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

Saturday in Aspen

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Dayphoto

Saturday, our grandson had a soccer game in Aspen, Colorado. Our oldest granddaughter also had a soccer game, but hers was in Orchard City, Colorado, then to stretch everything just a tad bit more, our son-in-law had to work…he is the Assistant Principal at our local High School…he had to be at the high school because of volley ball games there all day.

SOOOOO enter the grandparents….we opted to take Blade to Aspen, we hadn’t been there in years and years and besides we wanted a day with Bladen. He is ten now and often times we don’t have him by himself, we get the girls by their selves, but rarely Bladen.

On the way up we stopped at the Crystal River to show him where some hot water enters the river.

Over the years people have created a fun little dam which allows for ‘dipping’ , he was delighted.

What a soccer field!!! In Aspen you are on top of Rocky Mountains.

Here is a quick shot through a very dirty windshield of some of ski slopes!

Linda

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Dayphoto

Once more we have been lucky to have family come visit.

Terry’s sister, Carolyn and her husband, Wayne came in a stayed a couple of nights. We took them to Grand Mesa for the day and to my father’s lake.

(Since Tallen, was with us, she had to show Uncle Wayne and Aunt Carolyn the teeter-totter)

Fall is everywhere up there!

The day was perfect…bright blue skies, golden trees, and lovely sunshine.

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Dogs

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Dayphoto

I like to think I have a good opinion of dogs, actually I think I am an expert on dogs.

(Boomie, lets go! Come on it’s time to go!)

For what it is worth I think I’ll pass it on to you.

(HURRY, BOOMIE!)

There are lots of breeds of dogs, lots! But the best breed for you is one that you like…sometimes it’s a this or a that, and sometimes it’s a mutt. It really doesn’t matter…it isn’t color, it isn’t size, it isn’t how much or how little you spend for the dog…its that you like the dog.

(COME ON! Boo–mie!)

Male or female…you must like the dog!

That is the most important thing in deciding. Opinions vary on what good dogs are –night watchman, herding dog, guarding dog, best friend, hunting companion, and so forth. A family dog comes down to three things…calm disposition, eagerness to be with you, and the dog wants to listen to you.

(We will wait for you, just run, Boomie! RUN FAST!)

Just like people dogs have personalities…pick the one that has the personality you like.

Once you get your dog, realize your dog is your friend for life….don’t just throw us into the back yard and never talk to us again, or randomly bring a dog dish with food and water out to us and hurry back in because we might ‘get you dirty’-or some such thing.

Don’t get a dog because you can afford to pay $7,000.00 and then never even look to see if the dog is cold, hungry or lonesome.

(Your are just about here! COME ON!)

Please don’t.

We dogs LOVE being with you, having lots of pets, being hugged on and hugging you back!

If you get a dog, please teach your children to have respect for dogs. Pulling ears, tails, and feet can get a child snapped at, don’t get in front of the dog and pant at him/her and not expect the dog to respond back to the teasing with a sharp bite —more than likely to the face.

You teach us dogs that you love us and we will be your guardian angels for as long as our bodies hold out.

(Oh, good! You made it!)

Each of us dogs has a unique personality, our own quirks, habits, strengths, and weaknesses. We are living animals that respond to your environment and we do not see the world like you do. It’s up to the human to work at understanding us, just like we desire to understand you!

Oh, yes, and having a dog in not a cheap hobby to get rid of by dumping us off somewhere when you are tired of us. We need to be with you for life. And it takes money to have us…food, water, grooming, sometimes vet bills, but I promise you we will return the love to you 100 times over.

(I’m always glad when you get back on time!)

We dogs improve with use…the more you play with us, pet us, and take us with you, the better we get. Just like you we need stimulation, discipline, and a sense of purpose!

If you decide you don’t want your dog anymore, please don’t dump your dog. Find your dog a home, there are lots of good homes out there that want to spend it with dog. Please find that home first…the world is cruel to a dumped dog.

(Hey, Boomie! LOOK! SNAKE! COOL! Fuzzy)

Fuzzy and I were lucky…we found Mom and Dad, but like I said we were lucky.

Life is short….spend it with a good dog!

Boomer

And The Rain, Rain, Came Down, Down Down

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Dayphoto

Lovely, thirst quenching rain. Although, Fuzzy panicked and ran into the corn field with all the thunder and the lightening. It took me about an hour to get him to come out. Boomer stayed with him the whole time. Both dogs were wet, and muddy and soaked. They got to sleep on the back porch until they both decided it was way too hot for them and went outside around two this morning.

It is still cloudy here, although not raining. Everything looks so happy and clean outside. Rain is a blessing. It’ s just hard to have it rain during harvest.

