The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday —Farm Life Series, Chapter 5, BIG BAD ANIMALS, Friday, March 25, 2022

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Dayphoto

Sometimes we have Mountain Lions, not really, our neighbor who has sheeps, usually gets the Mountain Lions, but they Do Walk Down the Ditch banks.

Mom and Dad see the tracks

Our neighbor with the sheep gets more than tracks—just say’n.

When the Mountain Lions show up our deer population disappears. They leave.

Why?

They are Mountain Lion food.

I would run too if I were Mountain Lion food.

We might have other big scary bad things but I don’t know about it—oh!

WAIT! I forgot!

How could I forget!

COYOTES!!!

We Have COYOTES!!

You can hear them singing, yelling, and howling every night.

Some nights are shudder-worthy because you know they made a kill and are dancing and yipping for joy.

Stay cats don’t have a chance in the country. Neither do not stray cats.

That is why Mom makes me come in EVERY night. Even if I want to stay outside and hunt, Mom comes out, shakes the Kitty Candy jar, calls my name and I come running.

KITTY CANDY!!!

Coyotes eat lots of stuff—they eat rabbits, ground squirrels, mice, voles, weasels, snakes, grasshoppers, quail, pheasant, careless cats, wild dogs, stay dogs, and dogs and cats that have been ‘dropped off’ to fend for themselves in the country.

They eat baby calves, just born baby caves, dead cows, baby deer, you name it.

They also eat apricots, apples that have fallen on the ground, prunes, plums, and pears.

They also like to eat the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

Coyotes will come right into the farmyard and eat watermelon, cantaloupe, dig in the trash barrels to scarf down garbage.

Well, I think I’ve covered the BIG BAD ANIMALS who live with us on the farm. I think, the next time I will tell you about the ‘other’ animals.

So stay tuned; we are learning about animals on the farm!

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —Farm Life Series, Chapter 3, Birds, Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Dayphoto

We have Doves—Mourning and Ring-necked and once in a special while white Doves.

We have Pheasant and Quail and some other types of birds who run lickity split and scatter all over the farm.

We also have those Giant birds—Canada Geese and Sandhill Cranes.

While speaking of birds: There are Owls, Hawks (all shapes and sizes),

and once in a great while Eagles. Not very often Eagles, but there has been one or two who land in the old Weeping Willow trees.

Then we have all those delicious, oops, little birds: Robins,

Western Meadowlarks, Finches of all sorts, all types of Sparrows, Barn Swallows, the list is so big and so long I can’t tell you all of them.

AND there are the Hummingbirds! Now, if I really want to get in trouble, all I have to do is stalk a hummingbird.

Mom said she isn’t going to feed the birds (any birds) because I am a tad naughty about birds.

I don’t see how I’m naughty—really, I don’t.

Mom does

and what Mom says goes.

So, I have to change my diet to a ‘clean’ diet forgoing BIRDS!!!

Only mice from now on out for me.

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday —Farm Life Series, Chapter 1, Wildlife on the Farm, Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Dayphoto

Well, let’s see you’ve learned about what a farm is

and how a farm works;

you’ve learned about the weather on our farm, and now—

You get to learn about the animals who share the farm with US!

We have big animals—

some wild and some who are domesticated (sorta kinda),

we have birds—lots and lots and lots of birds (slurp),

(it is HOT already)

we have small animals (like mice—YUM)

and animals who leave some sort of mark,

we have things that slither,

and bugs of all sorts,

and, that most awful animal of all the animals;

the animals who spell D.A.N.G.E.R. the second thier paw sets down on the ground.

So, for a few days,

you and I will check out “the wildlife who share the farm with us!”

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday—Farm Life Series, Chapter 17, The Fourth Season, HARVEST, Friday, March 11, 2022

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Dayphoto

Fall is Harvest!

Harvest is Autumn!

This is the time of year when HUGE! GIANT! Machines come out and roar and rumble on the farm.

Scares me to death!

I run to the house and stay INSIDE!

While in the house I look out the windows at those scary machines.

When they aren’t there…whew! Life is good again.

But…here is the thing…Dad even brings that HUGE scary machine into the yard and works on it at the shop.

That machine is FRIGHTENING!

