Weather and Moon Lore—Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Dayphoto

(This is an old photo, but I love the fox and the corn and the full moon, so decided to use it for today’s post.)

Today is March’s Full Moon beginning phase…I love the full moon! Anyway, this is called the Worm Moon in the Northern Hemisphere. The earth is beginning to warm, the ground to thaw and the earthworm casts to appear. Once this happens the Robins return to brighten our days. (Although I’ve seen robins for a bit now.)

In the far north this moon is called the Crow Moon–the cawing signals the end of winter and in the eastern part of the north is the Sap Moon marking the time of tapping maple trees.

There is also old farm lore that says if the 21st of the start of the four-seasons…(yesterday was the 21st of Spring) will tell what the next three months will bring; hot, dry, windy or cold. We had beautiful weather yesterday…the morning was clear and bright and warm, by the afternoon the wind came up…a warm wind. Then the clouds started flinging themselves over us.

The wind blew off and on all night (although it was a warm wind) and is still gusting heavily; although it’s still warm it is cooling down.

Terry is rolling the plowed fields (still) it takes many acres of rolling before he can start leveling.

Maybe you know some more interesting rural (country) lore. If you do, would you please share. I rather enjoy collecting them.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Time of Contentment—Monday, March 21, 2016

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Dayphoto

Yesterday was the first day of Spring. The first day that the daylight hours are longer than the night time hours.

My beloved Maternal Grandmother…used to say that when spring time starts the world lies in a balance between dark and light.

(Terry is rolling down the plowed fields today)

Call me strange, but I swear I can feel the earth shifting and stirring beneath my feet as the air changes.The change hums in my blood, the blood of the plants and the animals. Bringing contentment and joy.I just achieved my 9th year of blogging on Sunday. 9 years of being friends with you.

Thank you everyone!

Happy Spring!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Plowing—It’s the Only Way to Go—Sunday, March 20, 2016

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Dayphoto

Terry started plowing the old corn fields

Burying the old stalks, leaves, left over cobs, and cow manure….oh yes! And the MILK DUDS…back into the ground to mellow out and decompose.

I must say I am Tickled to Death about the Milk Duds, Beef Jerky and other assorted ‘chews’ NOT readily available for Boomer.

Although, he still goes out and tries to find them, they are now in the rich soil doing wonders for the earth worms and not Boomer’s tummy!

YAY!

He gained three pounds during this February…now he is on a diet. One I’ve imposed and one the plowed earth took away. Three pounds is huge on a 35 pound Beagle!

I finished all but one big spot of work last night in the sunset. Which, by the way, was stunning.

Have a good one, my friends!

Linda

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! —- Thursday, March 17, 2016

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dayphoto

This local rock art says: “Little bitty turtle, says Thank-you to all big helpers on big horse and little horse for knowledge on back up of computer.” 🙂 (I now have a game plan and can proceed! You have been most accommodating in helping me! Thank you so Much! —See the mountain lion on the rock? That’s me…I now know the way! tee hee)

Today is Saint Patrick’s Day!! March 17th! On this day everyone, is always a little bit Irish! But for real understanding of the most popular Catholic Saint go here.

Terry finished rolling the old pinto bean ground. Today we take a break.

Yesterday, was uphill from sunup to sun down.

I finished raking the whole yard, all the of the farm yard buildings and the corrals. Then in the afternoon Terry and I worked on tearing down and cutting up an old building, which was crumbling. We were concerned that a huge storm would finish it off. This meant moving all the stuff in the building, then the laborious process of dismantling and sawing up the wood. The old barn wood we saved, but other than that we started making fire starter wood.

Today….we are tired. Very. So today we rest, sorta…I have that tedious thing to do call grocery shopping and Terry is working with a guy to do some back hoe stuff.

With much love,

Linda

A Request for Help—-Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Dayphoto

Last year’s corn fields are all disked, setting mellow waiting for the proper time for Terry to start plowing them up. (The old corn fields are plowed up, turning the soil into the earth allowing the stalks and leaves to compost)

This is one of the pastures thoroughly fertilized by the cows. A very good thing!

But now I have a Request for Help from You, if you would be so kind as to give me some advice. I want to back up my computer to an external hard drive. Not to a company…although, I do have Carbonite. They are very good. VERY GOOD. But the expense of keeping them connected is starting to wear on my pocket book.

SO I took myself down to Wal-Mart to see what was available for a good back-up system and instantly became terribly over-whelmed. The helpers in there really don’t know anything except to sell me the most expensive or the cheapest one available. They talked me into system, which I can’t really figure out how to use…got some stuff on it and can’t get it off…in general I just don’t like it. (It’s called Passport)

I’m thinking about just using ScanDisk memory sticks. I would like to usethe memory sticks AND something else.

What I was wondering….would you give me some advice on what to purchase to back up my system? If you don’t want to leave it the comments, please email me. coloradofarmlife@gmail.com . Of course, if you leave it in the comments everyone will benefit.

So…anyway….I thank you for your time and for your information.

