Sunset Moon
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Author Archives: Dayphoto
The Thanksgiving Barn
Well, here it is!!!!
The biggest part of the welding/iron work is done!
Of course there is more to do, but we are getting there. Personally I am getting really excited to see how it all turns out. Farmer ingenuity at work!
Security-My Josephine
I’ve been thinking a long time about what I would like to tell you next. My life here is good. I’m important, I’m in charge of farm protection, killing mice and snakes and making sure the deer, fox and coyotes don’t make it into the farm yard.
Now that I’m old one of life’s greatest pleasures is barking at the birds that hang out in the yard on trees, and in the bushes. The birds really don’t take me seriously; we play this really cool game. They swoop down, land in the tree, and I run barking at them: “Bark! Bark! Bark!”- “I see you birds, fly away now, fly away!” So they fly up and around, sometimes they dive on my head…that’s a little much.
(I snap at them if they do that-they need to play by the rules. Fume)
Great fun! Perfect for Elder exercise!
Anyway, I was thinking about what to tell you as I lay sleeping this morning.
I started having a really good dream, the kind where your eye lids twitch and your paws making little running motions, when I started whimpering Mom woke me up.
I don’t think she really meant to wake me up, she was headed out to do the early morning chores and asked me to come with her. It’s sort of hard to wake up fast like that, but I did and hit the kitchen door just as she got down the sidewalk.
But back to my dream, I was dreaming of ♥Security♥.
((That beautiful sexy blonde is Security ♥)) I’ll tell you about Riley some other time. He doesn’t live here.
♥ Security Shasha is a tall long legged blonde.
She is the most daring and delightful female, willing to run off chasing squirrels, rabbits, and even skunks. Danger is her middle name. She never stayed in the yard, drove everyone crazy, but me. Heck, I would go with her. She was just that kind of girl. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, someplace to see. I do have to admit, it almost got me locked up. I think I was going to be put in a pen if I didn’t stop running off with ♥ my girl ♥♥♥.
Then suddenly Security Shasha was gone. Poof! The lady was home from her vacation and the light of my life went back to her city yard.
Before I go much further, I need to explain that for some odd reason, I have to put up with constant visitors on the farm. Misty always seems to be pet-sitting for some friend or other, Shannon pet-sits and then on top of all of that they come to visit Mom and Dad bringing, not only their own dogs, but the dogs they are pet sitting for. And even sometimes Mom and Dad pet sit. HUMPH! Sure is irritating.
(Shannon’s dogs and visiting dogs)
If I had my way it would just be me and Checkers.
I asked Checkers if she liked sharing everyone with all other dogs, but she informed me that as long as the other dogs didn’t eat Her Food, it was okay by her.
She just doesn’t understand, sometimes other dogs, especially male dogs (Zooker doesn’t count I rather like him, who couldn’t he just seems to like everyone so I couldn’t stay mad at him long) might decided to take over management of the farm.
This is one job I’m not losing—ever!
Security belongs to another lady, but Security Shasha was staying here when I got dumped off. We bonded instantly…I mean I’m a pretty cool looking Dude, Shannon calls me Napoleon so you know that I’m a real leader. And she is …ah ♥ she is every man’s dream.
She was my Josephine, the love of my life! ♥
Fuzzy ♣
Happy Thanksgiving One and All
Every year I get out my special Thanksgiving decorations. They are a homely group of items:
A tablecloth and pilgrim candles of my mothers
A set of pilgrims our daughter Kimberly made in the Second Grade
A Mayflower Evan made in the Second Grade
A turkey our oldest daughter Shannon made in the Third Grade
A pinecone turkey (with googlie eyes) our youngest daughter Misty made in the First Grade
I’ve added some toy ‘dancing’ turkeys that the grandchildren love
and a flower bouquet just for me.
This is my Thanksgiving…a blessing of memories from those I love.
I also want to wish each and every one of you a Special Thanksgiving day. I will not be posting again until Monday as we are putting up the frame for the barn and we will be a wee bit busy.
Another rather nice thing is I DO NOT HAVE TO COOK!
YEAH! Hip Hip Hooray!
Oh! Sorry! Shouldn’t have expressed such elated joy.
BUT! OH! WELL!!!
I don’t have to cook….YEAH!
Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Friends!
Linda
1958
That little tiny dot is my grandfather walking over to the cafe. His truck is parked by the fruit stand for unloading fruit.
I’m in the stand, but you wouldn’t know it.
That was my job in 1958, manning the fruit stand. I’m sure I didn’t do a very good job, but I felt important.
This is a 60 acre fruit farm, complete with cherries, apples, prunes, blood plums and pears. The 10 acres (you can’t see) are pasture for the milk cow and her calf.
I lived with my parents at the edge of the cherry orchard.
Today, if you were to drive by this place on your way to either Eckert, or Cedaredge, or Grand Mesa, Colorado, all you would see would be houses. Everything is gone.
Not a tree or orchard anywhere. Just houses and houses and more houses.
Progress always moves forward and the older you get, the past always seems better.
Linda
There is Always a Silver Lining
This past week has been amazingly over-whelming.
Non-stop at work, meeting after meetings, deadlines that compound the stress load, plus everyday life at home.
Since we are paid per day, the economy drove our college to cutting our days, therefore in July I went from 235 days to 210 days.
The three day weekend is nice…I have lots more time to get home things done, but the four days at work …. Well I really need an eight-day week.
Anyone know how I can create one?
But back to the silver lining… our oldest daughter is a
Cosmetologist (Hair Dresser) and works in Grand Junction. We don’t get to see her very much.
So in turn for Terry a hair cut we fed her supper. A win-win all the way around.
Dog Cookie Recipes
I first got this recipe from GP at Musing from Montana a delightful site full of great horse logic, recipes, and thoughts on running an Inn in Montana, and her before life in the city. A fun read!