Well, that is all I know about Harvest. It is all I know about the seasons and weather and stuff like that.

I think the next thing I will tell you about is the wildlife that lives with me, Mom, and Dad on the farm.

Maybe you will enjoy learning about coyotes, porcupines, rabbits, snakes, badgers, weasels, owls, squirrels…you get the picture.

All the animals that live with us on the farm.

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Wednesday—Farm Life Series, Chapter 16, The Fourth Season, Fall, or Autumn, Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Dayphoto

Something that happens in the Fall, is a true mystery to me.

The birds leave!

All the Summer Song Birds!

There is not one left.

Although, we do have some birds who stay here, but they aren’t the same sweet tasting sounding birds of Summer. Boy, don’t let Mom know I wrote that…I crossed it out so she can’t see. Do NOT tell her! Eating birds is something that ALWAYS gets me in trouble.

If Mom sees my catch one, she runs very fast and scares me so I drop the bird. Then Mom grabs the bird and takes it someplace where I can’t find it.

Mom and I have a thing about Me eating birds!!!

Anyway, the birds leave.

And lots of bugs seem to leave, although those nasty wasps seem to stay year-round.

And Spiders.

We never get rid of spiders. I got a spider bite so bad Mom had to take me to the vet.

Anyway, the next installment will be the WORK of AUTUMN!

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday—Farm Life Series, Chapter 15, The Fourth Season, Fall, or Autumn, Friday, March 4, 2022

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Dayphoto

Fall announces itself with the first, very cooling, very refreshing rain. That can happen anytime after September into October.

You see, September is still HOT here. Maybe not as hot as October, but it still is warm enough Mom is singing a happy song.

As September drifts along (yes, Dad and I think September moves slowly, the nights start to cool down, then the days get slightly cooler until we get to OCTOBER!

Now if you were to look upon the mountains surrounding our mesa you could see the ‘Colors starting to change. Seeing the colors change means for certain and sure we are in AUTUMN!

By the last Sunday of September, the colors in the mountains are ‘at their peak’ causing everyone who lives below the colors to ‘take a drive’. To see the colors, as they say.

Here on the farm, September means the last of the irrigation is being accomplished. First, one cornfield is finished up (Dad watches the corn kernels to see how hard they are—if they are hard, hard, hard that means the corn can not take in any more water. The plant is done. Finished for the growing season. To keep watering is just a waste of time and effort.) Then the next cornfield and so on, until all the cornfields are DONE for THE Year!

After that, all irrigation is concentrated on the alfalfa fields.

Alfalfa has a GREAT BIG TAPROOT, that must have a nice drink of water to go into the winter. Or the plant will die. Also, Dad likes for the alfalfa plant to have a nice growth on top, several inches of growth to help the plant survive.

After a heavy freeze comes then the plant is sleeping safely for next year. That is when the cows arrive to munch down the alfalfa leaves.

Anyway, back to Autumn. Autumn comes here when all the Cottonwoods turn to gold, the days are warm (NOT HOT) and the nights are cool.

As October progresses to November Mom starts hauling in firewood to make warm toasty fires in the evening.

Oh, yes. Fall smells good. The weeds are drying down, the trees are dropping their leaves, the sporadic rains cleanse the earth.

Fall. It also means HARVEST!

We will leave Harvest for the next installment of the Seasons. Along with more of my thoughts on weather.

Until then—

TLC Cai-Cai

The Adventures of TLC Cai-Cai on Friday—-Farm Life Series Chapter 13, The Third Season, SUMMER Woes, Friday, February 25, 2020

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Dayphoto

There are lots of Woes, weather-wise, in Summer.

Sometimes we get Hail Storms.

Yep.

And Heavy Scary Thunder and Lightning Storms.

Scary stuff.

I mean VERY SCARY STUFF!

Like OVER-THE-TOP Scary!

In Early Summer we get Dust storms…these are caused by—you got it—WIND.

Wind coming off the Uncompahgre Plateau across and through the canyons, right up onto the Mesa we call home.

California Mesa.

Then all the worked-up ground becomes DUST and blows right into our eyes, ears, and mouths.

Sure, is a Mess.

If it’s late summer heading into Fall—when the air cools way down and the Earth is still warm…then the canals and water ditches and the river makes FOG!