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

A Call on the Ditch

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Dayphoto

The Onion farmers placed a call on the ditch—meaning that they are wanting water. The Ditch Company sends out the ditch rider and some helpers for this first ‘call’.

Winter is always hard on the canals and ditches… so when the first water comes it’s always full of trash

The water pushes all the trash before it

Cleaning itself as it flows toward California and ocean

The ditch riders and thier helpers will wait until that water gets to a ‘slow’ spot

Using forks, rakes, and a back-hoe they will lift all the trash out into a great big heap

We, and all the other farmers, will fight trash—all year long.

But nothing like the guys who open the canals for the very first time.

Linda

More Spring Work

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Dayphoto

Ground that was in pinto beans last year does not need to be plowed (in our neck of the high mountain desert). Therefore, the ripper goes through and opens the field up.

Misty did part and Terry finished it

Everywhere Misty goes…goes Hank (the cowdog)

Back and forth. He is always one tired pup when the day ends.

The apricots are starting to bloom. I wonder if we will have any this year. Seems like we get apricots every 5-7 years. They bloom so early the freezes get them.

I still enjoyed seeing thier lovely bee-feeding blooms poping out.

Linda

The End of March

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Dayphoto

The last storm left us and we have a lovely cool spring like day today.

The spitting snow and splattering rain is bringing on the green

Sure looks good for sore eyes.

At sunset the clouds were leaving so the dogs and I had a delightful walk

This morning I noticed that the cottonwood was getting warmed up enough (thanks to the wind) to start thinking about sending out leaves.

Pretty exciting..Spring is on it’s way!

Linda

Winter is Still Hanging Around

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Dayphoto

Terry and Misty are taking what breaks they can and trying to get the farming done.

They finally finished leveling.

Misty finished marking out the alfalfa, while Tallen spent time with Grandpa. They didn’t go to John Deere this time, but they did sit by the fire and read books.

Her rows are straight…that’s a big deal. You don’t want to have someone drive by and make fun of your rows!

It’s raining and snowing and the wind is blowing.

Still.

I’ve always heard if Easter is late, then Spring is late. Sure is proving to be a truth!

Linda

Late Winter is Turning into Early Spring

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Dayphoto

Driving was a huge pain yesterday. All the way to and from Paonia the wind was playing havoc with the visibility.

I always try to console myself that the wind really does have a purpose…if we didn’t get the wind the sap in the trees and bushes wouldn’t be able to rise from the roots warming up the trunks and the branches.

But sometimes….I get to thinking how tiring late winter really can be.

Then I realize that late winter, really means early spring! Early spring…that is a good thing.

When I got home I saw this

A green little plant of wild mustard.

Linda

The Lion Doth Roar

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Dayphoto

The storm is starting to leave our area, but it is still very cold. We have a fire going in the woodstove….temperatures are hovering around 50* with wind sharp with rain and snow.

Feels more like February outside than late March, we are still having lots of wind. Terry is stopped for the day…too windy (and besides he has a flat tire on the leveler). Misty works at the local elementary on Tuesday.

If the winds continue to blow this storm should be out of here soon.

Our one little calf is doing well. We still have a couple of more cows to calf and then we are done. We are NOT a big operation, just four cows and a part-time bull. (We share the bull with another farmer just across the way….lots cheaper that way). We will probably keep this little heifer to add to our mini-herd.

You can see that the wind blew the hay all over the cows while I fed. They were not very happy with me….seems like the female of all species really does like to look good all the time. 🙂

Linda

Utah Flies into Colorado

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Dayphoto

Fifty-mile-an-hour gusts of wind have hit our area, bringing with it lots of dirt

It picked up the gated pipe in one of our fields

And flung it clear to the other end

Plus clear over to the next 10 acres.

Whew!

Linda

Down Time —It’s Spring Time in the Rockies

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Dayphoto

The weatherman was right!

A thirty-mile-an-hour wind blew in yesterday afternoon (you are looking at field trash flinging itself all over the road, on the fences and into the next field) bringing with it a very bitter cold front.

This onion farmer was rolling the last of the field trying to push the tiny seeds down far enough into the ground the wind would not blow the seed away. Onion seeds are TINY. And they are only planted 3/4 of an inch into the ground. The roller packs and settles the soil on top of the seed protecting it.

The rain started around suppertime and stopped this morning.

Farmers in the area kept going until it just got too muddy.

Then they were done.

Some worked right up until they couldn’t drive their equipment off the field….every minute helps when you have way too much to do and way too little of a window to get it done in.

Terry and Misty didn’t work yesterday. Having worked until dark the day before getting all the ground rolled. Terry doesn’t like to ‘move soil’ when the wind is blowing. (Our top soil then goes “who-knows-where”). They will start leveling once everything dries out again.

On the bright side of this little storm we should start seeing green things popping up!

Now That is a wonderful thought!

Linda

All in the Family

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Dayphoto

The weather is holding (rain and snow suppose to blow in tonight) so Terry and Misty got busy on the plowed ground.

This is our roller harrow…the new ones are way bigger….HUGE…but this one works for us

You can see the difference between the plowed (chunky) ground and what the ground looks like after the roller harrow goes through

This is how the next generation gets the farming bug….ride a round or two with Momma and then you have to get off and go to town with Grandpa

Of course, going to town with Grandpa means just as much fun (there are toys at the John Deere store!!)

Linda

Spring Work Has Begun

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Dayphoto

The first thing (after moving the cows off ) is to start disking

The corn stalks and leaves must be shredded

Terry disks both ways

After that comes plowing

Terry only plows the corn fields. The bean field is ripped and the alfalfa is marked out

The soil is just perfect right now. It has just the right amount of moisture so we actually have loam. Our soil (in this area) has some clay mixed into it, so getting the ground worked up when it is in the loam stage is really nice.

It doesn’t always happen that way.

Misty is helping farm this year. Although, I didn’t get her in the tractor she has been there. She spells Terry giving him a break. She wants to take over the farm when we decide the work load is just too much.

But back to the loam — Once the soil is plowed it is good to have freezing temperatures at night to help finish drying out the dirt. Then (which is happening as I write this) Terry (and/or Misty) will go back in with the roller flatting out the plowed clods.

What we do NOT want to happen right now is for it to either rain or snow. Plowed ground is like a sponge. If it collects too much water then the farmer has to wait for it to dry out and because of the clay we then get clods. Not good. Those nasty lumps of soil stay that way for the rest of the season.

So far the weather is holding, the equipment is staying together, and having more people doing the physical work makes the work load a lot lighter.

Linda