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 Blessings Come — Tuesday, June 17, 2025

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Since we are out there at (5:09 A.M.)  I thought I would show you the beauty of the sky

Now this is the sun coming up (6:01 A.M.) kissing our faces with its warmth

Searching for breakfast

Running away—-faster, faster, —-   there are humans out here

Fertile Earth.  Delightful wildlife

Resting.  Sleeping.  So peaceful, calm.

Our sky, our earth, catching us up into the mighty flow of energy

Sturmfrei: the freedom of being alone, the ability to do what you want.  The literal translation of the German word is ‘storm-free’.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

That Ageless Brilliance and Heat —- Monday, June 16, 2025

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It’s HOT! Here!  I do mean HOT!  We’ve been hitting high, high, 90s and low 100s.

We are just about done with the first field of Alflafa’s customers.  We load 150 bales out today.

We will start cutting the second field this week sometime!

That amazing sun— a gift of light and HEAT!  For some reason, this year the heat is getting to me.  And the hot wind—we are still having lots of wind.

Tacenda (n): Things better left unsaid; matters to be passed over in silence. 🙂 🙂

No matter the heat, the wind, and all the work —- I still love Summer the best!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

We TOOK OFF at a Fast Pace —- Sunday, June 15, 2025

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We’ve been doing hay in the morning, noon, and evening! We are tired and needed a change of scenery.

We looked at our hay requests. We have a time slot for a small break, maybe three or four hours.

So off we went through Montrose, Colorado, to Log Hill Mesa. I’ve wanted to go there forever!
(Check out the blue words for more information)

After we made it over the top, we hit Dallas Divide;  we were in Ridgeway, Colorado

Photo 1 of 4

There we stopped for a hamburger.

The True Grit Cafe- named after John Wayne’s Movie…

As a little sidebar thought—True Grit, with John Wayne, was filmed on Owl Creek Pass. Just out of Ridgeway!

How cool is that!

We made it home in a nice enough time to load out some more hay.

KAIROS (n):  The perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words, or movement.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Chapter Five Boo Berry Tells a Story, Friday, June 13, 2025

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Then there was the YARD!   I mean this is some yard.  When I lived in the pen, I did my business anywhere in the pen…. sometimes in the teeny tiny play yard, but NOW!!!!

NOW!  I have this hugeeeeeeee!  Play yard—it’s full of grass; all nice and soft and green. I came to live with Mom in the summer}.

Of course, over-time I learned that the green grass will get covered with dried out leaves.  After Mom goes out and works at removing the leaves the green grass is brown!  What a concept.

Brown grass.  I always thought grass was green.  I guess I thought wrong.

Sometimes the grass is covered in cold, cold wet, white snow!

Now THAT is a trip trying to find a spot to do my ‘business’.

And the yard wasn’t the only thing HUGE!  There was the F.A.R.M!  Now THIS is big!  So big I would hide myself in my little blue safety crate.  It took me weeks to get to the point I could handle going ‘out on the farm.’  Mom had to leave me in the safety crate or I would try to run back to the farm YARD!

It was a trying time for Mom and for me.  After a month of taking me out, putting me down and saying to me I could sniff the smells and walk with Mom—-Mom gave up and left me at home.  {For some reason she never seemed to like me eating poop out there.  I would always get yelled at if I rolled in it or tried to eat it.  Hooman’s are strange animals.  First, they want you out and about and second, they only want you to do the things they want.  Only.}

Anyway—Summer was huge! Mighty HUGE!  Learning curve, I can tell you that!

Boo Berry Betty Brown

Don’t Forget the Trees (and all our Other Plants) —- Thursday, June 12, 2025

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Don’t forget the trees!  We all think of trees in the forest, but there are trees right next to you

(Psithurism –n— the sounds of rustling leaves)

And I’m not thinking of those trees in parks or along shady streets

(Nemophilist—n—a haunter of the woods; one who loves the forest and its beauty and solitude)

Nor those trees grown on farms or orchards

(Embowered–adj–Sheltered by trees)

I’m talking about those trees that live right with you—in your yard.

(Wer*if*est*er*i*a — Werifesteria, Verb, To wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery)

They are lovingly a part of you.  They give you shade, provide protection in the rain, and house little birds and animals.

(Nemophilist—n—Someone with a love or fondness for forests, woods, or woodland scenery.  A Hunter of the woods..)

They are a mystery and a huge gift of life—one we see each and every day

and forget to thank them

(Meraki–is doing something with total love, and pure soul.  It is leaving a little piece of yourself in your creative work.)

After all, they are silent sentinels of our lives—giving blessings constantly

Oubaitori–n–the Japanese idea that people, like flowers, bloom in their own time and in their individual ways)

They sing to us always—just listen—leaves rustling, branches rubbing together

dropping their fruit with a sudden plop

Brivet–v–to wander an area aimlessly or to satisfy idle curiosity)

Trees and bushes- all plants are a huge part of our lives; we see them, care for them, and forget their value.  Actually, they are the lungs of our yards!  We couldn’t breathe without them. 🙂

(Annasach–adj–strange, rare, unusal)

From my heart to your world,

Linda

 

 

 

BREAK!!!! We Needed a Small Break—Wednesday, June 11, 2025

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We needed a small break!  Not a huge vacation, but a wee break in the same ole, same old.  This is the Fruit Growners Reservoir.… check the blue words for more information.

