Good Morning Everyone! Sunday, February 1, 2015

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Dayphoto

Good morning everyone! Moving After two days of heavy gray clouds blocking the sun and sending life-giving moisture into our rather dry soil, we woke-up this morning to a very beautiful day.

Another blessing in the storm is it stopped our work on the removal of the wood from the two trees we had cut down. I think that was a good thing. It’s better to have a break in the work than to break something on your body (all three of us, Terry, Scott (our neighbor) and myself are over 65–just saying.) If the weather stayed nice we would not have stopped…we needed to stop. A three day rest is a good thing (we always rest on Sunday, only the things that MUST be done is ever accomplished on Sunday.)

Tree-work Our neighbor is taking the wood for his outside furnace so we don’t have to haul anything far. The wood from the front tree is way too wet to burn this year, but the wood from the lightening struck tree is dead. This is a win-win for Scott as he has dry wood to finish out the heating season and wood to start the next heating season. It’s a win-win for Terry and I because we have help cleaning up the mess AND we know that the wood is being put to good use instead of just dumped at the Upper End. The GIANT logs we are taking to the Upper End to make hollows for fox (or whomever) have a place to hide.

Scott and Terry both have tractors, Scott has forks on his and Terry uses the bucket.

This leaves me to do all the brush work, rake up all the chips, and to chain up the logs. We are making huge headway. As soon as the ground dries enough we should be able to finish up next week.

We better finish up next week, since Hank stopped and said he was going to be bringing in his first year heifers and his second year cows probably around Thursday.

I just about have the chips and bark and branches out of the corn field gate, which is a good thing…I wouldn’t want any of the cows to get something stuck in their hooves.

If we can get the big stuff and the field stuff done before the cows we can finish up the back yard after the fence is built. Lots of pressure right now to get stuff done.

THEN I told Terry it will be time to put the new roof on the tile house, after which we will be close, if not already started, on Spring farm work.

I think the time of February is going to fly by!

Many of you have emailed asking me to post a photo of the skyline with the trees gone. I shall…I want to have all the trash cleaned up before I do. Surprisingly (so far) it doesn’t look bad down there. Misty wants us to keep the lightening struck stump in the back for Kelly to build something for the kids to play in, so we will. Kelly built a tree house for the kids in one of the other trees; having something cool in this one will add to the fun of the back yard.

The front tree will be gone…I’m thinking I might put a planter where it was and fill it with something colorful. Maybe. It all depends on how it looks. I might just fill in the spot with grass. Grass is always nice on the eyes.

Look at this sunset last night as the storm broke up and left us! The colors are amazing for this time of year!

Thanks for stopping by!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Big Thank YOU, Thursday, January 29, 2015

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Dayphoto

I want to give all of you a BIG THANK YOU for all the encouragement with my new endeavor with Sherlock Boomer! The Chapter One is now posted with good reviews. I shall continue until the very end, at which time there Should be a book.

The Adventures of Boomer will still continue on Friday, after all Boomer does tell about Farm life from his perspective. Life on a Colorado Farm seen through the eyes of a beagle, so to speak.

Maybe I’ll figure out how to make Fuzzy and Boomer’s adventures into a true story yet, many of you suggested I give it a good try. I’m open to suggestions if you want to leave me a comment or to email me. As Sallie from The Traveling Grainvilles, and others of you pointed out Fuzzy was a vital part of the farm for a very long time.

Another thing you might notice is my blog got a mini-make-over thanks to Uncle Spike. (Uncle Spike is a farmer in Turkey. You might head on over– his blog is very diverse and full of photos and cool adventures he has had over his life.)

Uncle Spike very graciously helped me get the comment section set-up so I can answer everyone’s comments right on the blog! I like the idea of answering the comments right on the blog as it gives depth to the post it would otherwise not have.

Uncle Spike then set up the header with categories —under Fuzzy and Boomer you will find the Adventures of Boomer and the Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer. Life on a Colorado Farm is all other posts except Sherlock Boomer. Sherlock Boomer will be the serial posts, which I hope will result in a book.

An Invitation is still there…I’m still thinking on it. I like the idea of inviting people to sign-up but maybe it isn’t necessary. I’m open to suggestions if you want to give them to me.

Terry and I and our neighbor have been working steady cleaning up the mess left from the logging of the trees. We must hurry as there is a storm due in here tonight (it might miss us) and we want to have as much done as possible —if it is a very wet storm. Also, the cows are coming the middle of next week, which means me MUST get done down there and get the fence put back up.

Once more THANK YOU!

Your friend,

Linda

I’m Thinking of Something a Little Bit Different—Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Dayphoto

Look at the huge flocks of birds down where our eldest daughter lives!

Masses of Sandhill Cranes, and Canada Geese. There are ducks in the field with them, but I couldn’t get a shot to turn out very well.

The sounds are LOUD! Everyone talking all at once, doing their dances and singing love songs to each other…Valentines Day IS coming, you know.

They are so loud you can’t hear yourself talk! 🙂 Makes me smile. I hollered over to them they could all fly down to our farm and hang out for a few days I would love to have them! 🙂

Now my bit of news. All last year I tried to figure out HOW to make the Fuzzy and Boomer stories into a publishable book…I tried. But all along I couldn’t get the proper feel of a actual story—they just kept feeling like blog posts.

