoto

Finally Terry and I are done with the trees and the fences. What a huge intense mess we had for a spell. But now we are done! YAY!

Now the cows can come and I can enjoy them. It’s always fun to see the girls arrive–these are first year heifers and second year cows, which means this is the first year for the young cows to have a calf and the second year for last years heifers to calve out. The reality is these cows are 2 and 3 years old. They have spent their youth here on our place and/or calved out the first time here with us.

I delight when they come, they run here and there, grabbing bits of food, heading to old favorite spots AND coming over to visit us (in particularly the fenced off hay yard; one never knows if the hay yard just MIGHT not be fenced off.) It takes them a good 10 days to settle into a routine.

Uncle Spike posted a double Rainbow, he said I could link to him so you can see it also!

Even if there wasn’t rainbow right here on the farm, a beautiful sign of hope appeared in my inbox.

All is well!

Before I forget here is the skyline in full daylight. The only blight is the dead tree stump—which is 30 feet or so in air. We still might cut it clear to the ground, but this is the stump Misty wants to have Kelly make into a platform for the kids to play on. Our grandchildren are NOT afraid of height, their grandmother is.

Today I’m going to CLEAN my house! As you might know it is in dire need after the last several days of trees and fences. I also need to go buy a birthday present for a certain little granddaughter who will be 7 on the 15th of February.

Thanks to each and everyone of your for stopping by and reading about our Life on a Colorado Farm. I also appreciate all your comments and your support for the Sherlock Boomer story. I’m rather jazzed to see if I can actually create a full book.

The sun is shining here and we are heading up to 62* by this afternoon!

Life is Good!

Your friend on a Colorado Farm

Linda

The Skyline—Tuesday, January 3, 2015

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Dayphoto

We finished with all the huge, gigantic stuff yesterday. It took all three of us…the men on the tractors and me doing the ground work, but we made it!

There is such joy in those three words–WE MADE IT!!!

Here is a photo of the skyline—I almost forgot, which is why you are getting it in the evening.

You can still see the lightening struck tree (stump) in the back, but the front only looks a little thinner. I think I worried for nothing. Remember Misty wants that stumps to create another play area for the kids.

I will try to get a better photo today! I don’t think it will show a huge gaping hole–like I was afraid it would. (This is the one before the trees were cut)

Today we are building fences, so I must hurry and get myself down there–Terry is already there setting up the electric fencer. We begin in earnest, on the fences the second I arrive.

Your friend

Linda

Back to Work we go—-Monday, February 2, 2015

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Dayphoto

It’s cloudy here! Even foggy. And cold! So in this part of the world it looks like we are heading toward a early Spring!

YAY!!!! Doing the happy dance here! Spring is always a welcome arrival.

The heavy clouds made their way in last night, flowing toward us from the Durango area. Although, the Uncompahgre (Un-come-pah-gray) Plateau looked clear, the setting sun flung this amazing red and hot pink color upon the gathering storm clouds.

This stunning HOT color is very unusual this time of year!

Normally the clouds are a pale wash of color; albeit still beautiful!

I have no idea WHY we are seeing this dark hue this time of year—it doesn’t matter because not matter what…I always love the sky!

Off now to haul more logs and to rake bark and twigs and chips…the cows come Wednesday or Thursday so we must get a move on!

Your Friend,

Linda

Good Morning Everyone! Sunday, February 1, 2015

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Dayphoto

Good morning everyone! Moving After two days of heavy gray clouds blocking the sun and sending life-giving moisture into our rather dry soil, we woke-up this morning to a very beautiful day.

Another blessing in the storm is it stopped our work on the removal of the wood from the two trees we had cut down. I think that was a good thing. It’s better to have a break in the work than to break something on your body (all three of us, Terry, Scott (our neighbor) and myself are over 65–just saying.) If the weather stayed nice we would not have stopped…we needed to stop. A three day rest is a good thing (we always rest on Sunday, only the things that MUST be done is ever accomplished on Sunday.)

Tree-work Our neighbor is taking the wood for his outside furnace so we don’t have to haul anything far. The wood from the front tree is way too wet to burn this year, but the wood from the lightening struck tree is dead. This is a win-win for Scott as he has dry wood to finish out the heating season and wood to start the next heating season. It’s a win-win for Terry and I because we have help cleaning up the mess AND we know that the wood is being put to good use instead of just dumped at the Upper End. The GIANT logs we are taking to the Upper End to make hollows for fox (or whomever) have a place to hide.

Scott and Terry both have tractors, Scott has forks on his and Terry uses the bucket.

This leaves me to do all the brush work, rake up all the chips, and to chain up the logs. We are making huge headway. As soon as the ground dries enough we should be able to finish up next week.

We better finish up next week, since Hank stopped and said he was going to be bringing in his first year heifers and his second year cows probably around Thursday.

I just about have the chips and bark and branches out of the corn field gate, which is a good thing…I wouldn’t want any of the cows to get something stuck in their hooves.

