As Dawn Lightens the Sky and Evening Comes—-Thursday, April 5, 2018

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Dayphoto

We begin…”Why do we start so early?” Terry asks, although he knows the answer.

There is just so much to do. Even if we don’t have the care of animals, we do have the care of the land.

The leaves are beginning to unfurl ever so slowly on the trees….first the cottonwood pushes off the little yellow sticky covers, the blooms burst forth (along with the pollen) and finally…if one looks closely the little tips of leaves are starting to appear.

It’s cold again (actually still–we had a couple of really nice days, but not right now.)

Look at the trash coming out of the canal

Masses of stuff.

My yard is the same way…all the corn leaves flew into the yard over the winter making lovely covers on everything. Also making debris come spring, which I must now remove for the gently growing bulbs to spiral up into the spring air.

The little birds are all puffed up keeping warm….they, like us, are ready for warmer weather (although we are NOT having snow like some of you…my heart goes out to you waiting for melt and warmth!)

I am a person who believes in mysteries, in secrets of the Universe, and in the magic of the common daily existence

For you see, I see it each and every day, but ‘specially on that day when we start water on the land…then I can see and feel the heart of the earth beating, slow, incessant, humming —-pulsing—throbbing, throughout the day and into the night—all through the night and back into the day…

Reflecting into the sky, where it is manifested for all to see.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

That Wonderful Sound of Water—-Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Dayphoto

The water came yesterday around three o’clock in the afternoon. I was just finishing up one of my flower beds when I walked past the canal and saw the back hoe and a large pile of moving brush, dust flying in the midst of water

The water had come!

Terry headed up to watch and I dropped everything and headed up the canal to get photos of this very exciting event

The backhoe grabbed huge chunks of weeds to keep from flooding the farms along the way

Gradually the back hoe started to get the water clearer

The arrival of water!

Gradually the water cleared

We gathered up our shovels, and headed out to start the water on the farm! Which meant, of course, we had to clean all our ditches from the trash coming down the canal and into our ditches

But oh my how it was worth all the work.
The New Year has Begun!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Winter Blowing Chilly Through the Land—-Tuesday, April, 3, 2018

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Dayphoto

Winter blew in over-night last night. It’s cold here today.

Our fine spring days washed out in a tide of a swift moving cold front

The wind is sharp enough I have started the wood stove again…

Still no water. We are getting far behind (but no water in this wind is actually a blessing–just saying 🙂 ) Some of the farmers are finishing up their second round of irrigation and starting on their third…we are still waiting. Maybe Thursday, now. Who knows.

Whatever it is we will just have to wait until it comes. There is no other way around it.

Anyway…

Today I will get some more things ready in the yard…AND… I have help! Terry is bored so he said he would help me!

Now THAT is a good thing!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

No Sense of Relief Yet—-Monday, April 2, 2018

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Dayphoto

We are still waiting….for the irrigation water to come.

Three times Terry called the Ditch People and asked for the water.

Three times they said the next day or the following day or for sure on Monday.

We are ready….more than ready. All the fields, which will be planted to corn, are disked, plowed, rolled, leveled, marked out…the ditches made (the ditch to carry the water to the field and the ditch to take the water to the next field), the alfalfa field is marked out and waiting, growing greener by the day—but it would grow in leaps and bounds after it gets water.

We’ve cleaned all the ditches—and I’m working on my yard….we are ready.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring! — Sunday, April 1, 2018

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Dayphoto

Wishing all of you a Happy Easter. And a wonderful Spring!

From your friends on a western Colorado farm,

Terry and Linda
Boomer and Mindy Cat

Before the Water Comes —- Thursday, March 29, 2018

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Dayphoto

The water still isn’t here. It’s still five miles away….still.

Terry is anxious to get started. We dive up to Pea Green and check the head gate for the F N Canal (that’s the name of our Canal). The F N Canal takes off the Iron Stone Canal — a huge system of canals running all the way from Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the Uncompahgre River.

Not here yet.

So we have been doing some major clean up around the farm

Gathering more firewood from downed trees at the back of the land

I’ve been working in my yard…I hate to uncover too many flowerbeds until I can get water on them, but …. still…they do need to be uncovered before the spring bulbs get too big.

( I also work in my house, but that seems so boring. Although, I do want to start painting. I need to paint the inside of the house this year and go down to the other house and do some painting, that we (as land lords) are responsible for. But not just yet….maybe in April. We will see.)

The days are ever so much longer, allowing us much more time to get ‘stuff’ done.

In our elderly years we seem to tire out easier, although, it does seem we work just as hard as we did in our fifties—- 🙂

Oh, well…we are pretty much caught up now. Just waiting on the water so the Growing Season can start!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Friends, Although, Not Kin—-Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Dayphoto

Lady has a new forever friend. She is a Quarter Horse and only four years old

Her Name is Adobe Skipun Te Ata—(how you say it is —-well, your guess is as good as mine…the kids call her T. I try and say Te at a.)

After a little tiny skirmish, where Lady kicked TeAta and TeAta turned around a whopped Lady…

They have become friends! TaAta is the boss and Lady is letting her. Lady let Romeo be the boss also. She is a follower….which is good. Two lead equines would Not be a good thing.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Excitement of Water—-Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Dayphoto

The irrigation water is about to get here!

We are getting the canal repaired and ready for the thundering, crashing, life-giving source called water to appear any time now.

We went for a ride last night to see how far away the water is from us….once it gets here..irrigation starts. Irrigation starts and doesn’t stopped (even if it rains), until time for harvest. Twice a day or even every six hours, if the water is short, we move and set water. Often times through out the day we are checking rows making sure the water is flowing through…going clear to the end, to move to the next field, then the next until it finally flows back into the canal and then onto the Gunnison River….which will connect with the Colorado River.

It’s five miles away. Not long now.

Today or tomorrow!

We are cleaning all the cement ditches (yes by hand), Terry made all the ditches he could with the ditcher

And the waste ditches with the blade

And we repaired the gated pipe. Gated pipe always

Always, seems to pull apart over the course of winter.

The first of the fields to receive water (the alfalfa fields) are marked out ready to go

We just wait….

Any day now…any day!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Farm is Our Heart—-Monday, March, 26, 2018

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Dayphoto

Thankfully we got all the wood cut and piled. Our youngest daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren came and helped us finished up the wood. We are set now for at least a couple of years, depending on the weather.

The signs of spring are here, they are in the air, on the earth, in the fading sun or the rising sun, in the lighting shadows and the lengthening day.

I still feed the Red-Winged Blackbirds, although I’m seeing more and more Song birds in the yard and on the farm

I love their songs and strive to keep them here, as long as they will stay. But as soon as the Upper End and the Back Forty green up…they will be gone to sing and mate in that special wonderland they call home.

Then once they are gone—the hummingbirds come so my little bird kitchen stays steady with the joy of winged-friends.

Everyday now is a call to the land, where work is not drudgery, but jubilation—we are adding to the chorus called Spring.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

By the Gift of Friendship—-Sunday, March 25, 2018

Posted on March 25, 2018 by Dayphoto

This month (March 18th to be exact) I have been blogging eleven years.

I have shared our simple, busy, farm life with you. I have shared my excitement over the fresh green shoots of new grass growing, or the tiny little plants of corn or pinto beans, today I’m showing you the sprouts of alfalfa just starting to arrive in the alfalfa field.

For eleven years you have watch the soul of each and every season—the opening of the land, the growing season, harvest…and the rest– called winter.

You have been with Terry and I as we built and repaired fences, or as in yesterday—took one clear out so we could have a larger field.

You’ve been with me through the joys and wonders of the wild life upon our farm—the last of the Sand Hill Cranes left our farm yesterday—lifting up into the sky with thrilling calls telling us THANK You….we will come again. And I stood there and called back to them….PLEASE DO! You are always welcome.

Coming back into the yard I saw three Robins….Spring is truly here for sure!

You’ve shared night-time walks with me (this is the moon right now…2:00 a.m)

And that amazing sky we live under.

Thank you each and everyone so much for coming along with me, for leaving me your comments so I can get to know you also, and for being readers, even if you don’t leave comments.

Thank you for making my eleven years of blogging so very rewarding.

From my heart to your world,

Linda