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

Mindy and Boomer Have an Adventure Chapter Eleven Friday, February 21, 2020

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Chapter Eleven

“Freddy!” I bayed. “Freddy come back!”

Mindy screamed and tried to hide under my tail…

under MY TAIL!

 

“Be calm, Mindy, it’s Freddy he will help us.”

“He is a FOX, BOOMER!!! FOX EAT CATS!!!!”

“Not Freddy, well, not this time anyway. Well, I don’t think he will. I just need his help, Mindy.  Stay as close to me as you can, attach yourself.  We have to have help to get from here to home.  Freddy is our best bet.”

I looked around and saw Freddy trotting back to me.

“Hey, Boom! Man, it’s good to see you again.” Freddy high-fived my right front paw with his left front paw.

We started to chest bump when I realized I had Mindy attached to my hip.

“Hey, Freddy, I need your help.”

“Sure, Buddy.  Whatever Can I do?” Freddy smiled his huge foxy smile.

“I need to get home. And I need to get Mindy…here Mindy, say Hi. Home.  It’s getting onto Coyote prowling time and I need to get Mindy back to Mom and Dad before she becomes Coyote lunch.”

Freddy looked around my body, saw Mindy all scrunched up tight against my hip.

“Well, well, hum mm, soft yummy cat…drool, slobber, slurp, Home, you say.  Okay. I can do that.  But we have to be moving along fast I passed two coyotes heading toward this area a few minutes ago.

“Come on!” Freddy waved his paw and took off down the farm road.  I’ll take the lead and you bring up the rear Boomer.  Mindy you can run in the middle.”

“YEOWL! I’m not going anywhere but right next to you Boomer!  You get right up there close to Freddy and I’m staying attached to your hip.”

Just then—

The first Coyote ran right in front of Freddy.

 

 

 

For Those Who Have Been Wondering and For Those Who Haven’t Been Wondering —- Thursday, February 20, 2020

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“Well,” Terry said, as he put on his coat and cap

“Off I go to play in the dirt!”

With those words, he was gone.

Back out-on-the-land!

So as you can [now] see, Terry is farming this year.  The sitting idle watching someone else farm was agony for him last year.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm

Linda

The Time Has Come — Wednesday, February 19, 2020

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The rancher started moving the cows yesterday and will finish today

They took the moms and the babies in very roomy trailers off to the nursery

Much closer to his house and barns

Sometime today they will arrive with large semi’s.  Load the remaining girls up.

The end of watching the soothing peaceful beauty of the  cows grazing on our farm

Until next winter…then.  Good-bye Girls. See you in a few months.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

A Heavy Swooshing Sound — Tuesday, February 18, 2020

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Standing on the Rocky Point, Beaglie and I saw masses of Sandhill Cranes resting on our neighbor’s farm–when they saw us several lifted off, causing the air to swoosh with the flapping of their wings.

Back on our farm, we came across a giant flock resting, waiting, resting.

The sounds are majestic and powerful!

Big birds…they rather brighten the long winter days!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

Delicate Shadows Race Across the Land — Monday, February 17, 2020

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The light and the darkness of shade playing across the land is amazing

The contrast bringing to us…those who live on the Earth

The starkly defined lines

of shade falling on the ground

Defining bright and dark, light and the unlit

Brightening each thing by an outline of form.

Even at night, in the flash of a camera..shadows defining shapes.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Smell the Air —- Sunday, February 16, 2020

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Beaglie and I go for a walk daily around the farm.

It’s nice to get out and about, to stretch one’s legs and to expand one’s lungs

Although, it is still chilly…coat wearing chilly

There is a feeling of March in the air.  A decided shift toward warmer and nicer weather

There are about 14 baby cows (calves) out on the land; more to come.

It’s trying to snow right now, so I suppose we will see more calves born. They like to come out in nasty weather for some reason. 😦

Still, there is a smell to air which says March is coming!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

Mindy and Boomer Have an Adventure Chapter Ten Friday, February 14, 2020

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Chapter Ten

“Well, as you can see, Mindy,” I said, pushing Mindy behind me a little, “dark on the farm is way different than dark in the farmyard.”

“MEOW!!!” Mindy sobbed. “Let’s go home, Boomer.  I want to go inside and lay on Dad’s legs while he watches TV and gets lots of pets.  It’s SCARY out here.”

Just then we heard HOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO. Mindy jumped three feet in the air and yeowel!  “OWL! We have to RUN!”

Mindy started to fling herself out onto the farm road when I quickly put my front left paw down on her back. “NO! Stay right here!” I bayed.

“STAY!”

“I hear an owl, Boomer.  I have to hide, I have to get to the house, I have to get OUT OF HERE!  An Owl tried to get me once, but I got away.  That is why I have my whole right side missing on my mouth. OWL!!!”

Mindy squirmed and wiggled under my paw. Thankfully I had her smashed flat so she couldn’t get those wicked claws up and get my leg.

“I Know, Mindy! I know.  But you are safe right here with me.  You start running crazy and the owl will chase you on very silent wings, swoop down and your gone—up into the sky, then over to their nest where the little owl chicks live.”

Mindy looked at me with terror in her eyes.

“Stay right here, right next to me, and I will get you home.”

Mindy stopped wiggling and sighed.  “Okay, Boomer, my life is in your hands.

“Good.  I can protect you from pretty much everything but a coyote.  If we run into a coyote or three you run as fast as you can for home.  I try to lead them away from you.  But until, or if that time comes, you stick right by me.”

With that Mindy and I started walking.  We have a long way to go, but I feel pretty sure I could get us home.  We have the weeds along the ditch bank to hide in and if we are super lucky, we can crawl into some of the equipment (if we make it that far).

It was about that time, while we were walking next to the ditch, not on the road, but close to it:

Freddy Fox zoomed right in front of us!

 

 

That Ancient and Wondrous Gift Called Life —- Thursday, February 13, 2020

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It is that time of year!  Oh! The! Joy!

A wee walkabout (TWICE) upon the farm yesterday told us, this year the rancher left the cows too long.

He normally likes to have them at the ranch house, closer and easier to monitor them

I understand.

But this year they got to stay longer than normal

Which works for me!

Three new babies yesterday, more to come today!

I am sooo excited!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Pale Horse and Rider —- Wednesday, February 12, 2020

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It was a shock to read on Tuesday that a wonderful, and long-time blog friend, Jan Williams was killed in her home while watching the Super Bowl playoffs.

She started following my blog in 2007.  At which time I started following her.

Over the years she would send me private emails of encouragement, a Christmas gift of her stunning quilt work, and many-times two thumbs up for something I wrote.

She, among others, encouraged me to try my hand at printing a book.  Then she even announced my book on her blog.

She was a huge friend.

Follow the blue links for more information.

I will miss her very much.  

To know more go here

https://www.gofundme.com/f/danlorrierecovery

That man even had his kids in the car.  The rest of his life he will be paying (emotionally) for the belief he could drink and drive.

My heart goes out to everyone.

Good-bye, Jan.  You were a wonderfully stalwart friend!

From my heart to your world,

Linda

 

 

Fill the Table with a Feast —Tuesday, February 11, 2020

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Then sit frozen in a hidden spot

Camera at the ready

And hope they will come.

Often times they will.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda