Author Archives: Dayphoto

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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

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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After my computer crash in December, my Microsoft program just didn’t act right.  I took the computer back in to have it reloaded and re-checked out.

Days later I have it back.

(I had withdrawal pains.  It was horrible)

Although, I had set up some posts in advance I couldn’t respond to any comments.  I hope to get caught up today and tomorrow now that my third arm is back!  🙂

The weather has been strange…we went from this

 (a gradual melt)

to this

In one day.  Mostly because it started to rain.

Mud season.  Mud season in January, not February.

Then this blew in last night and is still here

A fuzzy photo because I used my cell phone

A very chill wind is also blowing.  It’s the wind that is always the problem.  The temperature might be a toasty 22*, but the wind can drop it right down to 12* in a second.

That is what we are experiencing…brrrrrr!

Anyway, I’m ever so glad my computer is back and I can stay in contact will all my friends!

Linda

Sunday Stills -Birds

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The Sunday Stills assignment is birds this week.  I’ve had a hard time getting photos of the many birds around the place so I had to settle for a photo of my chickens before the snow came.

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At least they are birds 🙂

Linda

 

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Out for a Ride

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Our snow didn’t last very long.  Well, let me rephrase that…the sky snowed all day and part of the night, but the next day warmed up to 35* so it all melted.  (—except for the stuff that was left from December and is frozen solid to the ground!)

Then the temperatures dropped back down to around 28-30*.  Cold enough Boomer and I stayed inside most of the time.

Mom said she was getting cabin fever so we all had to go outside.

Darn it.

I like just lying around and sleeping by the fire.

Boomer sleeps right next to the fire, but I don’t.  I sleep on the back porch where it’s cool enough I don’t start panting and Mom makes me go outside to cool down.  For the record, if Boomer starts panting he has to go outside also.

Anyhoo, Mom was feeling house bound so we all took off for a ride on the open fields.  I ride with Mom.  It’s hard to jump up anymore, but Mom lifts me up and away we go.

Boomer loves to run, so he gets to run.

Everything was ever so much fun!

When we got back, Dad had company.  The neighbor down the road had ridden his four-wheeler over and his dog, Pepper came with him.

I hope Dad doesn’t see what Pepper did…Pepper will get really yelled at.

This is Boomer, Dad won’t yell at Pepper, because Pepper isn’t his dog, but Dad will NOT be happy, let me tell you.  Then we dogs will get a real talking too about NOT PEEING ON THE SAME SPOT!

Sure is hard to not add our smell to Pepper’s we try really hard to wait until Dad leaves and goes someplace else and can’t see us.

I guess you know what happened when Dad when in the house.

Heheheh

Fuzzy and Boomer

Typical January

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We had snow yesterday.  Nasty snow, the kind that comes at you with a side wind.

The chores for the day were easy since the cows didn’t like the weather and came in to huddle in the warming shed, all we had to do was go out and throw some hay in the manger.

All four of my hens decided that they really don’t like being outside unless the Mom/Rooster is present so they didn’t even ask to go out.  Actually they haven’t been wanting to go out much since the attack.

Which reminds me, the hen that was attacked is doing good.  I just have to wait for her feather to grow back in…as damaging as the attack was I am wondering if the feathers will grow back.  The other hens are not pecking on her (chickens can be so mean).  I keep lots of fresh stuff for them to peck on and a peck block so I’m hoping they will not get bored and find the bald hen interesting.

Cow prices are holding firm at a good price so we will be hauling the rest of our cows to market the end of this month.  Sure seems sad to me, but Terry is tired of working with the fences, which means the cows will have to go.  In my secret heart-of-hearts I am hoping he will miss them and we will get more.  I wouldn’t even mind some bottle babies.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Today has arrived with lots of sun and very cold temps, which will hold until Wednesday when another snow storm is to come in.  Typical of January.  The December snow was looking rather tired, if I say so myself.

 

Hope this finds everyone well.

Linda

 

Sunday Stills —- Corners

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This week’s Sunday Stills assignment was Corners.

Here are a few from around our place…even the tractor shed complete with the old standing lamp, Terry is saving to work on sometime.

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Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Chicken Attack!

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When the weather was warmer and we were all enjoying it, Mom decided that the ‘girls’ could go outside and peck around for a while. They had been really restless, pecking on the run plastic, trying to flap out the door whenever Mom went in to do something for them-gather eggs, refresh their feed, or bring in clean water.

After a very beautiful day, in which Mom and Dad were going to be gone, Mom promised the ‘girls’ if the next day was nice they could get outside, once all their eggs were laid, and have a really good dust bath and peck around.

The next day came, it was beautiful…all four eggs were laid by 11:00 in the morning so the ‘girls’ got to go OUT!

There was much joy, running and flapping and cheerful squawking as they made their way into the mud and snow of the farm yard.

Fuzz and I just watched, and then we decided they were not very entertaining so we headed back with Mom to the house and begged to come in.

We should have stayed outside.

Fuzzy and I feel really super bad, because we didn’t stay outside and guard those hens.  Mom says she feels bad too.

But we didn’t.

So the deed was done.

