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

The Trees in Winter January 6, 2014

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Dayphoto

I’m always surprised to see that the trees in winter have leaf buds waiting patiently on each and every branch and stem. I read somewhere that the bud is full of starch waiting for water from the roots system to reach them. Cocooned in a lovely sack of food. Once spring comes, the snows melt, and the rains descend, water is available for the roots.

Then, when the wind blows, all the systems come together…the wind shakes the trees, the roots drink up, the inner workings carry inch by inch the leaf producing water to the starch. The bud starts to feed and drink and grow until we get to see LEAVES! Beautiful, new, spring green leaves! That ripen into lush dark green summer leaves.

Until then we wait…along with the trees and the leaf buds…. for spring.

While we wait the winter skies fill our days with brilliant showy colors!

It’s still cold here…woke up to 2 above Zero (F). -16 C. But the weather person says a warm up is on it’s way. Thursday we would wake up to 12 f (-11 c).

Although, we are cold it is nothing like some of you are experiencing. Sending Magic Thoughts your way for warmer temperatures soon!

You Farm Friend,

Linda

Winter’s Frozen Lap — January 5, 2014

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

After a day of wind and scattered snow showers the clouds started to blow away leaving us with a stunning sunset!

Then during the night the dark mid-night blue sky brought forth a silent, frozen, glittering heaven.

Today we woke-up to brittle blue skies with clouds etched along the edges of our horizons. The side-ways sleet that flung into our eyes and our faces didn’t even stick or make a glittering dune to enjoy after the storm moved on.

If I look at the mountains they are showing white, which is good…water in the making!

Still the sun is shining and the day has grown longer! (although we are very cold, 27* as I write this with a windchill of of 17*

I hope you are all warm and safe from the messy arctic storm covering most the U.S. map.

Your friend,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — A Turkey Walk

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

Fuzzy?

Hum, yes!

Did you get a look at the book Mom is reading?

Ah, clear throat, hum, no…No I have a hard time seeing anymore.

Well, it’s called — The Great Turkey Walk http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1154350.The_Great_Turkey_Walk

It’s about herding turkeys from Missouri to Denver, Colorado, in the year 1860. That seems like a really long walk to me, Fuzzy.

It does to me also, Boomer. I can’t imagine walking so many miles with a bunch of turkeys. Geez, just walking with Tommy is hard enough!

He never walks straight on…always sideways. First one side then the other side—- takes FOREVER for him to get anywhere. He spends all his time fanning his tail feather here and there and everywhere.

Yeah, Fuzzy, then he hangs out with you until we all come back.

True! But we do have some interesting times together. For instance, just yesterday, while you were out sniffing around in the corn field, Tommy and I had a conversation with Sharpie.

Sharpie…the little hawk that hangs around the wood pile?

Yes, that Sharpie!

He was very interested in a couple of mice that had fled under the trash can when I came upon him. Since I like to chase mice (and snap them in two, mind you) I decided to hang out with him for a spell.

We were being very quiet both of us watching the hole where the two mice ran under the trash barrel when Tommy came gobbling up. Tommy is NEVER silent, you know that don’t you, Boomer! He always has something to say.

Up he came jabbering and hollering to me that he wanted us to go do something, anything, because he was tired of hanging out with the hens. Dad was too busy in the tractor shed and he couldn’t find you so he decided that I would have to do.

I kept trying to hush him up…I put my paw down several times in the hush manner, I turned my back to him…I tried to whisper really loudly to SHUT UP! But he kept on gobbling and drumming and walking sideways, just being outlandish!

Sharpie flew off the fence rail up to a branch in the weeping willow tree; just sitting there in disgust. We both knew the mice were NOT coming out with all that noise going on.

Onward and onward came Tommy yelling loudly for me to come do something with him…Please, could we go down the lane a bit, or how about over to the corrals, or maybe out by the grain bins…Sharpie got so disgusted he dive-bombed Tom!

SQUWACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

Have you ever seen a turkey poke his neck clear into his chest!

