Twilight Coming On—Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Dayphoto

We spent Sunday afternoon with our daughter and son-in-law in Grand Junction, Colorado. They wanted to take ‘Dad’ out for dinner for his birthday.

It was lovely. Being with family is always special to Terry and I.

When we got home we took the four-wheelers out to check on the corn–if the corn is sprouted little roots it’s time to harrow off the dirt so the seed doesn’t have a hard time coming through our soil. (It was time—today Terry is harrowing the first field)

Twilight was coming on when we headed out…and so was another storm. (Looking east toward Paonia)

When either Terry or I, or just one of us is in need of peace we feel it out here. (Looking toward Gunnison, Colorado) The wind was sharp and a little brisk. A chill from a passing clouds cooling us even further.

The farm and the surrounding area were filtered by the gathering clouds, dappling us in shadows.

(Possible rain or snow showers on Grand Mesa.)

Then coming home we saw it

The brilliance of sun, and sky; a gift from the heavens!

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda

HAPPY BIRTHDAY—Monday, May 2, 2016

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Dayphoto

72 years old and still going strong!

530 John Deere

GTO

Corvette

Loving Grandpa

Farmer

Corn Harvest

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Linda

In a Former Life—Sunday, May 1, 2016

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Dayphoto

For 37 years Terry was a lineman for the power company—most of that time he was a Line Foreman. (Here they are repairing a broken top of a pole —-an electric pole…not a telephone pole!)

This was taken when they were helping with a huge fire at Paonia, Colorado

Here they are sitting a power pole.

All the wind we have been having caused one of the yard lights to trip a breaker then go out.

Still a lineman!

Love,

Linda

Our Farming Hearts—-Thursday, April 28, 2016

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Dayphoto

Yesterday was another chill spring day of damp and moving air.

Terry continued planting the corn, then worked on the pinto bean fields. We are close to starting water on those fields, close, but not yet.

We are still experiencing lots of trash in the canals. It’s a daily job to keep the water ways clear. We will fight this trash until the middle of June. By that time all the fields above us will be planted, all the canals and laterals will be open, and the wind should have died down.

I’ve enjoyed my series of photos of the April full moon. They give me a small bubble of happiness whenever I look at them. What is so delightful is the moon really is tinged with pink. Therefore, the full moon of April is called the Pink Full Moon. Perfect I do believe!

While Terry planted I filled up several buckets, of our saved shelled corn from last year; soaked the corn in water for a couple of hours then took a bucket out to the end of the field (which I will do for every field) and started scattering the seed.

We do this because the pheasants LOVE scratching up the sprouting corn seed and eating them. If I can give them enough soft (easy to get too) corn they will leave the fields alone.

I came across one of the males running along in front of me as I worked. It was blowing a little hard so he thought he could out-run me instead of trying to fly into the wind.

Giving up running he took off; just watching him go gave me a breathless feeling! What a beautiful bird!

Although, it wasn’t raining right on us, huge rain chuts were drenching parts of the Uncompahgre Plateau. (Un-come-pah-gray—accent on the pah)

The sheer ordinariness of the day fills our farmer’s heart with good!

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Gift from Merri to all of Us—-Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Dayphoto

This is a photograph of Split Rock Lighthouse in Duluth, Minnesota! It is taken by a wonderful photographer in Merri’s home town. Isn’t it just stunning?

Thank you, Merri! and Thanks to “Explore the Shore” Christian Dalbec Photography! Here is his FaceBook page if you would like see more of his photography. I think some is even for sale!

Your friend,

Linda

Spring is Breathing Restless—Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Dayphoto

Terry planted corn, in another huge wind storm complete with rain. It couldn’t be helped. The ground was just at that ‘perfect place’ — not to wet and not to dry. To wait any longer and the tiny window of opportunity would be gone.

The air was sharp with ozone and wet dirt, extremely cold against my face, when I delivered sacks of seed to him, or to go get him for lunch.

Boomer would be shivering by the time we got back to the house.

It blew and rained off and on all day. Then cleared late in the evening to allow my lovely sour cherries to freeze (?) I sure hope not. I didn’t check the temperature this morning. It was what it was.

But it was cold, so fresh and sharp that it tickled your lungs to breath…by five o’clock I had to start up the woodstove; the heat felt lovely. It’s still going today and it looks like I will be filling the woodbox for at least five or six more days and nights.