Love,

Linda

HI HO—Tuesday, March 15 (the Ides of March), 2016

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Dayphoto

Today is the Ides of March…the Ides of March the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Caesar was stabbed to death at a meeting led by Brutus and Cassius. A seer had warned that hime harm would come to Caesar no later than the Ides of March (See Wikipedia).

For me it also seems to be a date when the weather starts to shift. Yesterday we had lots of wind! Huge stiff wind gusts. But today…it’s cold and beautiful.

A update on the farming—

The old alfalfa field is ready to mark out and plant. It will be corn this coming year

Terry finished leveling that field around four yesterday afternoon. Leveling is the last step of soil preparation…

first is disking

then either plowing or ripping depending on the soil and what was grown in that field last year.

Then leveling.

After leveling will be marking, irrigation and then planting.

One field down!

The conversation every evening goes like this: “I sure am tired. I don’t know WHY I wanted to farm again.”

“Well, goodness! Anyone would be tired after eight hours on a tractor.”

“I guess.” he replies…”but I don’t think of hours, I think of acres.”

“Okay…anyone would be tired after acres and acres and acres on a tractor.”

“True.”

Then morning comes——

(Ripping up the old pinto bean field early, early this morning.)

“Well the sun is poking his head up, ♪♫♫♪ guess I’ll head on out. Nothing like a fresh day to get some work done. ♪♫❤♪♫❤ The dirt is calling me!”

Then with a smile and wave he’s out the door, fueling up the tractor and leaving the farm yard in a little puff of dirt.

From our western Colorado farm •❥*◝◟¸* to you!

Linda ❤(smiles)

A Weekend Get Away—-Monday, March 14, 2016

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Dayphoto

For my birthday, in January our daughter and son-in-law, who live in Grand Junction, Colorado, gave me (and Terry) a one-night-stay at our favorite of all hot springs— CottonWood in Buena Vista, Colorado. Then they told us they were going to drive us to the Hot Springs and spend the time with us. When would we like to go?

After much thought…from January until March… we decided the best time to go would be just after the cows leave and the heavy farm work starts.

So this last weekend they picked us up (our oldest daughter who now lives in our other house — she took care of the cats for us and took Boomer home to play with their dogs) and drove us to our wonderful weekend destination.

NOW! We had a little surprise for Cliff (our son-in-law) because HIS birthday is this month. So we gave to him (and Kimberly) one nights stay, also. 🙂 🙂

It was a lovely time! We had yummy food in Buena Vista and a huge breakfast in Salida on Sunday–home by 2:00 on Sunday, all rested and refreshed ready to tackle the week.

An excellent weekend!

From my world to yours!
Linda

Everything is Coming Up BULBS—Sunday, March 13, 2016

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Dayphoto

I’m so excited! My bulbs are finally starting to poke their little selves about the ground!

Oh! The joy! Joy! Joy!

From my world to yours!
Linda

Cow Check—-Thursday, March 10, 2016

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Dayphoto

The cows are ever so calm. Terry started working the alfalfa field (he is ripping here) and they didn’t even move. (Shows how much we and Davis’ are with them. :0 )

The Mom’s loved hanging in the field eating the turned up roots.

The little ones didn’t even run from the big loud noisy machine. (Probably because the Mom’s didn’t run or holler at the kids to RUN! :0 ) (Here Terry is rolling)

So Terry had to either get out and make them move or work around them.

Calm, calm calm.

That evening Terry, Boomer and I rode through the cows on our evening check…There was a BRAND NEW little one just eating lunch.

Now THIS mom decided she didn’t want to have her little one subjected to two noisy four-wheelers…she took off at a run. The little one had to struggle to keep up, but it did.

At the Upper End we ran into one of the ‘babysitter’ cows…she had 8 little ones she was watching.

It won’t be long now before Mr. Davis comes and gets his cows and moves them onto his ranch, just below our farm…about a mile away.

Until he comes…I’m going to enjoy every minute of the time we have left with them.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Light —a Thing of Beauty—Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Dayphoto

The sun rising. The birds chattering and sending medleys of sound through out the day.

I’m very much looking forward to Daylight Savings Time. Terry and I have already switched. We are up early, early and then tired early.

Our neighbors are still burning. You can see it drifting up over our mesa from the valley floor just below us. I’m ready for burn season to end. 😦 I do try to keep a positive look on things, just so my soul and mind stay balanced, but burn season is always such a worry.

The tender spring buds on the trees are brilliant in the bright blue. The branches of the trees are still mostly bare against the skies…but the promise of new life is there.

Last evening as the sun set, Terry and I watched the sun sinking behind the Uncompahgre Plateau (Un-come-pah-gray—accent on the pah) The fading day robed in pink and purple glory.

The long shafts of the sinking sun burst through the air, lighting up the new little white calves in brilliant flashes of white.

Our nights are still frigid…but a freshness moves through the icy air promising growth, green things, newness…Life.

We stayed watching the night creep up, the cool air wrapping itself around us, then when the light reached it’s peak of stunning beauty (just before all color fades) we turned and walked back to the house and the waiting super in the crock pot…full of contentment.

Love,

Linda