YEP! That is exactly what happened! Tom looked so shocked that Sharpie would dive-bomb him that he buried his head and neck right into his body — flung his wings way up in the air and tried to cover his rather bald head!

He looked so funny I LAUGHED OUT LOUD!!!!

I didn’t know where Sharpie went; he wasn’t there when I stopped laughing. But you know what, Tommy didn’t even get upset. He was such a good sport I told him we would go off to corrals to see what was out there!

While we were walking out to the corrals Tommy told me that he would really, REALLY, he means REALLY like to live inside with us. He said Mom could hang a rack up next to our beds and he could sleep and poop right there by us.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, hummmmmmm, Well, I told Tom, I really don’t think you would like to be inside…it’s ummm hot and there are cats and the girls in the poultry house would miss you.

OH! Yes the girls! He said he had forgotten all about the girls…he guessed he had better stay out there and watch over them.

Ahimmmmmmm, I cleared my throat. Maybe that would be best, Tom!

OH! Bark, bark, WOOF

HOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Shannon’s here and our Dog Cousins! COME ON BOOMER!!! COME ON TOMMY!! DOG COUSINS!!!

Gobble, gobble, gobble….MY REAL FAMILY IS HERE!

“Come on, Tommy!” Shannon and Mom hollered, “Let’s go for a walk!”

Come on Tom…you can walk with us as far as Fuzzy goes, growled Choco the Rottweiler.

Okay…just to the gain bin field. I’ll hang out with Fuzz for a bit, and then I really must get back to the girls!

Drummmmmmmm, thummmmmmmmmmmmmm, gobble

That works for us Tommy…let’s all go!

“You know something, Fuzzy?”

No what, Tom!

“I really don’t mind staying over here for a while. My Mom says I’ll be back over at my real house come this spring. Until then hang’n with you and Boom is a really good thing.”

Oh, Hi Boom, you back?

Yeah, my knee doesn’t let me go far. Mom and I just walked to the new alfalfa field and came on back.

Yummmmmmmmmm, num, num chew, slurp…..

“BOOMER!!! BOOMER!!! Stop eating the Turkey poop!!” Mom hollered.

Geez, Boom, sometimes you really aren’t very smart.

Fuzzy

Day Length January 2, 2014

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

Once we get to December 21st I eagerly await the moment that our time…the length of the day starts to grow visibly longer.

We are NOT at the point…yet! But it won’t be long now :)!

On December 21st our day was a SHORT 9 hours and 27 minutes.

(Yes, I know that day length is relative to where each and everyone lives, but for me and those who live close to me…this is our day length)

Gradually the day has added 5 minutes of time to the day! We now have 9 hours and 32 minutes of daylight. Rich, rays of sun, even if they must filter through frozen air.

On January 31st our day will consist of 10 whole hours and 12 minutes of daylight.

But, alas this is still winter…not only that it is January. From January we will slide into February…two of the coldest months of the year…

But here is the thing…I can handle the cold if I can see the sun! I can handle the knowledge of winds from the north, winds that tear your skin off your face—- if I know that in 59 or so more days winter will start to abate.

So while we are gearing up for more layers upon layers of clothing those of you enjoying summer will see the temperatures rise. You will walk along beaches, or in forests, you will sit outside on veranda’s an slip ice tea or a cola.

I used to be so selfish I only wanted to go right from Christmas to SPRING! Not any more. Now I have wonderful friends from all over the world from the top side of the equator and the bottom half of the globe… this knowledge makes me stop and whisper to myself—

“Share” They also enjoy summer! I can go and visit their blogs and see tropical gardens in bloom, I can watch others playing in the warmth and I can rejoice for their good.

The gift that now comes to all of us in the northern half of the world is the slowly, but surely shifting of the mighty earth as it swirls and twirls around the sun allowing more light into our long cold days!

Therefore, I rejoice for these longer day!

Your Friend on a farm in Western Colorado,

Linda

IT’S HERE!!! 2014

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Dayphoto

Like a jet stream 2013 has turned to vapor and blown away!

