The Song of the Red-Wing Black Birds, Monday, April, 20, 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Dayphoto

This Spring the Red-Winged Blackbirds came!

I don’t know why they have left the Upper End with it’s lush pond and a swampy area, but they have. When they came (and they are still here) the Western Meadow Larks and all the other birds left for the Upper End, although yesterday I saw Robins on the Western side of the house and yard.

I’m not complaining I love their cheerful little songs and watching them flit and fly from branches to my feeding stations.

They are most joyful birds, don’t you agree?

Your friend,

Linda

From That to This—Sunday, April 19, 2015

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Dayphoto

We went from this—to

This all in a short time span. It started raining, and raining, and raining turning everything in a huge slosh of mud.

See that child in the photo? Yes! We also have a surprise visit from the Grandchildren and their parents.

Even in the rain, our little archer had to go outside—there is much more to life than a electronic for this little granddaughter.

After a long time of rain, and rain, and more rain it finally stopped.

Around mid-night a huge fog descended blanketing the world in a dripping, silent shawl of grey mist.

The heavy mist shrouded the fields, as we changed the water. Ah, yes the irrigation goes on even in this over-whelming moisture. The goal is to soak the ground to at least a foot deep, then to have the water sub-over and meet in the middle between the furrows. Upon checking the moisture level, Terry announced that the moisture was a foot deep…now to get it to sub over!

I know this is odd (for those of you who do NOT have irrigation, or sprinkler systems, or even worry about getting enough moisture into the ground), but here in the High Mountain Desert we do. After over a hundred years of farming in our area the understanding of the moisture content to grow crops is very developed. Terry is a 4th generation farmer right here on California Mesa, his understanding of the complexity of the soil, water management, and health of the ground is to be admired. (Even if I say so myself 🙂 🙂 🙂 )

I got both lawns mowed, and the flower beds weeded, just before all of this moisture blew in- what a huge gift the snow and rain has been—we are turning GREEN!

I just LOVE seeing all this growth! I just LOVE it!

Now the sun is out and burning off all the fog, sending the water into the soil, and drying up all the land. Moving forward!—It’s a good thing!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

We are Frozen Here—Thursday, April 16, 2015

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Dayphoto

It’s snowing here…giant fluffy flakes of winter’s snow. They say we could have as much as 3 inches. 😦 The only good thing, about it being snow, is it isn’t as wet as rain. To work in rain is the pits. At least with the snow you only freeze to death. The mud comes later.

You can’t see the snow here, because it hadn’t started yet, but it is there….waiting in the clouds

Lurking, ready to begin. You can see the snow falling in the canyons…if there were no snow the canyons would be crisp and clear to your eye, it’s misty..either rain or snow. Today it is snow.

My hands are froze. Since I set the tubes and help walk the water {Terry does all the back breaking digging and he helps walk the water} I sometimes have to get my hands in the water. That’s why I can’t wear gloves, even plastic gloves won’t work, I’ve tried them. What I need to do is get good enough I don’t have to stop, bin over and place the tube in the water, grab the end of the tube (to form a suction) in the water, then quickly set the tube in the row. Terry and MIsty can do it, but not I.

Oh, well, it ’tis what it ’tis.

I have my seeds started for the year. I hope to plant out by Mother’s Day. (who knows with this year)

Tomatoes, water melon, flowers and other goodies, happily sprouting away.

Happy Winter, er, Spring…whatever 🙂 I wish all of you peace and so much love,

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

To Which Man Gives His Heart—Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Dayphoto

“Let no one think that real gardening [farming/ranching/etc.] is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart.” –Karel Capek

Gradually, gradually everything is moving forward with just the right amount of speed and with few set backs. I just about have all the winter rubbish off my yard, only one more spot to go, Terry has all the corn ground worked up and is marking out the last field even as I type this.

The alfalfa field is receiving it’s last set of irrigation– then we move full-time to the first corn field. (Hopefully we won’t have to walk the water through the rows, but there is a possibility…when the ground is too dry-not enough snow in the winter—the water absorbs quickly and doesn’t want to make its way down the rows. Or there is lots of trash caused by blowing winds, then we walk each stuck furrow; making the furrow a little more wider and a little bit deeper helping the water to move on, soaking just a little bit, heading to the end of the field. We leave the water 12 hours then move it again…in the 12 hours the rows will soak up so the set can be changed.)

