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 Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Night Singing

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Dayphoto

Friday nights are basketball nights. Well, not for Mom and Dad, but for Hank’s people. They load up in their van and head off to the local high school to watch the Girl’s play and then watch the Boy’s play. If they leave right after the kids get home off the bus they can watch the J.V. Girls play and then the J. V. Boys play, after those groups play, then the Varsity Girls play and then last is the Varsity Boys. It’s a long, long night of basketball.

Mom says you develop bench-butt, — after seeing all their kids through all the sports: Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Track, Swimming, and now Soccer (For Blade) she said they will wait until the grandchildren start the Jr. High and High School sport process to go sit for hours and hours on hard benches.

So off goes Hank’s family for hours and hours and hours of ball.

That leaves Hank at home……alone….with just his shock collar on, the four cats, and two goats, and their 2 chickens. (Hank can’t go out by the chicken pen; they fixed his collar to stop him BEFORE he gets to the chicken pen. I think it had something to do with the little incident up here last week that got him banned when Mom’s hens are out, I think.)

Just so you can get a good picture in your mind of how things happened you need to know that Hank lives a little more than a football field away from us. Hank has a white fence all around his house, but on the side that faces our house is a gate. When the family is gone Hank goes out the gate and sit close to the fence (he would get shocked if he goes too much further out) and ‘talks’ to us.

Fuzzy and I walk over to the hole in the hedge and sit outside the electric fence (we could run over to see him but we would get in trouble) and we ‘talk’ back.

It used to be Hank —- when it was really, really cold this winter that Hank would holler “Grammme, come get me!” for ever so long. Finally Mom would get in the car drive down and get Hank and bring him home to play with us. She would call Mom-mom and tell them she had Hank and that they need to come by and pick him up on the way home.

It’s warmer outside now so she doesn’t go get Hank.

Anyhoo, Hank, Fuzzy and I were talking back and forth: “Bark, Bark, Howl, Bay, HOOOOOOOOO, Bark, Bark, Bark!”

“Woof, woof, woof”

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“That’s enough!” Dad said as he was coming in from working out in the shop.

So we stopped for a little while.

Then Hank barked over asking us why we stopping talking. Fuzzy told him Dad pretty much told us to hang up the phone.

“Oh,” Hank replied. “Where is Grandpa now?”

“Inside”, I barked back.

“Good” We can talk again.” Hank woofed at us

The night was starting to get to going good, the sun had set and the sky was turning a dark blue, as we picked up our conversation where we left off.

Suddenly…

The coyotes started yipping into our conversation—“Hey, you dumb dogs; you are nothing but soft dollops of pudding pots.”

“What?!” All three of us barked back in surprise.

Then the game was on….

“Bark, Bark, Bark!” —Us

“Yip, Yap, Yip”—Coyotes

“Bark, Bark, Bark!” —Us

“Yip, Yap, Yip”—Coyotes

“Bark, Bark, Bark!” —Us

“Yip, Yap, Yip”—Coyotes

We gave them a good run for their money, and we were winning too.

Fuzzy warned both Hank and I not to get careless now, we are winning this deadly game of ‘copycat mocking’ so we high-tailed it back into our yards. (Hank to his back step and Fuzzy and I to our back step.)

Back safely I gazed around the whole yard…everything was quiet. “I guess we beat the coyotes at the copycat game, Fuzzy!”

We both felt so happy we starting laughing, we laughed so hard that we fell down and rolled in the grass and grabbed our sides it hurt so much we were laughing so hard.

Sure was a good feeling!

Boomer

First Bike

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Dayphoto

All she wanted for her fourth birthday was a big girl bike, with two baskets! One to carry pink poodle in and one to put pretty rocks into.

All that tricycle riding last year paid off with this bike…she only had trouble going UP hill everything else—turning corners, going down hill, stopping were a breeze!

