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

The “Wilderness” of the Farm — Thursday, April 15, 2021

Posted on by
12

If you look close — here in the brief, surreal daylight of early morning is a bevy of Gambel’s Quail 

I love their songs and calls. 

Their darling little feather on their head 🙂

Then further along, just over that wee knob is one of those gorgeous male pheasants

We have several here and there—staking out their own area of the farm

He is silent and careful until 

You stumble upon him then his call is most acute and totally startling to all

It’s courting season right now

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh There she is…His Girl!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

P.S. Of course there is more bird and wildlife, but for now, this is a start.

 

What We Have Been Doing, (all in caps :) ), Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Posted on by
21

We have two fields of alfalfa being irrigated now…one is almost done (tonight) the other one tomorrow night.

Terry has finished leveling one cornfield, and marked it out, then packed the rows

After which, we started water on it last night.  This will take several days to have this field wet, but we have begun.  After the whole field is wet then it will set for a spell to dry out some. Then we plant.

Of course, there are other fields of corn to go through the

leveling, marking, irrigation, plant process

And another hayfield.  But we are making progress.

 

Besides helping Terry set tubes, I have been working in my yard.  Two days worth of work and three more to go

And I can say—Spring has arrived in my yard!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Optimistic Hope— Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Posted on by
6

I came upon a crow singing a most unusual song.  It was soft and gentle and oh, so sweet.

I sat still for a spell just listening.

Then, over-head, another (tantalizing) crow flew and the spell was broken.  Up up and away he/she flew to be with that intriguing, rather intoxicating ‘other’ crow!

What a gift I was given.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Lovely Package Arrived —- Monday, April 12, 2021

Posted on by
8

A delightful package arrived in the mail, full of hand-created treasures

Two scrubbies, two wasp nests, and a lovely, lovely hand-made card.

TLC Cai-Cai and I are most delighted.

Thank you ever so much, my Multi-Talented Friend, Connie, from Far Side of Fifty.

So exciting!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

An Enchantment — Sunday, April 11, 2021

Posted on by
16

While out irrigating, last evening

I found a Sandhill Crane feather.

Feathers are from the Heavens, from a loved one or an Angel.

A lovely gift—

from a beautiful bird

And those who love me from across the Veil.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

The Winds of Spring Have Arrived — Thursday, April 8, 2021

Posted on by
12

The Spring winds have arrived.  They come after the air warms

The mountains surrounding us are still chilled and full of snow

They are a delight to see with the sun shining on them–

But, they too, need to warm and melt—-bringing water to cities, towns, and farms

Therefore, the wind blows.

Sometimes bringing more snow (The Universe is very thoughtful….it would not be good to have the snowmelt ALL AT ONCE)

Sometimes bringing rain;

Helping the trees bring the sap from the roots to the tips of branches.

Wind…,here where we live, blows from now until the middle of June (or so)

Bringing freezing cold, dusty warm, heart-stopping beauty back to our land.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

We Start the Water — Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Posted on by
12

We had to put out all the siphon tubes

Which was a big, big, back-bending job

Some neighbor up the road a-ways was burning off a field. Scary.

Then it was time to open the headgate.  See that little long chute-like box with the little waterfall.  That is the headgate to our farm.  This is where the water is taken out of the FN Lateral Canal (just our amount) flows into the headgate, where there is a tin dam stopping or letting the water through the long box going off toward the edge of the photo.

That is our allotted water.  The water is measured and monitored by the Uncompahgre Valley Water Ditch Rider assigned to whatever ditch.

Water is expensive, much more so than the taxes for the farm—and it is precious.

This is our fork to clean out the trash which collects in the headgate.

 

Once we turn the water onto the farm, we have to clean out the trash in the ditches.

The easiest way is to let the water push it into a pile, then take your pitchfork and lift it up and over the side.

We do this all the way through all the cement and

dirt ditches until we get to the end of the farm, where (then) the water flows back into the canal.  Cleaned of trash; moving toward the next farm.

Terry takes the first stand and I take the second stand.  In other words, Terry lifts the most and I pick up the trash that gets away from him as he is flipping the big wad out.

Then back we go to the Upper End, where we cleaned and planted a new pasture.  Here is where we started the first of the irrgation.

Then (as the pastures water started flowing back into the transfer ditch, we laid out the siphon tubes in the Middle Field.

Once the water got to the Middle Field Terry put in dams and we set the tubes

Water!  Gurgling and flowing, shimmering across one of the alfalfa fields.

A whole long day of hard work, but a perfect result!

Thirsty ground, happy plants.

Perfect!

The water will be changed twice a day—just as the sun comes up in the morning and then in the evening before the darkness descends.

Every day from now on out.  And if we have our water cut (which they might) then we change it even more…sometimes even in the night.

I suppose some would say it’s a hard life, but honestly, Terry and I love it.

But you know that, don’t you? 🙂

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

 

We Started Getting Ready to Start the Water onto the Farm — Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Posted on by
6

“Agriculture is the greatest and fundamentally the most important of our industries. Cities are but branches of the tree of National Life, the roots of which go deep into the land. We all flourish or decline with the farmer.”–Bernard Baruch

Terry made the ditches Saturday for the whole farm.

Then we worked on the new section of ditch, which will hold gated pipe.

It took some doing,

But we ‘got’er done’, as my Daddy would have said.

Lots of leveling, lifting, and pushing together.

Whew!  Long day, but it felt good to have everything in place.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

The Shed — Monday, April 5, 2021

Posted on by
15

Terry took the shed down with the loader

It wasn’t too hard, just a little on the concern side of things

Then once down we hooked it to the loader

Where he took it over to a ‘spot’

After that, he went back to work,

and I dismantled the whole thing.

Saving the tin and tossing the braces….well, most of the braces.

Finished.

No more shed. 🙂

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Happy Easter to all of You, —- Sunday, April 4, 2021

Image

15