If we can get the big stuff and the field stuff done before the cows we can finish up the back yard after the fence is built. Lots of pressure right now to get stuff done.

THEN I told Terry it will be time to put the new roof on the tile house, after which we will be close, if not already started, on Spring farm work.

I think the time of February is going to fly by!

Many of you have emailed asking me to post a photo of the skyline with the trees gone. I shall…I want to have all the trash cleaned up before I do. Surprisingly (so far) it doesn’t look bad down there. Misty wants us to keep the lightening struck stump in the back for Kelly to build something for the kids to play in, so we will. Kelly built a tree house for the kids in one of the other trees; having something cool in this one will add to the fun of the back yard.

The front tree will be gone…I’m thinking I might put a planter where it was and fill it with something colorful. Maybe. It all depends on how it looks. I might just fill in the spot with grass. Grass is always nice on the eyes.

Look at this sunset last night as the storm broke up and left us! The colors are amazing for this time of year!

Thanks for stopping by!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—Rocky/Chaco Man the Rottweiler

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Dayphoto

My oldest sister came over with my oldest nephew, Rocky Chaco Man the Rottweiler, for him and me to have some fun time together.

Shannon and Jason have lots of dogs—they are all hunting dogs, hounds and a lab! But Rocky doesn’t go hunting he guards their place. I don’t go hunting…I pretend guard the farm…so Mom and Shannon thought it would be nice if Rocky and I could have a play date on the farm.

A long (all the way around the farm—then back over the Back Forty, then to the Upper End then down by the alfalfa field) walk.

We had a great time…Rocky marked so many bushes that by the time we got to Back Forty, where the coyotes live, he was just lifting his leg for show– nothing else. I did much better, because after all I live here and I know I have to SAVE UP for the Back Forty so I can let those coyotes KNOW dogs live on the farm!!!

It must have been 300* out there, by the time we got back to the house Rock was foaming at the mouth. Black fur, no water to splash in along the way and not a cloud in sight wears a dog out.

When we got home Mom gave each of us a HUGE dish of water. Rocky slurped his down and then wanted to get in his Mom’s car and go home.

So they did. Shannon loaded Rocky up and drove away. I saw Rocky looking out the back window…he hollered at me that he had a great time and wanted to do it again!

I hollered back! “ANYTIME, Rocky! ANYTIME!”

Boomer

A Big Thank YOU, Thursday, January 29, 2015

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Dayphoto

I want to give all of you a BIG THANK YOU for all the encouragement with my new endeavor with Sherlock Boomer! The Chapter One is now posted with good reviews. I shall continue until the very end, at which time there Should be a book.

The Adventures of Boomer will still continue on Friday, after all Boomer does tell about Farm life from his perspective. Life on a Colorado Farm seen through the eyes of a beagle, so to speak.

Maybe I’ll figure out how to make Fuzzy and Boomer’s adventures into a true story yet, many of you suggested I give it a good try. I’m open to suggestions if you want to leave me a comment or to email me. As Sallie from The Traveling Grainvilles, and others of you pointed out Fuzzy was a vital part of the farm for a very long time.

Another thing you might notice is my blog got a mini-make-over thanks to Uncle Spike. (Uncle Spike is a farmer in Turkey. You might head on over– his blog is very diverse and full of photos and cool adventures he has had over his life.)

Uncle Spike very graciously helped me get the comment section set-up so I can answer everyone’s comments right on the blog! I like the idea of answering the comments right on the blog as it gives depth to the post it would otherwise not have.

Uncle Spike then set up the header with categories —under Fuzzy and Boomer you will find the Adventures of Boomer and the Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer. Life on a Colorado Farm is all other posts except Sherlock Boomer. Sherlock Boomer will be the serial posts, which I hope will result in a book.

An Invitation is still there…I’m still thinking on it. I like the idea of inviting people to sign-up but maybe it isn’t necessary. I’m open to suggestions if you want to give them to me.

Terry and I and our neighbor have been working steady cleaning up the mess left from the logging of the trees. We must hurry as there is a storm due in here tonight (it might miss us) and we want to have as much done as possible —if it is a very wet storm. Also, the cows are coming the middle of next week, which means me MUST get done down there and get the fence put back up.

Once more THANK YOU!

Your friend,

Linda

The Cast of Characters

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Dayphoto

The Cast of Characters

Boomer has taken up a new hobby…solving mysteries on the farm. His lovable canine super beagle nose leads him and his farm friends on delightful warm-hearted adventures.
Boomer is a Beagle….although, he doesn’t know he is a beagle. He doesn’t hunt rabbits or mice or chase birds. But he DOES love gathering the news. It was after the loss of his very best friend Fuzzy and falling into a long funk that he decided it was time to start living again. Since Boomer loves to gather the news, solving mysteries was the next step. (See the Fuzzy link)

Monkey Cat—lived in the house for years and years and years. If Mom or Dad made her go outside she would climb on the screen door and hang there until they let her back in. Then suddenly- the year she turned nine –she decided that she was old enough and brave enough to explore the big outdoors. Boomer started taking the little fluffy fraidy-cat with him to see the farm…Monkey Cat has decided that visiting outside is, well, FUN!