(If you want to see a photo of the hurt, Mom would send it to you.  Maybe someone out there could tell her who tried to eat her chicken)

But by whom..?

That is the Million Dollar Question!

Mom, Dad, Fuzzy and I rounded up the hens and put them away.  They didn’t want to go.  They had run into the lilac bush and were standing in there frozen in terror.  Fuzz and I talked about whom or what could have done the deed.

So we sat out to find out…we sniffed here and there and everywhere.

While we were out looking for the culprit, Mom was doctoring the hen.  First she cleaned the neck and shoulder wounds up really good with warm water, gave the hen a few drops of liquid baby vitamins, and a mashed up half of a baby aspirin.

The hen let her, I guess she was in shock, then she covered everything in salve, after which she placed the hen in a dog crate in the hen house in a warm location.

That was three days ago and the hen is doing well.  The wounds are healing over and the stress is gone from the hen’s eyes.

She has even laid two eggs!

Fuzzy and I have been on the lookout, but we haven’t figured out what happened yet.  Since the dastardly deed happened in broad daylight who knows—-hawk/crow/raven maybe?

Mom sat a live trap out with really yummy smelling cat food (I kept trying to get at it, Mom was NOT happy me about it.  But GEEZ it smells GOOD) just in case it was a skunk.

Since all this happened our temperatures have dropped back down to typical January temps….the high is 22-29* and the lows -2-5* at night.  If it was a skunk he/she went back into hibernation.

If it was a hawk/crow/raven…he/she WILL be back!

In the meantime…Fuzzy and I will be on guard and ready to bark all predators away!

Very Serious,

Boomer

Rapidly Melting

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We are rapidly melting here.  The predicted snow storm blew in and around us and left.  The days are warming up to around 37-40* then cooling down to 10-12* at night.

This is a bigger January thaw than I originally thought we were going to have.  I really can’t decide if this is good or not.  Snow means water, water is the lifeblood of life..hummm.

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Of course, if the snow stays in our mountains, I could handle not having snow down here.  The frost is deep, deep in the ground so we will not be thinking of spring for at least 8-10 more weeks.  (It is January I remind myself daily)

Then this morning — during morning chores I saw it!  A sun dog—a sure sign winter is still here and colder weather is on its way!

Linda

The Cornfield and the Birds

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The corn field had some new visitors today.

The Canada Geese have arrived.

Seems like there is enough room….cows, Sandhill Cranes and the Canada Geese. There were lots of them,

scattered here and there and everywhere.   The Sandhill Cranes were still there also.  It looked like to me everyone has decided to get along and share the cornfield.

For the geese it is probably safer that way…it’s still hunting season here.

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —January

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The January Thaw has arrived!  Boom and I love January Thaws…it warms up ya see.

It warms up enough that I don’t like sleeping in the house.  I go outside (I know how to open the back door and go out, Boomer has NEVER figured it out.  HEE HEE) and sleep in my dog house.

Now I have to admit sometimes I go out and want to come back in sooner than when Mom comes looking for me.  See I go out when I get hot, that can be when everyone is asleep in the house.  Then I have to wait until Sam the cat wants out——he jumps on the bed and runs all over Mom to wake her up so she will let him out — or Mom just gets up.  Mom always comes to check on us dogs and if I’m not there she knows I’m in the dog house.

When you are old you can’t curl up like you use to be able to do….so I scratch up my dog blankets real good and waller down real deep in them.  Even though the dog houses are covered up with lots of blankets and stuff, when the night runs on into morning…well, then, I want to come inside and sleep on my orthopedic bed.

So sometimes I have to wait.

Anyhoo, where was I?

Oh, yes!

The January Thaw is here!!!  The days have warmed up considerable.  Boom and I have taken to checking out things, you know…who has been walking on our property, what sort of news is on the corn stalks and maybe just maybe we can find Freddy Fox’s house.

Boomer is never still….he runs EVERYWHERE!  Up and down and back.  He runs off and then comes to find me.

(Actually, I like that he comes back and checks on me, I sometimes slip and sprawl a little bit so I have to wait until everything stops hurting and gets back to usable.)

We smelled lots of bird tracks, we even flushed up a pheasant hen and her guy…those birds are LOUD!  Finding them was pretty nice; we haven’t had pheasants on the places for about three years.  Boomer supposed to be a hunt’n dog but he didn’t even understand what happened.  Just ran on, nose to the ground.  I stopped and pointed so Mom could see.  (She was with us.)

On we went over to the equipment area, then up to the back 40, then over to the Upper End which is where I found it……………………………!!!!

Freddy Foxes hidey hole!

Pretty cool!

I was clear inside when Mom got there….I didn’t want to get out, but she made me.  Boom never saw it, so I told him all about it when we were resting in the sun later.

When we got back to the house Mom said we had better enjoy this because it is supposed to snow Saturday and colder weather will follow.

Mom asked if we wanted to come inside, but Boomer and I decided we wanted to hang outside. Even Sam the Cat hung with us.  Sam rolled around in the sawdust by the wood pile and Boomer and I lay in the sun next to the house.

Sure is nice, these warmer temperatures.

Fuzzy