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

Dance of the Veils— Monday, July 7, 2014

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Dayphoto

Our second daughter and third child, loves Middle Eastern Dance. She has been doing this for years…I’m not sure how many years….maybe around 15-20 years. I’d have to sit down and figure it out, but probably not going to. 🙂

She is the one closest to us in the red, with the royal blue veil.

There! That’s a better photo.

I was glad that Tally was with us…she loves music and sparkles and glitters and singing and dance.

We both (Tally and I) agreed that seeing the beautiful women dancing and twirling was really sparkly and fun!

Your friend,

Linda

The Long Weekend–Sunday, July 6, 2014

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Dayphoto

What a silly thing to say…a long weekend! Terry and I are retired and we farm (we retired from our paying jobs, but kept the farm job 🙂 )

All that this means we we either have long weekends constantly or we never have a break…who knows.

Anyway…right after we got all the water set for the day, we loaded up in the McCormick van and headed up to Paonia Cherry Days to watch our second daughter dance. (I will post this in an up coming post)

We watched a coal shoveling contest, (vintage and classic cars, lots of friends, Visited many booths of yummy food, and looked at many things to purchase.

Bladen stood in line for over an hour to get a ride on the bungee jump. He said it was FUN!!!

A much braver soul than I….even if I were his age!

Home again, home again…it’s always nice to be home again. We got the water set as the sun was going down. Nice and tired after a break from the day to day.

Your farm friend,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday—Happy 4th of July!

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Dayphoto

(Cleaning the mud out before the water gets there. Weeds grow fast in the mud and suck up the water and slow the water down.)

Today is the 4^th of July! Fuzzy and I have puppy feet today! First thing we did a go change the water…Dad has water here and there and everywhere!

I jumped into every mud ditch I could find—heheheheh—makes Mom have to ride with a muddy paws and a muddy belly Beagle!!!

HAHAHAH!

I just give her a great big grin and waggle my tail back and forth in very happy bursts. (When I do that she never gets mad at me!)

Mom put Fuzzy down for a spell, but he said he really wanted back up on the 4-wheeler so she put him back up. He told me the air is better up there…he can smell the breezes and get all the news.

There is a sickle moon right now! Mom was out taking photos of it, she said she would like to take photos of the moon in all its stages. Hey, whatever works for you, Mom! Fuzzy and I are up for anything…well just about anything. Fuzzy says he isn’t up for going to the groomers.

(That’s my tail—that white spot in the field)

Dad’s alfalfa has really grown…it’s taller than I am now, just my tail gives my position away, it won’t be long when I can get news in the alfalfa field and Mom and Dad won’t be able to see me! Chuckle, snerk!

(This was me in the field two weeks ago)

We had thunder storms roll in yesterday afternoon. Fuzzy was in a panic…THUNDER!!! Crack! THUNDER!

Mom and Dad sat outside under the tin roof and let the hot air cool around them, then the rain splattered down; the thunder rumbled. Fuzzy and I laid right at Mom’s feet. Fuzzy must have felt secure enough because he went right to sleep. When I noticed he was sleeping I got up and moved over a short ways and took a little snooze myself.

Later, after the storms moved on, Mom and Fuzzy and I took some photos of the bean field.

(And not a weed in site!

(Yep the corn is going to make before frost–it more than ‘knee-high by the 4th of July”_

Then the little family came over and Mom got our annual photo of the corn.

Fuzzy and I didn’t want to get in the corn with Hank and everyone; we sat right by Mom as she took the photos. Even though Dad and the kids called us we didn’t want to go into the corn. Dad doesn’t like us in the corn until it starts to tassel out! We were told that enough we BELIEVE it…………….DO NOT GO IN THE CORN…you will break the little stalks! And there they were….all of them IN THE CORN!!!

Once it tassels out Dad doesn’t care — then I run down all the rows checking out the new, but NOT NOW!!!

Nope not now! So I stayed with Fuzzy who always stays right with Mom.

Anyway! Fuzzy and I, Sammy-Sam the Cat, and Monkey the Cat, and yes Mom and Dad wish all of you a HAPPY 4^TH of JULY!!!

Boomer—Reporter at Large!

Thursday Fences and a Look at the Fields–July 3, 2014

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

I was sitting at the stop light waiting to turn right when I realized that right there!!! Why right there in front of me was a cute fence with colorful roses sitting off it’s charm. Quickly I pulled out my camera, took a shot just the light turned green and drove on by.

Looking at the photo later I still thought the fence was charming. It off-sets the family home (which you can just see the corner of the porch roof) and the Antique Shop on the other side of it!

The whole feeling is of a bit of whimsy as a person is sitting at the stop light waiting to move forward with the day. (The Antique Shop is pretty neat also—one has to remember that we are a fairly young state so the antiques here will not go back to the beginning of America–like you would find in the original Thirteen Colonies! 🙂 )

The corn is looking good! (I forgot to get a photo of the pinto beans…will try to do that today. It should be a no brainer as all I have to do is walk out the front door 🙂 !

