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

St. Patrick’s Day Sunday, March 17, 2013

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Dayphoto

We are experiencing a cold spring storm…feels like February out there again. But it only feels that way….we all know it is really March so soon it will feel warm again.

It rained off and on all day yesterday which effectively brought all farming to a stop.

That’s okay, it will begin again. Until that time the rains will wash off all the winter blahs and bring on the green growing things.

And it brought to anyone who looks up into the sky….RAINBOWS!

Today is St. Patrick’s Day….Happy Wear’n of Green to each and everyone of you.

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —Mom Said

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Dayphoto

AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Fuzzy took us outside! To sleep, I mean. I go in and out as I please but for sleeping I much prefer INSIDE, unless, of course, yes…THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON OUTSIDE!!!

Fuzzy said we have to go!

I said………. “Oh, please NO I love hanging out in the house!”

Fuzzy told me I needed to toughen up as our job is protecting the property…grudgingly I said… “Okay…”

So out we went.

Mom said if it rains or snows we are always invited back inside…I’ll be sure and remind her!!!

We’ve always got lots to do—

Now that the cows are gone our cousins can come over and walk with Fuzzy and I on the farm.

Sam hangs out with us, lots! Sam and I love, LOVE, to roll in the dirt…see this dirty cat walking by, that’s Sam. I get so full of dirt that the groomer says she is always surprised at how dirty I really am. She says Fuzzy is never really dirt.

HUMMMPH!

I’m not dirty…I just enjoy rolling on the grass!

The Raccoons keep on coming by…MOM SAID this is NOT good. Raccoons love to eat trash (although, our trash is so they can’t eat it) and they really like a good chicken dinner.

(All of our chickens are locked up at night, tighter than a fist, so they are safe—Mom said.)

And they are mean!

Mom said: “You boys have GOT to get your raccoon friends out of the yard and on to other pastures…you need to send them to the upper end.

You know what….THAT IS A BLAST! Fuzzy and I are working really hard to get these rascals on out of here and up to the upper end.

We do have to be careful, because raccoons are mean…they will turn around attack if they want too…but so far we have it figured out….start running toward them barking, they head to corrals, by that time Dad is outside and Mom is right behind…when they come out they turn on the big yard lights, which scare the raccoons.

Five days now and no raccoons, which is good, once the corn gets to growing we won’t have them in the yard!

Yesterday, Mom came out the door, hollered “Let’s go” and off we went. Going to town is always a cool treat! Sometimes we get concerned that going to town means:

The Groomer
The Vet
Or some other thing we won’t like

But most of the time it just means GOING TO TOWN!

Yippee!

After we got home, Mom said: “You boys can come on it, I need to work on some stuff upstairs and you might as well help”, we thought it was a very good idea.

We are great helpers and we always do what Mom Says!

Boomer

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Dayphoto

Today I go to the museum. I have found that I am guarding my time jealously for my ‘volunteer job’ at the museum. It is something I enjoy that much. I should finish up the journals of Mr. Ash today and get to start on some other absorbing project.

Terry is now plowing. All spring work is right on time…we always start the second week in March. This year is normal.

We still don’t know the water situation, but everyone is getting ready anyway. Although, only 60% of the ground every farmer farms is only what is getting ready. (Did that make sense?)

If the water situation improves then everyone can plant more…we have until the middle of May to plant… until then we move forward with just the 60%.

The soil is turning good, just the right amount of moisture.

Old corn ground must be either burned off-then disked, then plowed, or grazed down/disked up/ and then plowed. We are NOT fans of burning….we believe in turning the plants over to improve the soil…manure is another great way improve soil (We are still of the old school 🙂 )

This weekend Mr. Davis will remove the cows. Then I will be cow-less again for another year.

So another day begins…our night got down to about 22* but today we are predicted to head up into the 60s.

Spring is finally here!

Linda

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Dayphoto

Spring work has begun….

Terry has been disking the corn stalks.

I loved these photos of the spring buds and the spring work.

Still cold here, but warming up, it only got down to 20* last night.

Linda

Monday, March 11, 2013

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Dayphoto

Sunday’s can be long, long, long..so we have taken to doing something as a family…

after many different things

we settled on bowling

We don’t try to out-do each other —that is how Linkin and I think, anyway…but the others sure get competitive 🙂

Afterwards they all come to our house for supper. Sure is a fun afternoon!