Linda

When You Have Cows

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Dayphoto

It doesn’t matter how much feed you have or how much land the cows have to walk on there is always one ——

Who has to get out, even if it means breaking the fence down.

Linda

Any Day Now

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Dayphoto

It is nice to have cows on our place again. The rancher who brings his first year heifer’s up here to calve-out brought them in February 1st.

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We check them often and the rancher checks them twice a day. Since this is their first year for calving we all stay very watchful. (Although, problems can occur at any age with any cow or calf)

Happy Sunday everyone!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Hank and the Chickens

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Dayphoto

Well, it happened! Hank has been banished to his yard when our chickens are out. Banished! (But only when the Chickens are out, Mom said.)

(This photo was taken last summer, Mom liked the colors so used it here for the story.)

See here is what happened….

Well, maybe I had better defend Hank first; you have to understand Hank must have bird dog in him, that is my story and I’m sticking to it.

Hank was up visiting when he told Boomer and me that he sometimes has dreams of eating a whole chicken all by himself. (He said this as one of the chickens walked across the road in a scurry to get to Mom as she was bringing out the scraps for the day.)

He went on to say that he caught a mallard duck down at the swamp, (before he got his lovely shock collar) brought it home and had a great feast until Mom-mom and the kids got home. There was lots of ‘bad dog’ and other things that made Hank have a heavy heart.

I looked at him rather surprised, “You mean wet chicken don’t you?” The kind that comes without bones and is all canned up and well, very dead?” I asked him.

Boomer looked at Hank with a totally blank look on his face…”Why would you want to eat something that you have to chase, mug and then de-feather?” he asked Hank.

We both stared at Hank…his eyes were glazed over and drool was coming off his mouth. “Your mouth is watering, Hank!” Boomer sort of screamed at Hank.

“Slurp, slop, drool. Gosh I’m sorry. Slurp…slurp…chickens are just dumb birds….slurp, which are placed on this earth to slurp…”

“Gosh, sorry! The strain is just too much.” Hank said as his stood up. “I think I had best go home now.”

“You can’t go home, Hank. Your people brought you up here to stay with us until they get back from going to Grand Junction.” Boomer pointed out.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I had better, hummm, go sit around in the sun on the other side of the house.”

Hank’s eyes seemed to drift over to where Mom was and all four of the hens, even as his feet were moving him over to the east side of the house.

Suddenly one of Mom’s chicken’s decided to run to the front yard, just spread her wings out and took off running, sort of like an airplane heading for a take-off.

That is when Hank took off.

That boy is fast, I can give him credit for that!

Mom saw Hank and knew just what he had in his little Hank pea-brain.

“HANK!” she yelled “You have better not……………………………………!!!!”

She got to where the chicken was —– just after Hank got there.

I sure didn’t know Mom knew how to play football, and I think Boomer and Hank didn’t know it either, but hummm, well she must, because she tackled that dog just as he was trying to dodge around Mom.

The chicken squawked and flapped and ran fast as her hen legs could carry her to the hen house, the other three chickens squawking and clacking right along with her.

Hank found out that attacking Mom’s chickens is a serious crime on our farm and doing so will get a guy in big trouble.

Mom feeds those chickens and pets on the hens every day. Every day she gets anywhere from three to four eggs from them and she takes a very dim view on anything that wants to hurt (eat) her hens!

A VERY dim view!

Hank found out how dim her view can be.

So now Hank can’t come over if the chickens are out.

No siree.

Fuzzy

Spring is Coming to Our Part of the World–Wordless Wednesday

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Dayphoto

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Linda

With Great Saddness

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Dayphoto

Marjorie Jean Brown of Delta, Colorado passed away in Greeley, Colorado on February 14, 2012. She was born in Greeley, Colorado where she was adopted as an infant by Elmer and Lucy Griffith of Delta, Colorado. She grew up in Delta where she attended public schools, graduating from Delta High School in 1942. She Married Jack C. Brown in Delta on February 14, 1943. Mr. Brown passed away on August 22, 2002

She is survived by a son, Terry and his wife, of Delta, Colorado; a son, Roger Brown of Gilbert, Arizona; and a daughter Carolyn Maxwell and her husband, Wayne, of Greeley, Colorado; 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack; a son, Billy Joe who died in infancy; her brother, James Griffith and his wife Sylvia; and a daughter-in-law, Mary Brown of Gilbert, AZ.