So last night I thought I would give it a good try. Fuzzy loved them! I now have Christmas ideas for my doggie friends!
Molasses Dog Biscuits
2 cups cornmeal
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 cloves garlic
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup powdered milk
Preheat oven to 400º. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Roll this mixture out ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes or shape into dog biscuits by hand. Place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
So then I proceeded to try these out, in the fire hydrant shape.
Dog Cheddar Cheese Crackers
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1 12/ c flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound butter or margarine softened
1 glove garlic minced
Enough milk to moisten the dough
Cream the room temperature cheese and margarine
Add egg and garlic, mix well
Stir in flour and salt until dough forms
Add milk
Chill for one hour. (But I didn’t). Roll into balls and shape.
Bake at 400* until the edges turn brown.
YUMMM!
Winter Wonderland
Just like the weatherman predicted a major winter storm hit our area this weekend.
Bringing with it lovely large wet white snowflakes and bitter cold.
We did 5:30 a.m. chores in 16* temperatures.
I’ve given up on Thanksgiving (even some of the trees still have their leaves)
and have decided I’m going to enjoy this winter wonderland.
It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas…tra la la la today.
How It All Started
I grew up as a cow dog, just the cowboy and me. That’s how it was. Just us and the cows.
Then one day the cowboy’s family took me for a ride in the car…I love riding in the car(not so much anymore-it makes me really nervous, but Mom still takes me so I can gain confidence)—- getting into the car wasn’t too bad. Then suddenly they stopped the car and pushed me out and Drove Off real fast. I tried to follow for a little while, but soon gave up and went back to the spot where they pushed me out of the car.
I waited at the spot for three weeks, never leaving it for fear they would come back to get me and I would be off somewhere and miss them. Boy did I get hungry! Whew!
But I stood firm. I waited.
Mom and Misty kept trying to get me. Mom said she wanted me to come live with her, but I KNEW cowboy would be back so I ran from Mom and Misty all the time.
Then one day, when my belly met my backbone, Misty came out with a slice of roast beef. I LOVE ROAST BEEF! Just love it! And I was hungry. Well, hungry wasn’t the word for it. So I let them feed me. And the rest is history.
I’ve been with Mom and Dad now for four years. It’s good here. I like it here. I’m the head of security for the farm! It’s my job to watch for people coming down the driveway, check out trespassing dogs and scaring deer. I’m 10 years old now, but that doesn’t stop me doing my work. ‘Course when I sleep inside, which I really like to do, I sometimes miss stuff. Mom says it’s alright because I sleep right by her side of the bed(on the floor) and protect her from things that go bump in the night.
I have lots of work to do, I help haul hay (riding on top of the haystack is my favorite thing to do) Mom doesn’t let me do it very often, and never to a delivery, but I would if I could.
I really like to run by (in-front) of the four-wheeler and check water or head over the pastures and check on the cows…that’s the best.
There is always news out there, that I just can’t get guarding the farm yard. Boy is there some interesting stuff to learn out there.
I’m a very important dog, heck I’m the only dog (besides Checkers, but she is Misty’s dog) so that makes me V.E.R.Y. important. I’m responsible for helping Mom put the chickens up at night, killing snakes and mice. Why Misty even calls me to come down to her house and kill the mice that slip inside. I’m a good mouse killer. And no, I don’t eat them. That’s the cat’s job.
I’m really good at barking at the deer. Dad says I need to chase the deer away. I don’t understand why he doesn’t see that I do. There aren’t any deer in the yard, ever! Now the corn fields and the hay fields are just too big to keep them out of so I settle for the yard. It more in keeping with my size.
Besides it’s getting a little hard to keep running, my Doctor says I have arthritis so most of the time now I get to RIDE with Mom on the Four-Wheeler. That is fun! That is real fun! It’s as much fun as riding in the back of the pick-up. Well, maybe it’s funner-I get to see where I’m going on the four-wheeler.
Anyway, I thought I would stop by once in awhile and visit with each of you. I have lots of stories to tell, you know how it is when you get old. So come on back and visit and I’ll tell you about some of things I’ve learned in my long years of living. I’ll also let you see the farm from my side of the fence!
FuzzyDoodle McDoodle Dude Brown
Hummmmm! I do Think it’s Time to do Some Weaning
It is time to think about weaning this year’s calves. We typically wait until the calves are between 7 and 8 months old. We like to have the calves with the Mom’s as long as possible for several reasons….Momma’s train their babies on safe practices, where the best grazing spots are, how to fight off coyotes and wild dogs, that the people who feed you are good to be around, and most of all provide the nutritional benefit of milk.
Since weaning can be a stressful time for both the calves and the cows. The traditional method involves removing all the calves at one time, putting them in a pen out of sight (and out of hearing range) from their mothers, and then letting them settle down over the next few days. When that happens we have a chorus of mooing that goes on for a long time. Day and Night!
It works but it is stressful for both the cows and the calves and me. I hate hearing the longing in their voices. But babies do need to grow-up, and this is a necessary practice.
After years and years of doing it the loud way, we started doing a thing called soft weaning where the calves are removed from the cow herd and allowed to stay in an adjacent pen where they are in full view of their Moms. Once they are separated the cow and calf will often lie together on different sides of the fence and be much more relaxed than if they were completely separated. After a few days we make the main break moving the calves to their new place and the Mom’s back out on the pasture. We can do this because we have a very small herd. Very small!
Weaning is an important part of over-all health of the Mother and the calf. Otherwise the Mom will keep on nursing her full-grown calf even after she has another calf. Not good. Cows are the eternal Earth Mother: they just can never stop taking care of their babies.
Life on a Colorado Farm 