2014 Has arrived announcing itself with banners of red, orange and pink

Together you and I, and all our loved ones, will embark on another year. The year will be full of excitement, plans, new things, trips from here to there. At some point we will travel through darkness; only to arrive again at the light!

Our dreams and goals and accomplishments will lead us to places hereto unknown, our past will open the way to either close a door (or two) or to widen the narrow little trail we have started to blaze so we can travel faster.

To my companions of this little farming blog I send to each and everyone of you wishes for prosperity, wealth and happiness!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

2013 in review

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Dayphoto

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 99,000 times in 2013. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Dayphoto

We have begun the second part of the repair on the furnace—the first step is to get TO the furnace

Terry can get to the furnace by crawling on his belly, and has done that for years. But, now, since we are both old and the crawling seems awful he is digging a trench, by hand, under the house. This way he won’t have to be on his belly but can have space to too and fro, from there to here

This really is a ‘big deal’ requiring lots of work…first he goes in (with my old scoop shovel)

Fills up the shovel,(with another shovel that has a broken handle) hands the shovel back out to me, I load it into the wheel barrow

After the wheel barrel is full (another favorite tool of mine–the wheel barrel! I have two of them and I use them for everything) I haul it to different spots along the canal, or the road, or next to a ditch to fill in holes.

We work until we can’t work any longer, then it takes two to three days to recover. YES, I know that a young person could get this whole thing done in a day…but we aren’t young…Terry will be 70 in May and I will be 65 in three weeks. So we trudge along. Gradually it will get there.

Terry has replaced all the pipe to the furnace already, so that job is out of the way. Once we get the trench dug then it will be time to go to Grand Junction to see if we can find a new valve for the furnace. If we can’t then we have to dig even bigger trench and drag the old furnace out; replacing it with another furnace, which we will have to drag in an put in place.

It will take time, we will do it in stages, there isn’t a rush because we have the wood stove and lots of wood.

We worked the day after Christmas; this afternoon we will start again. We wait until it’s warmer outside—I don’t know why, we get so hot we have to shed our layers of coats before we are done.

SO off I go to help him now! Everyday we gain a little bit more!

Your friend,

Linda

Sunday, December 29, 2013–My Christmas Present

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Dayphoto

I know I promised you I would show you my completely delightful surprise that Terry gave me for Christmas.

All the kids were here and their families; we had just opened all our gifts and watched the kids open their gifts (we don’t give lots…one gift a piece). Terry and I exchanged our presents…Carhart jackets. Perfect for those cold but not over the top cold days.

When Terry went outside for a short while and then came back in.

He walked over to me and handed me

THIS!

A NEW Scoop Shovel!!!

I so desperately needed one, but figured I would just have to use Terry’s Grandfather’s

Until I could pick out the one I want. It’s a nice old shovel, but it’s heavy. Still I was glad I had one to use.

(I’m really picky about my shovels…there are lots of scoop shovels and shovels out there, but I want one with a solid wooden handle, the scoop or the shovel bolted into the wood and the size of the shovel not too big or not too small.) You can buy those things just about any place, but they are cheaply made, the scoop comes off the handle after a couple of uses — I think you get the picture.

My other shovel broke in two…too much use this fall after years and years of use already. (Remember we had to scoop out the pinto bean hopper and the corn hopper because of break downs. Then our neighbor, Sam, wanted us to grind corn for him. He forgot to bring his scoop shovel so I threw him mine—the first scoop finished it off.

I was sick. I almost cried. I didn’t, but I sure thought about it.

I know, it’s just a shovel. But it’s the shovel I use the MOST!! I use it for all sorts of things. I thought about just replacing the handle, but I’ve done that before and it’s never really a good as it could be.

I decided to wait.

******************************************************

Terry said that when he pickup the shovel. When he went to pay for it our oldest daughter was with him and she asked if the cashier could wrap it since it was a Christmas present for her Mom. Terry said that caused LOTS of conversations: one man said he would never give his wife something with a handle on it as she might use it on him. Another man said if he gave his wife a shovel he might as well move on out.. the jokes were rapid and wild.