Linda

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Dayphoto

The big nasty cold storm blew itself away last night and left us with a sunny (:)) day. The dogs went out as soon as the sun came up…they were ready.

Looking around I saw green

Everywhere

Little bits starting up

and the promise of tulips not far off!

JOY! JOY! JOY!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —Night Visitors

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Dayphoto

I moved us outside…that stay’n in the house was start’n to wear on me. Boom, now, he says he could stay in the house always. But, Mom and Dad, and even I were getting right tired of Boomer sitting around panting. So out we went. Two days and two nights now, but Mom says we will have to move back in tonight as another winter storm is coming in today…it’s supposed to start raining this afternoon and then change over to snow.

Phewy!

But I suppose I should be grateful for the house. And Mom who insists we stay inside when it’s nasty outside.

Now if it’s raining AND THUNDERING I would MUCH PREFER being inside and right ON MOM, if she would let me!

Shudder, shudder, shake, and shudder!

But…onto night-time living.

Freddy Fox comes by;

he is pretty regular…

always around

early in the morning.

The two Raccoons come in the yard…not all the time, but they do come. We can smell them coming so Boomer and I take off running as fast as we can to halllllllllllllllllllllllo at them.

Our running down the corral line always makes them hop up on the top of corral and scamper off back to the fields.

Sammy-Sam the cat hangs out with us until mid-night….he like to makes sure there are no stray cats on the property. Then he gets tired and heads in for the night. That cat sure seems to sleep a lot! Then he comes back out around 4:00 in the morning, since there is usually something going on just before dawn.

Between us dogs and Sam we hardly ever have any stray cats, but we do get them.

We had this visitor….Dad helped him go to the Big Skunk heaven in the sky somewhere.

Can you imagine what SKUNK HEAVEN must smell like…………….phew.

We like to patrol the property

(just the outbuildings and the house and yards) day and night.

In the daytime we get to chase squirrels. We have a couple of ground squirrels and boy, are they ever fun.

There is always something happening…the chickens, other birds, and we get to see

Dad heading out to do work. (We don’t go with Dad, just Mom.)

Yes, Sir! That’s our job and I’m proud of it!

Fuzzy ….oh, yes…and Boomer

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Dayphoto

I was looking back at some old photos and ran across this

It was taken on March 22 a couple of years ago. If the season is similar we have around sixteen more days to go…..

YIPPEE!

Linda

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Dayphoto

We are still cold here, but getting warmer every day. Although, it IS still coat wearing weather, at least it isn’t layered coat wearing weather :).

Terry started working on the ditches yesterday, but the wind was just too bad. In fact it blew one of the yard lights off it’s pole, so he had to stop.

The wind blew the storm over Grand Mesa, which is how our storms go…in through eastern Utah, then over Grand Mesa to the Craig, Steamboat Spring area and on to where ever they go from there. Sometimes they lose their steam along the way, but always they leave us by going toward Cedaredge and Grand Mesa.

We will start work on getting the spot ready for the old grainery...this might take some time, but it has to be moved before the first cutting of hay. Where it sits now is where the haystacks are going to sit.

I must be off…the sun has warmed the frost off of things and I need to be doing!

Have a nice day everyone!

Linda

Monday, March 4, 2013

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Dayphoto

Not lots happening here. It’s rained off and on for two days…I should be able to go out and start to find green shoots of something coming up. The rain has pretty much melted off all the old snow, which is good. Now we have mud…one step closer to farm and yard work!

Once we get dry enough down here we will get out on the ground and start.

Yippee!

The talk is all about water, (I’m sure you are not surprised) but it is snowing in the mountains and now they (the Ditch Company people) are thinking…just thinking at this point…that WHEN they turn on the water they will start at 60% instead of 50%.

I always smile when I hear the men fretting and worrying, because I have a HUGE Secret…MAGIC THOUGHTS!

All of you in blog land are sending MAGIC THOUGHTS to our reservoirs in Gunnison County —Taylor Park Reservoir and Blue Mesa Reservoir.

Since all of you started with the MAGIC THOUGHTS we have gone from 50% to POSSIBLY 60% !!!

How very exciting. And the weather forecast shows more rain for us on Friday, which should mean SNOW IN THE HIGH COUNTRY!!!

Thank you all very much!

Linda