This is the head gate...I am terrified of the head gate, although the water isn’t high here the headgate is deep, the board you walk on has no hand railing….I just much prefer Not having to do the work on the headgate. Although I can IF I have too. 😦

The yard is completely cleaned at the other house and I got the hoses out ready for whenever the tile lines fill up with water and I can start water down there. My hope is the potential renters will be moved in and can run the hoses for me. What a gift that will be. Also, the potential renters didn’t like the bubble gum pink bedroom (for little girls) so I need to get to town soon and buy paint so I can repaint that room. They have no children, she would like just a nice bedroom for guests.

Also, I have a new stray cat. She is a very nice older cat, but has something going on with her eyes. Today I will take her in an see what is wrong with her eyes and get some medicine. The potential renter lady would very much like to have the cat after it is well. I think that is good move for both the cat and me. But if not this kitty can stay here and be loved.

I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to walk the shelter dogs. I feel really bad about that, but hope to get there this week sometime….maybe on Friday.

Thank you, once more for stopping by!

Your friend,

Linda

A Little of This-A Little of That—Monday, April, 13, 2015

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Dayphoto

As we were finishing up the last set of the day yesterday evening, I saw a Sundog in the western sky. It wasn’t as bright as Sundogs are in the frigid winter months, but it was still there just the same. The old-timers say if you see a Sundog cold weather will arrive within three days. Looking at the 10-day forecast for our area…Wednesday we will see a dramatic cool down. Seems like this weather phenomenon going to ring true.

The White-stemmed Evening Primroses are starting to pop out all over our rocky hillside, on the cactus hill, and the Coyote hill. They are also showing up in the deserts all around us and between Delta and Grand Junction,Colorado.

If you are not really paying attention, as you speed along, in your car these precious white flowers look like someone flung trash out their car windows scattering the trash everywhere. Slowing down, or even pulling over and stopping the car, gives a person a rare treat of these lovely desert flowers.

Wayne and Carolyn, Terry’s sister and brother-in-law, stopped by for an over-night stay Saturday. They were on their way back home to Arizona, after attending a funeral of Wayne’s Aunt. We were very grateful they made the detour to come see us for the short-time they were in our state.

My tremendous work load is just about to ease. It is looking like we have potential renters for the other house. I am crossing my fingers and toes everything works out. I have been stretched so far I can’t even get started on my yard.

We finish up the irrigation of the alfalfa field tonight, then it will be only the corn field. The irrigation of the corn field is coming along as well, it just takes time, because it is such a huge field. Once that field gets wet, we move to the smaller field by the house…Terry hopes to plant corn the first week in May. Boy is time flying.

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment or just reading. I enjoy sharing this tiny spot of our life, on this part of western Colorado with you.

Your Friend,

Linda

First Irrigation of the Year—Sunday, April 12, 2015

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Dayphoto

We started the water for the first time Thursday morning around 6:00. Terry worked at the head gate and I cleaned the ditches as the water flowed toward the fields. I rejoiced that I had gained back my summer muscles by the time we turned on the water! You see a person must straddle the ditch, pitch fork in hand and scoop and fling out trash like crazy, then jump back to one side and rush down to a further location, straddle the ditch, and start scooping again until we get to end of our place and the water flows back into the canal.

There is always, always tons of trash in the ditches.

Then Terry joins me, he places the dams along the cement ditch; backing up the water. After which we start the tubes, he digs out the furrows and I start the tubes. We must work fast or the water will back up and flood over the sides creating a mini-disaster.

Twice a day every day the tubes are changed….every two hours or so, the tubes are checked to make sure there is no trash in the ditch and the water isn’t running over into fields that haven’t been worked.

During the daytime–the morning set —we are watering the corn ground —Terry likes to water-up the seeds, instead of planting and then watering.

In the evening we move the water to the alfalfa field, since it doesn’t need to be checked while we sleep.

Spring time work is always a huge, huge push. But there are so many wonderful things about being out there on the land: the smell of the ground as the water hits it for the first time, the extremely cold invigorating wind on your face as you drive the 4-wheeler, the warm body of Boomer as he huddles next to me using me as a shield, the peace and beauty all around, seeing pheasants rise with loud squawks and cries of alarm, if we get too close to them, watching a fox trot along the edge of the alfalfa field searching for mice, bending over and setting a tube (and it works the first time) then moving on, always staying ahead and in a rhythm, the sun coming up and starting to warm the air the land and you, shedding your jacket and feeling the sudden coolness that soon disappears as you work.