You saw the Alfalfa the other day. I’ll get a photo of the pinto beans so you can see how fast they are growing.

Our days are nice an hot. Not so hot it is hard to breathe but nicely hot. We are still have wind in the afternoon…and THAT is a hot wind. Still it only lasts for four hours then dies down.

For more fences head on over to Teresa’s blogspot!

I’m off to go buy my monthly amount of groceries…lots of nice sales right now because of the up coming Anniversary of our countries Independence from England!

See you in the comments,

Linda

A Perfect Day — Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

Our grandson, Bladen, loves soccer. He has played soccer ever since he was in the first grade. Since the world cup has been on Blade rides his bike over and watches the action with Grandpa. If Blade’s Dad is home he comes over and watches also. It’s a rollicking good time!

At least once or twice during the day Blade rides his bike through all the fields then stops by to let Hank Puff (their dog) cool off in the canal. Sometimes he stops by and visits with us, or stays for lunch, or rests on one of the chairs outside.

Next year he will be in the 7th grade. Next year he will be in Craig. 😦

Tally will also ride her bike over, but it is a long, long way when you are only 6 and you have to peddle LOTS to get your little bike from home to here. Once she is here she wants to watch a cartoon, or play on Grandpa’s IPad. But her most favorite thing is playing in the tree!

(My two hearts sitting in the garden)

Yesterday, Linky asked Grandpa if he would shoot with her.

(After school was out Grandpa gave Linkin his long-bow. Earlier, Kelly-their Dad–had made Linkin a long bow from an Russian Olive branch. She adored it! But being a branch it finally broke…in steps Grandpa with a gift of his Long-bow. She adored it! She practiced every day, getting better and better. So for her birthday we bought her a bow and some arrows, a wrist guard and a quiver.

She continued to practice.

Yesterday when Grandpa took Bladen home –after the US lost their bid for the World Cup in Soccer and after Grandpa showed Blade how to put a new tube in his bike tire….Linkin asked if she could come up and spend the night and shoot arrows with Grandpa.

Her smile says it all.

They pretty much tied with the hitting of the target!

It won’t be long now until they move to Craig, Colorado. By the end of this month.

Blessed we are, Terry and I. All these days are priceless.

Your Friend,

Linda

And Crown Thy Good With Brotherhood — Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Dayphoto

I am very bless! Most assuredly I am!

John Myerson recently wrote me to tell me he has added my site to his Family Farmer Support resource page. How cool is that!?

Hi,
I recently added your site as a family farmer support site to my resource page at www.familyfarmer.org
Thank you,

John Myerson.

You can find your site listed here:
http://www.familyfarmer.org/blogs-by-family-farmers/

Kate also sent along these following photos from the Kingdom of Chiconia (smile)

A rainbow

Rain clouds

Not just one beautiful sunset

But TWO beautiful sunsets!
I have some other great photos that have come in over the past week, but I think I’ll save them for next Tuesday.

Photo gifts from sea to shining sea!

We’ve started July! The early summer days. Hot weather and (continuing) hot winds! BUT I AM NOT COMPLAINING…I know what six months down the road brings — and it isn’t just my birthday. 😦

I’ll leave you with a shot of the alfalfa field…two more weeks and it will be haying time again!

Your Western Colorado Farm Friend,

Linda

Warmth for Winter — June 30, 2014

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Dayphoto

Terry and I have been hauling wood for winter fires.

We have three more large box pick-up loads to go then we should be set for those dreary, long, miserable, horrid, nasty, bitter, ugly cold months. (I guess by this sentence you get the impression that I hate winter. 🙂 )

We are hauling pine beetle killed trees…nothing alive, only downed or standing dead tree.

We gather the firewood on Friday’s, which pretty much zonks me for Saturday. We were both wondering, after this last load, if we can keep this up for several more years or not. I guess we will just have to have it delivered, if and when that time comes.

(Although, NOW we do have the propane furnace fixed so we have a very expensive back-up if we need it.)

While tossing and sorting I happened to look up and see a very cool site!

A HEART! I’m going to save this little gift of love and put it some place rather cool in my garden!

A gift of love from nature!

Your friend on a farm!

Linda

My Day is Filled With Bird Song — June 29, 2014

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Dayphoto

I have always had lots of birds here. Most times they could be a nuisance…by flying into the chicken house trying to steal the chicken’s feed. A chicken raiser really doesn’t want wild birds in the chicken house with the chickens; birds transfer diseases to each other so it’s best to try and keep them separated.

My chickens lived in a great house with a covered pen that kept them safe from the many predators that abound. But every afternoon my hens ran free until the sun started falling and they put themselves to bed. They had the best of both worlds, protected house and run and free range from noon until bedtime.

Over time I learned to feed the wild birds so they would stay out of the hen house. I created a place just for the wild birds so the hens would stay out of the bird seed. It worked very well.