Sigh! This spring is very restless; very wet and cold and windy.

We are still creating and setting dams. Two more and we will be done for the year.

This morning I woke the normal silence of the house. House silence isn’t like farm silence– farm silence is full of winds that whisper, the flutter and swish of birds, and the vast sounds of the sky.

Nor is it the disturbed silence of town–the swooshing of tires passing, the slamming of a far away door, a roaming and uneasy always constant movement.

The silence of the house is the dim glow of first light coming through the window…a gradual lighting of the night into day, the feel of slumbering thoughts, of those still sleeping, the pad of Boomer’s feet as he follows me into the kitchen.

The tea kettle’s boiling water signals the day has begun!

From my world to your heart!

Linda

The Voice of the Wind—-Monday, April 25, 2016

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Dayphoto

I can’t remember now, which day was so full of wind we had trouble setting the dams in the dirt ditch, maybe it was Thursday or Friday — when you don’t work for someone else each day tends to be the same as the day before and the day following.

Anyway we had a big wind for along time. It was cold at different points, warmer at other points.

The canals filled up with trash — enough that the ditch company had to come back through with their equipment to clean them out.

Boomer was deeply enchanted with having them come through

The wind actually picked up his ears, for him, as he ran forward to ‘save the farm’ I was delighted at his cute ears flying in the wind!

Wind of that magnitude (55 m.p.h. gusts) causes us to go out several times at night —keeping the canal in it’s banks, the irrigation water in the proper ditches and the furrows going straight. All without weeds and debris, to choke everything off and cause floods. Runs like this give us a sense of absolute security.

Then the wind leaves, pushing its way onto other parts of the country. The setting sun lights up the water with jewels; the flat lands and canyons below our mesa shadowed in deep indigo and purple, the edges of the Uncompahgre rich in the color of rubies.

Terry and I share a deep contentment, of work well done, as we finish up in the company of the sky.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Home is the Nicest Word There Is—Sunday, April 24, 2016

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Dayphoto

“Home is the nicest word there is.”—Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie

I finally got a series of the Pink Full Moon in April…

after downloading the photos I was surprised that there is a faint pink to the moon!

Also, one day last week we saw the most stunning view of the San Juan Mountains—the sky was cloudy accept where the sun had broken through and was shinning just on them.

We live in the original land of the Ute–the Shoshone–and the Blackfeet Indians–they called the San Juan’s the Shinning Mountains…when I saw the sun breaking through the clouds and lighting up the mountain range I SO had to agree with them!

The San Juan’s lie to the south of us, to the south west is the Uncompahgre Plateau, the west is the Canyons and the desert called The Stinking Desert, to our north is the Grand Mesa, and to the east are the West Elk Mountains. We are surrounded by shinning mountains on three and half sides and stunning canyons and desert on the other half side.

Since we live and farm on a mesa we have the joy of seeing so many vistas of great beauty.

I just know, where each one of you live, you also share in this perfect wonder land called the earth!

From my heart to your world!

Linda

April’s Full Moon—Thursday, April 21, 2016

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Dayphoto

We are cloudy and cold again.

I so wanted to get a photo of April’s full moon, but alas…it isn’t to be.

SO I have some old moon photos I will re-share with you.

April is the Full Pink Moon and it comes from the herb wild phlox with is pink and starts to bloom in April. Other names for the beautiful celestial orb is Full Sprouting Grass Moon, The Egg Moon and the FIsh Moon (shad spawn at this time, I’m told)

Love the silver light of a full moon!

Wherever you are I hope you can go outside and enjoy April’s full moon,

Your friend,

Linda

As Evening Fell—Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Dayphoto

Last night as Terry and I were working on the last set of the irrigation last night. The storm clouds were whipping around us, pushed by the wind—the air so cold it felt like January again.

The night was starting to rise around us, bring with it a glaze of cold and a promise of more killing frost.

As we loaded up to head up to check the weed catchers and the head gate at the Upper End I notice a starburst of light shimmering over our farm

The light was stunning, the sunshine breaking through the western clouds shadowing the farm in a gold that seem enchanted even though already blue shadows were forming along the rises and furrows of the irrigation rows.