When my brother and I grew up, we knew it as Hart’s Basin; it was a big hang-out for all the boys in our small neighborhood at the base of Antelope Hill—a big fruit farm on the top of the hill overlooking Fruit Growers Reservoir.

My brother (not me—I’m not brave enough) and his friends would swim there, swing off a tree branch, plunge into the deep water, hunt crawdads, and camp out.

From there, we took the back roads going by, what I used to know as The Figure 4 Ranch, around and up, and around again, by-passing Cedaredge and winding up on Cedar Mesa—then onto Cactus Park.

Since Terry was a line-foreman for the local REA — Rural Electric Association, Delta Montrose Electric Association— for 34 years, he traveled all over our county and Montrose county, their service area.

Although I was born and raised here, there are many places I have never seen.  This was a huge treat for me.  To see the country, Terry helped build and maintain power lines for customers.

Once we drove through beautiful Cactus Park, we were in the postal service of Hotchkiss, Colorado. 

I asked if we could go see the 7X Ranch and Castle— 

It’s a wee bit famous- I’ve always wanted to see it.

You will have to go to the website to see it, because this is a family home.  Such a pretty place.

After that, we headed home.

It was a nice treat.

Weald (noun) wooded, uncultivated territory 

From our world to your world,

Linda

We Finished—Tuesday, June 10, 2025

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Back and Forth, Back and Forth

Two big stacks of straight alfalfa

Then another.

Green, leafy, and starting to leave for other homes, even as I write!

Firgun–n–Hebrew:  A genuine, unselfish feeling of delight or pride in someone else’s accomplishment.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Little Chirrups and Hums, and Even Beautiful Silence, Monday, June 9, 2025

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I try to be silent

Not loud, so I can see all those wonderful little creatures

I love seeing what I can see

These amazing lithe animals

Of Which moves as silently as a whisper

So when I see them, I try to softly enjoy each.

Yugen (noun): A profound awareness of the Universe that triggers feelings too deep and mysterious for words.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Walking the Earth — Sunday, June 8, 2025

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I can’t tell you how many times, Terry and I have driven our four-wheeler down this road, taking care of weeds, changing water, checking water, riding just to go for a break.

But when out Walking The Dog—I SAW THIS!!

And it was HUGE!   A wonderful, lovely survivor complete with tire tracks on it!

Oh! Gosh!  A giant kiss and a huge hug from that rock and the earth.

WOW!

Meliorism (noun): The belief that we can contribute to a positive change and improve the world through acts of love, creativity, compassion, and kindness. 

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda

4. Chapter Four Boo Berry Tells a Story, Friday, June 6, 2025

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OH!  MY! GOSH!

My new pen was HUGE!!!

I MEAN HUGE!!!

Mom showed me everything—here is the kitchen, Boo Berry. (Mom calls me Boo Berry.  I finally get to use the Berry part of my name 😊  ).

“This is where we eat, and you will eat here also.  TLC will eat up here because I don’t want you to eat TLC’s food.  He won’t eat your food, because he doesn’t like your kind of food.  [TLC is a particular cat}.

This is the room where your daybed will stay.  It can be your Safe place.  All day long.  If you get tired, you can sleep right here; if you get scared, you can run and lie right here.  This big soft bed is right by my chair.  So we will be together.”  Mom smiled big at me.

Then she showed me my BIG nice, soft bed in the bedroom.  This one is right by Mom on her side of the bed. TLC likes to sleep on the other side.

Sometimes TLC sleeps at the end of Dad’s feet.  Just say’n.

Me!  I always sleep with Mom.

We walked through the house….here is another bed if you want to try this one out, or here is a bed in case you want this one.  I got you LOTS of beds so you can pick whatever bed you really like.” She explained.

But the scary THING!  The scariest thing is UPSTAIRS!  Mom showed me upstairs.  She had to carry me upstairs, and then she had to carry me downstairs, where I hid my head in Mom’s arms.

That was when I first got here to the HUGE pen I share with Mom, Dad, and TLC.  Now I run up and down the stairs like they were a flat floor.  I like to come upstairs and lie in the sunshine in the morning.   Ah…..bliss!

Then we went outside.

I didn’t even have to have a harness on!

Just out the door we went.  First Mom carried me ,then I walked right with her.

But—-

OUTSIDE WAS TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BIG!!

I ran back to the door and stood there shaking.

“In?”  Mom asked.

“IN!!” I shivered and shook.

So In I went—-only going outside WITH MOM to do my duty, then running right back inside.  As fast as possible.

Mom had to tell me it was okay to do my duty outside, she says: “Go, Good Girl.  Picked up my leg {I still pee with one leg up}, and said—“It’s okay…Go, Good girl.”

I’m a fast learner.  That’s what Mom says.  😊

WHEW!

Learning the big pen took me a good two weeks, or more.

And in the meantime—-I had a vet visit.

No more puppies for me….ever!!

Boo Berry Betty Brown