Sam-Sam Cat — the wise and oldest animal on the farm. Sammy is fifteen and the undisputed cat all around. Sammy is devoted to Mom and adores Dad. He tolerates Monkey and only goes with Boomer to keep Boomer out of trouble. Often times its Sammy who figures out what REALLY is going on.

Foxy and Red—warm-hearted Fox who live at the Upper End of the farm in a pile of old dead Cottonwood Trees. Mom doesn’t mind the fox family on the farm because there are NOT and chickens on the farm anymore. But IF Mom were to get chickens again (she thinks about it a lot) then Foxy and Red would not be welcomed anywhere near the farm yard. Boomer isn’t much of a watch dog or a guard dog. Boomer has a warm heart for everyone, except the Coyotes. So IF Mom gets chickens, Mom will need to get a guard dog for the hens. Until that time…Foxy and Red pretty much have the run of the whole farm!

I’m Thinking of Something a Little Bit Different—Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Dayphoto

Look at the huge flocks of birds down where our eldest daughter lives!

Masses of Sandhill Cranes, and Canada Geese. There are ducks in the field with them, but I couldn’t get a shot to turn out very well.

The sounds are LOUD! Everyone talking all at once, doing their dances and singing love songs to each other…Valentines Day IS coming, you know.

They are so loud you can’t hear yourself talk! 🙂 Makes me smile. I hollered over to them they could all fly down to our farm and hang out for a few days I would love to have them! 🙂

Now my bit of news. All last year I tried to figure out HOW to make the Fuzzy and Boomer stories into a publishable book…I tried. But all along I couldn’t get the proper feel of a actual story—they just kept feeling like blog posts.

This year I am still interested in the book idea, but I’m going to go about it a different way. You will notice at the top of my blog I have several categories one of which says: Sherlock Boomer. Every Wednesday I am going to write a Chapter a week about Boomer and a small mystery on the farm….no dead human bodies in these mysteries or evil drug lords—just simple little mysteries which Boomer and his friends will solve in a few chapters. At the end I should have a book.

The Cast of Characters

Boomer has taken up a new hobby…solving mysteries on the farm. His lovable canine super beagle nose leads him and his farm friends on delightful warm-hearted adventures.

Boomer is a Beagle….although, he doesn’t know he is a beagle. He doesn’t hunt rabbits or mice or chase birds. But he DOES love gathering the news. It was after the loss of his very best friend Fuzzy and falling into a long funk that he decided it was time to start living again. Since Boomer loves to gather the news, solving mysteries was the next step. (See the Fuzzy link)

Starting tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I will begin my very first attempt at a book, in a serial format — a new chapter every Wednesday until the book is complete. Fridays with Boomer will still continue, because that is about our every day life on the farm seen through a dog’s eyes. A much different format than a serial posting resulting in a book.

I am very excited about this new idea and hope to see all of you tomorrow!

Your friend,

Linda

Bookend Trees—Monday, January 26, 2015

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Dayphoto

There they stand, the two doomed trees…the one in the back was hit by lightening two summers ago and needs to come down. The other one is the closest to us next to the other houses.

Terry had been afraid to cut down the lightening struck tree because he was concerned the wind currents would shift in the yard and cause branches to fall on the house.

Then the other tree became a problem (according to the County Road people) because of over-hanging branches next to the road—the county road people came along and smacked several branches and left the branches they hit with their bucket just flung everywhere….on the fence, on the mailbox, next to the side of the road.

I was raised if you do something do it right- I guess this was right…smack the tree and just leave everything as is and don’t tell anyone. 😦

Terry and I went down and cleaned everything up, after we figured out what happened. Rudely they didn’t even tell us they were going to smack the branches off. Nor did we get a letter or any type of a warning…the neighbors saw them do it. (Sigh)

The blessing in the county road people’s damage is cutting down that tree could make a different wind pattern and keep any large branches that may fall off the house. The tree crew says it will…only time will tell.

Today the work has begun. Later on this afternoon Terry will fire up the tractor with the loader, Boomer and I will gather up the rakes and wheelbarrows and start the clean up.

Here is one last look at the skyline with the bookend trees still in place.

Change is always a constant on this earth, isn’t it?

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Looking at a Rose Colored World—Sunday, January 25, 2015

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Dayphoto

Terry and I were outside splitting firewood yesterday as the day started to end…colder air was descending and the sun was sitting.

We still wanted to do a few more logs and I still needed to haul the nightly load to the house and fill the wood box.

As we worked the sky started filling up with the most amazing, scrumptious, delightful rosey glow. It started out as a very pale pink.

Getting brighter and brighter as we finished up.

I hurriedly filled the wheelbarrow and pushed my heavy load to the house, then leaving the wheelbarrow right next to the back door I grabbed my camera and ran back outside!