Shannon asked again if the shovel could be wrapped…the poor checker said she wasn’t sure what to do, then reached down and stuck several bows on it! The customers clapped!

Terry said it didn’t bother him what was going on because he KNEW I really wanted a new scoop shovel! No diamonds for me–nor a fur coat –nothing of that nature, but I will fall for a scoop shovel, or a pitch fork, or a new wheel barrel!!

There you have it…my gift of the year! Have a good one everyone!

Your friend on the farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — In 2014

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Dayphoto

It’s snowing Fuzzy! Big fat fluffy flakes, the kind that likes to land on your nose and then MELT!

Huh!?!?!? Oh! Gosh! Just a minute son! I can’t get awake really. Humm, I see! Nice snow, no wind! Excellent! Shall we go for a run out to the old tree? My stiff old legs need a stretch and my head needs to clear. Snow like this is just perfect to check out the news beyond the farm yard!

Oh, YES!! LET’S GO FUZZY!!!

AHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! AHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

BARK, BARK, BARK!!

It’s a joyful time, Fuzzy!

You got that right, Kid! ARFF, ARFF, ARFF!!

Pant, breathe, pant, and wheeze! Let’s slow down for a spell, Boom…maybe Freddy Fox or some of his kin have passed through. You take the combines and I’ll sniff out the ditches…I’m sure we can find some mice and maybe some rabbit tracks. Hummmmm, snuff, snuffle!

Hey, FUZZ!! Come over here! Come smell this and tell me what you think.

Okay, just a minute I think I’ve found a really nice track here of some bunnies.

Hurry, Fuzzy! I keep losing it in all the mouse trails. It’s a really interesting smell. It smells sort of furry like a cat, no; hum bigger, like someone from the fox family.

It’s not Sam and we KNOW it’s not Monkey. Have we got any stray cats around here, Fuzzy?

Oh, good you are here. Start right here…no, no, not there…too many mice trails there, sniff right here.

Hummm, snuff, snuff, sniff, snuffle. Ah, yes! Sniff, sniff….snuffle.

What is it, Fuzzy? What’s the smell?

Hummm….Just a minute, Boomer…let me follow it to the end; then you will see, and smell.

Okay…I’ll just follow along behind so I can smell and learn what you know.

Sniff, sniff, snort, Honk, ack! Dirt in your nose is really sort of nasty, isn’t it Fuzzy?

Giggle and snicker, Ah, Yes it is Boomer! Don’t put your nose CLEAR in the dirt!

I know that Fuzzy, there was this really nice smell, but when I gave a huge sniff…well, I got AHCOO some up my nose!

Hummm, okay…here we go, Boomer, we are going over to the fence post pile…yep, just as I thought…keep following, Boom…we are almost to the old tree…THERE!

That is what I thought… a pile of fur and scraps and bones. Well, really a pile of poop made up of fur and scraps and bones!

THAT’S IT!!! That’s what I’ve been smelling, Fuzzy! Following you I didn’t really smell anything on the ground, but yet I could smell it! HOW COME, Fuzz? What’s going on?

Well, I didn’t smell it on the ground (really) either. See the air was just right that the smell was floating above the ground not really on the ground. So I had to keep following the air.

Oh! That’s why I couldn’t keep track of it. I’m a really good sniffer so I should have known this.

That’s okay, Boom, we all learn new things every day…you just learned about ground air. Ground air and smells that don’t happen on the ground.

Cool, Fuzzy! Okay, let’s look this thing over…paw, paw, scratch…hum…it smells like a bird, sort of.

Yep! You are right! Its Owl poop! That looks like dinner from a night or so ago. Fur, small bones, and some other stuff, like, mmmmm, I’m not sure, ….food anyway!

Oh! So this is from one of the owls we hear every night.

Yep! The owl must have sat here talking to us or someone else and, well, you know.

Yes, I do, Fuzzy. Let’s go find something else!