Last winter (after my last hen died) I decided that I didn’t want to raise chickens anymore. Maybe later, but for now I don’t. Anyway, after making that decision I expanded my bird feeding stations inviting as many wild birds that want to dine with us that is possible.

Today I have many, many different types of birds (I am not very good with the bird species so I won’t go into listing them) but I do have a few favorites. A huge flock of Red-Winged Black Birds has left the cattails in the Back Forty to peck and scratch at my little bird station. I love their calls.

Then there is the Western Meadow Larks….that have left the fence lines to come partake of the rich goodies out there.

Of course the wonderful Robins… wake us up and sing to us all the day long. Right now they are feasting on the mulberries and the sour cherries that are ripe, or trying to ripe. The Robins really don’t give them a chance to turn really red.

We have many others, Ringed-Necked Doves, ( I miss the Mourning Doves of a few years ago), sparrows of all sorts, and the other little brown feathered birds that fly with them.

I have feeders out for the House Finches so they don’t have to share with the many other little brown feathered birds.

I relish these warm days full of bird song. Winter is rather sparse with only Starlings, Crows, Ravens and the brown feathered hoard. I leave my winters open day and night even if it is extremely hot…I want to soak up every day of Spring, Summer and Fall that I can. Winter is extremely long to me.

Today is a day (Sunday) we only do what is necessary. This evening our oldest daughter, Shannon, is have a pot-luck cook out. We will all slather on bug stuff and enjoy visiting with each other. It won’t be long now before Kelly and Misty and the kids leave for Craig, Colorado, so we must experience as much as possible before they move!

I hope you have a great Sunday!

Your friend,

Linda

Happy Birthday to Me–Fuzzy–June 26, 2014

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Dayphoto

This month I turned Fourteen! How cool is that! Everyday has been a great birthday day! Mom gives me special treats because she isn’t really sure what exact day is my day of birth.

Boomer and go everywhere with Mom…I MEAN EVERYWHERE!!!

We went swimming down in the Roubidoux River one day (all of Shannon’s pack went with us) Boomer doesn’t like to swim so he had to hang on the side of the river with Mom. Mom doesn’t swim either.

Then Dad took us up to the lake on Twenty Five Mesa, which is on the Uncompahgre Plateau…that was more than way cool.

Right now we are helping Dad fix the swather…second cutting of hay is coming up so the swather has to be ready to cut.

I hang out in the shade of the four-wheeler and Boomer searches out the news

At one point Mom had to go back over to the house to get some tools for Dad…Mom called for Boomer, but he ignored her!

We even stopped and talked to Hank Puff. We didn’t stay long because Dad was waiting.

Boomer didn’t come when Mom called so I got to ride all the way back BY MY SELF!!!! HEHEHEHEHEH!!!

That’s the sickle bar.

We also go irrigating every time…all the time.

See I sit on the four-wheeler while Mom and Dad do the work. What we are waiting for is the extra water from the other field to make it down to this field. Dad and Mom set up many little dams so the siphon tubes have enough water to suck the water from the cement ditch into the field. Dad has water in the alfalfa field (in this photo) and part of the water in one of the corn fields, and the rest of the water (as it is starting to leave our place) in the pinto bean field. My folks work at using (never wasting) any of the water that comes onto the place.

The water costs more than the taxes for the farm so they are V.E.R.Y. careful to not waste the water. Once the water makes it through our place it heads back into the canal and goes to the next farm just across the road from us.

The sky (last night) looked like we just might get a rain storm. We didn’t.

That works for me…I don’t like thunder and lightening storms.

Well, Dad had a meeting last night so it was just Mom, Boomer, and I to change the water.

I had to laugh out loud because this time when Mom called and said: “Let’s go, Boomer! Time to move on!”

Boomer took her seriously! He didn’t want to be left again like he was earlier today!

What a goofy pup he is! Still, no matter what, he is my Best Friend!

Outside of Mom, that is!

A Fourteen Year Old Farm Dog…and Proud of it!

Fuzzy Dude MacDoodle Brown

Running Late— Thursday, June 26, 2014

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Dayphoto

Sorry I’m running late today on my blog post. Terry and I were over at the equipment storage area working on the hay swather. (The biting bugs are horrid!!!—Lots of horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, and those other nasty biting things!)

He had to remove a broken piece off the sickle bar and needed my extra hands. If you are going to farm it’s a real good thing to be able to fix the variety of farm machinery that seems to fall apart just when you are not wanting it too. 🙂

I want to thank all of you who have clicked the follow button, left comments of where you hail from, and asked to Friend me on Face Book. We are a great company of wonderful blog friends from here to there! (Uncle Spike is even from Turkey)

Sara, from a Punkin’s Patch sent me a beautiful rainbow to start my day with! How lucky we all are!

Remember if you would like to share anything with my reader’s on this blog I am open to do so…especially if you have a rainbow or moon bow (on my bucket list) or just something really cool I would love to post it. I always ask your permission first and then give you credit.