Long before we finish the last set of the day the air starts to cool down so the jackets come back on, Boomer is tired and hangs by me all muddy and pleased with himself, the Western Meadowlarks are now silent and the Red-winged black birds chirping sleepy time calls, a little family of Kill Deer run quickly away from us, and the sun breaks forth into dazzling colors, peace and calm settle down upon the land as the life giving water flows toward the end of the field.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Big Fire—Thursday, April 9, 2015

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Dayphoto

I was looking out one of the bedroom windows Sunday afternoon, thinking how much I missed the Grandchildren (they had just left, driving away, going back to their lives in Craig) when I saw a HUGE plum of smoke break out to the north west of our place.

Just then then Misty called and said they could see a huge fire probably close to the Correctional Facility, on Sawmill Mesa road. (Five miles away from us).

Not wanting to be in the fire fighters way, we stayed home. The next afternoon we took a ride over to see the damage. It was vast. There were still firefighters mopping up hot spots…we even saw forest fire Hot Shot vehicles along with the local fire fighter trucks.

The fire was in the Colorado Escalate Wildlife Area. This is the train bridge, all of us locals call it the Black Bridge.

Later we learned that Cedaredge, Olathe, Delta, the Correctional Facility, and the Wildfire Hot Shots were all fighting this HUGE fire.

The flames were being fanned by the 40 m.p.h. winds we were having and had up until last evening around 8 p.m. The air is calm this morning.

No structures were damaged, thankfully! As for the cause of the fire…no one knows yet.

Today we start water on the place. The winds have left and a cold front has replaced it. That water is going to be cold to be putting our hands into. But no matter hot or cold the irrigation water must go on.

I leave you now to head up to the head gate with Boomer and Terry. It’s going to be a very busy day.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Finished!—Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Dayphoto

Finally we are finished with all the gated pipe! What a long job. Although, to be fair we didn’t work at it steady, but here and there until the wind got to be too much or we got tired.

Then we would stop and go work on something else. Blade helped us lots. A thirteen year old boy really is a big help.

Thank heavens for 4-wheelers! To have to carry… by hand… all those pipe would have been over-whelming, although, when we started out farming Terry and I DID lay the pipe by hand.

Anyway, Thankfully we are finally done with the pipe. NOW next step is to mark out the alfalfa, clean the cement ditch, lay out the siphon tubes and start water! Once the water is started it won’t be turned off until harvest.

Twice a day every day (more times, if the water is short) we will change the water. Terry says moving water is just like milking a cow…twice a day no matter what! 🙂

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Wee Visit in the Middle —Monday, April 6, 2015

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Dayphoto

A phone call announced that Terry’s brother and Charlotte were in Telluride, Colorado, and would be coming our way by two or so in the afternoon. They were traveling from Gilbert, Arizona, back to Birmingham, Alabama taking the scenic route. 🙂

They were here a very short time, but we did enjoy them very much.

Today our lives settle back into our regular routines. I don’t know about you, but I do so enjoy routines. I always feel like I get a lot done if I have a system. Otherwise I feel scattered and pulled.

Terry is making ditches and marking out the alfalfa field. It was fertilized this morning in the pre-dawn, BEFORE the wind starts blowing this afternoon. We will start the water in that field either this evening or first thing tomorrow morning.

This afternoon I will be working down at the other house in the yard and up here in my yard. Sure seems to be lots to do this time of year. (But you know something, I’m loving every minute of it! 🙂 )

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Little of This and a Little of That—Sunday, April 5, 2015

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Dayphoto

The eclipse was really cool to watch the other night. Because we are way out in the country, and we live down a country lane, we don’t sleep with our curtains or drapes pulled. On full moon nights the moon beams stream into the bedroom right onto the bed and in my eyes. Therefore, I was awake and ready to watch the Super Moon be eclipsed.

The eclipsed started close to five in the morning…turning a dull brick red around six or so. We never had a full eclipse because the sun started coming up before the moon could be completely covered.

That’s okay…I enjoyed watching every minute of what we had anyway.

The kids got all their Easter eggs dyed ready for the big hunt today. It was fun having an egg dyeing party once more in my kitchen. It’s been a long time since the last time eggs were dyed here. 🙂

We’ve had several nights of freezing weather—I’m sure the apricots are gone, and now the pears. The plums, sour cherries and the apples just might make it this year, but only time will tell. Still the blooms on the pear trees are pretty.

Easter morning is beautiful. Today is our last day with the kids, they will go back to Craig, Colorado, late this afternoon. But first we (all of our daughters and son-in-laws and grandchildren and even Jason’s Dad) are all going to the Uncompahgre Plateau for an Easter Picnic.