Okay, but not far…my old legs are feeling a little tired right now. Maybe, we could start back and see if we can find cool smells on the way back…if any of the Foxes have been through here we can mark over the top of their mark so they get confused!

COOL! Let’s do it! You take one side of the road and I’ll take another…we will leave HUGE warnings to everyone…dogs, foxes and those nasty Coyotes!

I’ve got two spots done, Fuzzy!

That’s good, Boom. Don’t hit Dad’s metal pile, REMEMBER! You will get really yelled at!

I won’t…just the weeds by it!

BOOM!!! Your stream missed the weed!!!!

YIKES!!! Let’s run for the house, Fuzzy. Maybe, Dad won’t notice!

Good Idea…BARK! ARF! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!

Hey, Fuzzy…Mom is outside let’s go join her so we can go INSIDE!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS LETTTSSSSSSSSSSSSS WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Pant, pant, puff, puff!
Hi, Mom! We’re here! We were just checking stuff out making the farm better for all of you!

“Good boys! I saw you on the run. Let’s get the chores done and then you can come on in and toast by the fire!”

Woo Hoo…just what we wanted, Fuzzy! Going inside to sleep by the fire!

Whew! Are you hot Boomer?

No! I feel just fine.

Boy, am I ever hot!

Don’t leave, Fuzzy. You know what we need to do? We need to set our goals for next year!

OH! Yes that’s right!

What are your goals, Boomer!

Let’s see….. I’ll do five goals, and you do five goals!

Sounds good, Boomer. I’ll be first, since I’m the oldest and the top dog around here.

Always hang right at Mom’s feet…always. If she has a problem lifting something or needs help I will be there!
Always be ready for a walk!!! It sure seems harder now for some reason, but if Mom wants go…SO DO I!
Take naps. Naps are good. Take lots of naps, but wake-up the second you hear Mom. (Dad says it’s okay if I don’t wake up for him, but I really want to wake-up and be with Mom so I will stay ready for her)
I want to sleep as close to Mom as I can. I get where ever she is. You can have Dad or the fireplace if you want.
Be ready to bark the mailman, the UPS man, the FedEx woman, or anyone that shows up so we can bark them down the lane

Those are really good, Fuzzy! Okay, here I go —-

Every time you see people you love put on a happy face, wag your tail, wag your whole body
Happy is good, always…no matter what
If anyone acts upset I will run right over to them and flop down and roll over on my back so they can give me a belly rub. Makes all of us feel good, instantly!
Dad says I’m not to drag my belly on the carpet or to lick myself whenever I’m in the house. He says I have to do it outside so I got to remember this.
I also need to remember that I can’t roll in wonderful, rich, green dead stuff. It makes both Mom and Dad upset. Rolling over for a tummy rub doesn’t help…I still get flung into the bathtub.

Very good! We did it Boomer! 2014 is going to one great year!

Happy New Year everyone! Happy 2014!

From Fuzzy and Boomer

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 Merry Christmas EVERYONE!!!

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Dayphoto

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We had a small cold front move through yesterday…the clouds dropped little pebbles of sleet, but nothing else.

Christmas Eve was delightful last night….all the kids home and present–too much food, lots of dirty dishes and a surprise Christmas present from Terry to me! I’ll show you tomorrow. I have been wanting one; getting it was a complete and delightful surprise!

Around 11 everyone, except Kimi and Cliff (they are off to his Mom’s for the day), will arrive again for another round of eating and laughing and enjoying each other. The little kids love playing games. We will all participate in games perfect for a little 5 year old, then move up to games that our 9 year old enjoys, but Blade…Blade is good at adult games…pinochle, poker, and his favorite—Monopoly! (I hope I’m washing dishes during Monopoly time…I really don’t like that game :()

Tomorrow…I’m crashing. There is much too this hosting of parties and making sure everything goes well. I enjoy every minute! I also get tired.

Wishing each and everyone of you a Warm and Wonderful Christmas celebrated the way you most hold dear!

With Love, Your friend, Linda