A celebration of life and memorial service will be held in Delta, Colorado at a later date.

Linda

Kindle

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Dayphoto

For my birthday I was given a Kindle…I didn’t think I would like one…I love to hold books in my hand, I like to turn the pages, and if it’s a really good book I like to pass it around for others to read.

BUT!!!!!

I am enjoying my Kindle very much! I have only downloaded three books, and am in the process of reading the first book…Kindle reading is really nice, you can see the pages really well, and you can turn the pages slick as a whistle, best of all I just slip it in my purse so when I have ‘waiting time’. You know—that time while Terry goes into the parts house, or searches through a salvage yard, or is at a farm auction…I can slip far far away in another land provided by my Kindle. (as I am doing in the photo…reading my Kindle while waiting.)

So I have the best of both worlds…books when I want them and Kindle when we are someplace where I am bored.

Pretty Cool this new world of Technology.

Linda

Sunday Stills—From the Heart

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Dayphoto

The Sunday Stills assignment this week is in honor of Valentine’s Day…. something from the heart.

When I was a child my Momma always decorated for Valentine’s Day. And it seemed she was always the room mother in charge of this sweet and romantic holiday. One year she created a castle out of cardboard boxes and poster board, then she decorated it with crepe paper and lace doilies and beautiful pink and read hearts.

This lovely castle sat on it it’s very own table at our tiny country school house (only 8 to 10 children where in my class from First Grade through the Sixth). Into the slot at the top of the castle every child placed their Valentines…some were store bought (if your parents had money) but most were hand-made.

This lovely little castle has sat in my mind ever since. Once in awhile I try to recreate it, but I always come up short. I guess, for it to be correct, it needs her loving touch.

My valentine decorations aren’t as fancy as hers, but they make me feel ‘the spirit’.

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Happy Sunday Stills Everyone!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — That was That

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Dayphoto

Boy was I ever happy. Mom showed up and the just like Fuzzy said the coyotes left.

I don’t know when they left but they did. I ran all the way to the edge of the cow pasture just as Mom got there and started jumping up and down and whapping my tail in the air I was so happy to see her. It took Fuzzy longer to get there, well a spell longer, but he did make it.

We were both so very glad to see Mom.

When we looked where the coyotes were….well, they were gone, just like Fuzzy said they would be.

But not forever, I wish they were. They could go down and live at the river, which would be a good place. Or they could head up to the plateau; I’ll bet they would enjoy living up there.

Mom said she was glad she got there in time. She was afraid that I, the Boomer, was going to do something that would cause the coyotes to think they had to put me in my place.

I guess Fuzzy is right. I have lots to learn, but this lesson I have learned well—-stay with Mom at all times.

{I wonder if I will be able to do that…….????}

Mom said it was starting to thaw out here so we better walk on back.

On the way I smelled ever so many interesting things, we saw two robins…and a tiny flock of bluebirds…Mom says that is a sign spring is on its way.

We ran into some into a hen pheasant…boy those birds sure are noisy and we saw two red-tailed hawks circling something in the front hay field.

They weren’t circling Mom’s hens, because they don’t come out now unless Mom is working outside close to the hen house. Not because Mom doesn’t let them out, but because the hens won’t go out unless Mom is close by. They told us that we dogs aren’t much help in protecting them. Humph! Who can see things that swoop out of the sky as fast as a falling star, I want to know.

We saw lots of rabbit trails and mice tracks everywhere.

The walk was long because we have to stop and let Fuzzy rest here and there, but we made it back to the house.