(And YES, we do have weeds….)

Whenever it rains I always think of that wonderful little song from Disney—

Linda

Winnie The Pooh And The Blustery Day:

The rain rain rain came down down down
In rushing, rising riv’lets,
‘Til the river crept out of it’s bed
And crept right into Piglet’s!
Poor Piglet, he was frightened,
With quite a rightful fright.
And so, in desperation
A message he did write.
He placed it in a bottle
And it floated out of sight.

And the rain rain rain came down down down
So Piglet started bailing.
He was unaware, atop his chair,
While bailing he was sailing!

And the rain rain rain came down down down
And the flood rose up up upper.
Pooh, too, was caught and so he thought,
“I must rescue my supper!”
Ten honey pots he rescued,
Enough to see him through,
But as he sopped up his supper,
The river sopped up Pooh!
And the water twirled and tossed him
In a honey pot canoe!
The rain rain rain came down down down…

YIPEEEE

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Dayphoto

We made it!

The last load went to the beanery yesterday evening.

The rain came in sometime during the night.

Two gifts….beans are done and a nice rain shower.

While walking back in from the bean field I saw a sun dog…cooler weather is on it’s way!

Linda

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Dayphoto

A huge storm is supposed to come in tomorrow, bringing 40% rain for Monday, 30% for Tuesday, and 20% for Wednesday.

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We are still working on the pinto beans. Keep your fingers crossed it misses us and stays in the mountains only.

Talk to you in the morning…we have lots to do today!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Helping Dad Harvest

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Dayphoto

On the way to the bean field …..

FREDDY FOX RAN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!!!!!

Fuzzy and I took off running, leaving Mom in the dust!

He was so close his fur almost touched my nose!

Boy, was I surprised and shocked!

Fuzzy and I IMMEDIATELY took off after him, giving him the good old, HI HO chase clear to the end of the corn field, where we immediately lost him!

That was Amazingly FUN!

Back at the bean field I kept sniffing out Freddy Fox’s former tracks…

he even went through the pipe at one point now that the water is gone.

Mom and Dad got the bean truck all loaded up….they have to wait until next week as the three fields left to be harvested are still drying.

Here is one of the fields.

See how fluffy the beans are…they have to get a lot flatter and drier.

Fuzzy and I go everywhere with Mom

We rode in the back while we headed toward the Beanery.

Dad was in front.

We enjoyed the whole experience.

I even like to ride now. Fuzzy smiles all the way, I don’t smile, you get bugs in your teeth and dirt from the load, but I did have a great time.

We had to wait our turn to be weighed and then we came home.

Dad is over there today with the last truck to unload and then he will be back.

Farm Living is the Life for me!

Boomer

Harvesting Pinto Beans

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Dayphoto

Of course you have to hook everything up to the tractor. Terry likes to use the 730 to pull the beans

That thing on the front is the bean puller…here’s a better photo of it

Then the bean blade

The puller lifts the beans up and the blade cuts them off

Moving down the field everything is pushed together into rows

The rows are allowed to dry for week (unless it rains, then a mess occurs)

All pulling of the beans occurs in the morning, while the dew is still on the plants. If you look you can see how dry the bean pods look. They are very dry. A little dew holds the pods together so they don’t shatter and spill the beans into the ground. If a pod shatters and the beans spill, that is then end. There is not a way to pick up the beans from the dirt.

After a week. It’s time to start combining. Combining is ALWAYS after lunch. You don’t want the plants to be wet and clump in the combine and cause a wad mess. You also don’t want wet beans going into the combine and molding. If you deliver wet beans to the beanery (where they sort, sack, and sell the beans) they will refuse your load.

For a farmer that is money and time lost.

Dry beans for the combine only!

We are not big farmers and our equipment is not new, but it is paid for and Terry knows how to fix it if something goes wrong. He also has a small combine herd of combines that he uses for parts since our stuff is really dated.

Here the combine is picking up two rows of a time and shelling them and putting the beans in the hopper

The weeds and the bean straw is flung out the back

Leaving just the straw behind.

Once the day turns to evening and the cool comes on, the farmer must stop. Lots of time the lights run until the operator just gets too tired and calls it a day.

The hopper of the combine is dumped into the bin of the grain truck

When the truck is full, but no over flowing it will be driven to the beanery about 5 miles from our home. The trash you see in the beans (weed leaves that made through the trasher into the beans) will be screened out. Then the beans are sacked ready for market.

But first….we got to get them there!

After we get done with the pintos our next crop to harvest will be the corn. But that won’t be until the end of September.

Linda