Category Archives: Life on a Colorado Farm

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

This Bright Sunlight Morning—-Thursday, May 24, 2018

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The hay swather’s sound is rippling through out our clean country air

The sunlight is brilliant on the thick stand of alfalfa, as the early morning light pours forth; warming the plants, drying the dew

The scent of JUST CUT ALFALFA piercing the air!

First CUTTING!

May the rain stay away until the hay is made, in the bales, and sold.

We have a stack of customers already calling wanting hay.

Two weeks we should be done…two weeks and then the rains can come.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

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We Have Not Cut the Alfalfa Yet —- Wednesday, May 23, 2018

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Terry didn’t cut the alfalfa yesterday, because of a predicted 30% chance of rain.

Which, by the afternoon turned into 100% guarantee of that delightful special moisture from the heavens

As the sun started to sink and the clouds started to break up

The sun, low and dazzling shot blazing rays of glorious light

Filling the heavens with a double collection of sparkling, arched light,

in the low-lying mist left from the dissipating clouds.

A gift from the heavens…oh, how blessed we were.  Rain, no alfalfa down, and a double rainbow.

Perfect!

From my heart to your world,

Linda

Out on a Limb—-Tuesday, May 22, 2018

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While over at the other hay stack yard and implement yard, I saw

This darling little squirrel, gently sunning him/herself on a bare branch of a Tamarisk Tree–Salt Cedar is the common name.

Carefully Boomer and I left the area…allowing him/her the right to a bit of sunshine and a wee rest in the Spring-time air.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Sounds Echo —- Monday, May 21, 2018

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The sound of the tractor adds to the un-silence of the land.

Terry planted the pinto beans five days ago, and today he is Mormon Creasing the field.  By that he is taking taking the top off the row and smoothing out the top of the row so the little plants can work their way through a smaller amount of soil.

He also planted a new alfalfa field, which will make us two fields of alfalfa.  Although, the new field won’t be ready until next year.  There will be a possible cutting in September, but sometimes he doesn’t cut it; allowing the cows to graze it off instead.

This makes the whole farm in production. Finally.  Everything is some form of growth or another.

The irrigation water sparkles and splashing it’s way down each furrow cool and free.

Tomorrow or Wednesday (depending on the weather) it will be time to cut the alfalfa

next to our house.  Then the air will be scented with green alfalfa drying into lovely hay.

I will leave all the windows open in the house so the perfume fills our rooms and scents our sleep.

Busy times,

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Ordinary Dreams — Sunday, May 20, 2018

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Ordinary dreams are never clear–they are jumbles of this and that

As we sleep we walk in small places where the old gods used to roam

In that time long-before Christ came.

Those ancient gods of hills and woods and streams

We wander here and there in the dusk of our daily happenings, free from rituals, cities crowded with men

Where sometimes we walk thoughtlessly, as if we are kings, or fairies, or even riding on stars moving silently in the Universe

Sometimes we meet scary unknown things, which zip out of the air of our thoughts, rushing toward us like a demon felt only within the dark

Jerking awake, breathing like we are riding the wind—to realize we just dream.

Turning over…flipping the pillow to the cool side, we once more fall asleep and dream

 

A thoughtlessly as wee babe in a mother’s arms.

I hope your Sunday is a very good one!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

The Gift of a Dancing Child—-Thursday, May 17, 2018

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There is nothing like having the visit of a grandchild…

They bring back those things you have forgotten how to do

That shining, excited, gaiety…which lives in motion in youth.

Then it was time to leave us and go spend the weekend with Aunt Kimi and Uncle Cliff….bouncing, bouncing all the way.

From our world to your heart,

Linda Brown

 

Talk to the Stars—-Wednesday, May 16, 2018

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So do you talk to the stars?

Sometimes I do…they are so beautiful, so amazing, so glittering, so vast.

Sometimes I stand on the ditch bank…my arms flung wide and tell our farm…how beautiful it is.

Even after a long day of working in my yard, helping with the irrigation, cleaning the house, painting fences…when the pain in my arms and back almost blind me

I still feel the most profound gift of this amazing place where Terry and I live.

Sometimes the breathtaking life surrounding us –is like a spell… The bats flitting in the gathering gloom, the last of the Barn Swallows feeding on the mosquitoes, the stars just starting to appear in the darkening heavens, the soil thriving and growing plants, the plants forming from little seeds,

It all weaves a pattern, like a spell.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

Life is a Collection of Little Lives (Nicholas Sparks) —-Tuesday, May 15, 2018

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“And I learned what is obvious to a child.  That life is simply a collection of little lives, each lived one day at a time.  That each day should be spent finding beauty in flowers and poetry and talking to animals.  That a day spent with dreaming and sunsets and refreshing breezes cannot be bettered.  But most of all, I learned that life is about sitting on benches next to ancient creeks with my hand on her knee and sometimes, on good days, for falling in love.”– Nicholas Sparks

In reality…everyone’s world, everyone’s day is never made of empty spaces.

It’s made up tiny (but massive) jobs, tasks and steps undertaken here and there

Each job feeling twice as big in the beginning of the task

Then gradually taking shape; finally the whole process over and done.

Then there is the end of the day.  Glittering thick with orange and red sunlight, as the night creeps up from the land; finally touching the still warm sky, brilliant light filling air with dreams!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

Breathing the Air —- Monday, May 14, 2018

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The wind has been terrible again…50 m.p.h. gusts, my poor plants are feeling crushed and flatted and battered and beaten.

Even though the winds have been blowing, like God is angry, everything once invisible has become visible in the sunlight

The soft clouds dance and flicker  through out the day

While the dry, dry soil gives us visual belief in the unseen wind.

More and more we are seeing the summer birds returning.  Breathing brightness into the sunlight


Filling out the tapestry of grass, trees, leaves, flowers, bumble and honey bees

Even though the spinning pounding wind as been most unusual…

The beauty of spring fills our eyes, our hearts, our souls and the growing newness of the earth!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

Happy Mother’s Day—One and All—May 13, 2018

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“The Great Spirit is in all things, he is in the air we breath.  The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother.  She nourishes us, that which we put into the ground she returns to us….”  — Big Thunder (Bedagi) Wabanaki Algonquin

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to each and everyone of you!

Love,

Linda