This year I am still interested in the book idea, but I’m going to go about it a different way. You will notice at the top of my blog I have several categories one of which says: Sherlock Boomer. Every Wednesday I am going to write a Chapter a week about Boomer and a small mystery on the farm….no dead human bodies in these mysteries or evil drug lords—just simple little mysteries which Boomer and his friends will solve in a few chapters. At the end I should have a book.

The Cast of Characters

Boomer has taken up a new hobby…solving mysteries on the farm. His lovable canine super beagle nose leads him and his farm friends on delightful warm-hearted adventures.

Boomer is a Beagle….although, he doesn’t know he is a beagle. He doesn’t hunt rabbits or mice or chase birds. But he DOES love gathering the news. It was after the loss of his very best friend Fuzzy and falling into a long funk that he decided it was time to start living again. Since Boomer loves to gather the news, solving mysteries was the next step. (See the Fuzzy link)

Monkey Cat—lived in the house for years and years and years. If Mom or Dad made her go outside she would climb on the screen door and hang there until they let her back in. Then suddenly- the year she turned nine –she decided that she was old enough and brave enough to explore the big outdoors. Boomer started taking the little fluffy fraidy-cat with him to see the farm…Monkey Cat has decided that visiting outside is, well, FUN!

Sam-Sam Cat — the wise and oldest animal on the farm. Sammy is fifteen and the undisputed cat all around. Sammy is devoted to Mom and adores Dad. He tolerates Monkey and only goes with Boomer to keep Boomer out of trouble. Often times its Sammy who figures out what REALLY is going on.

Foxy and Red—warm-hearted Fox who live at the Upper End of the farm in a pile of old dead Cottonwood Trees. Mom doesn’t mind the fox family on the farm because there are NOT and chickens on the farm anymore. But IF Mom were to get chickens again (she thinks about it a lot) then Foxy and Red would not be welcomed anywhere near the farm yard. Boomer isn’t much of a watch dog or a guard dog. Boomer has a warm heart for everyone, except the Coyotes. So IF Mom gets chickens, Mom will need to get a guard dog for the hens. Until that time…Foxy and Red pretty much have the run of the whole farm!

Starting tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I will begin my very first attempt at a book, in a serial format — a new chapter every Wednesday until the book is complete. Fridays with Boomer will still continue, because that is about our every day life on the farm seen through a dog’s eyes. A much different format than a serial posting resulting in a book.

I am very excited about this new idea and hope to see all of you tomorrow!

Your friend,

Linda

Bookend Trees—Monday, January 26, 2015

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Dayphoto

There they stand, the two doomed trees…the one in the back was hit by lightening two summers ago and needs to come down. The other one is the closest to us next to the other houses.

Terry had been afraid to cut down the lightening struck tree because he was concerned the wind currents would shift in the yard and cause branches to fall on the house.

Then the other tree became a problem (according to the County Road people) because of over-hanging branches next to the road—the county road people came along and smacked several branches and left the branches they hit with their bucket just flung everywhere….on the fence, on the mailbox, next to the side of the road.

I was raised if you do something do it right- I guess this was right…smack the tree and just leave everything as is and don’t tell anyone. 😦

Terry and I went down and cleaned everything up, after we figured out what happened. Rudely they didn’t even tell us they were going to smack the branches off. Nor did we get a letter or any type of a warning…the neighbors saw them do it. (Sigh)

The blessing in the county road people’s damage is cutting down that tree could make a different wind pattern and keep any large branches that may fall off the house. The tree crew says it will…only time will tell.

Today the work has begun. Later on this afternoon Terry will fire up the tractor with the loader, Boomer and I will gather up the rakes and wheelbarrows and start the clean up.

Here is one last look at the skyline with the bookend trees still in place.

Change is always a constant on this earth, isn’t it?

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Looking at a Rose Colored World—Sunday, January 25, 2015

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Dayphoto

Terry and I were outside splitting firewood yesterday as the day started to end…colder air was descending and the sun was sitting.

We still wanted to do a few more logs and I still needed to haul the nightly load to the house and fill the wood box.

As we worked the sky started filling up with the most amazing, scrumptious, delightful rosey glow. It started out as a very pale pink.

Getting brighter and brighter as we finished up.

I hurriedly filled the wheelbarrow and pushed my heavy load to the house, then leaving the wheelbarrow right next to the back door I grabbed my camera and ran back outside!

Light like this doesn’t last long…a few minutes at the most.

And I wanted to be in the light, surrounded by the light…a complete part of the light.

And I wanted to share it with you!

The world is a truly stunning and beautiful place!

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda

Good Fences and Gates—Thursday, January 22, 2015

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Dayphoto

Teresa hosts a Good Fences and Gates every Thursday, which is always lots of fun. Her post today has a beautiful Texas sized Gate complete with stunning art work.

When we were up working on the artery ditch (that takes off from the headgate) I thought I would show you a very functional/typical gate here on our farm—- and most of the farms around us who have cattle. Looks just like the fence.

You have to slip a wire off the top pole to open the gate, then lay the gate down flat (or it will get in a huge tangle); then you can drive through.

It isn’t pretty, folks! But it does do the job!

For more gates and fences head over to Teresa site and check out they ones people have entered. Better yet–take some photos of your own and link your site to hers! All in good fun!

Your farm friend,

Linda

Water a Moving Force–Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Dayphoto

We started work on the artery ditch that moves the water from the headgate onto our farm. This is our main transfer ditch—the only reason we have to work on this ditch is the headgate to our place is located a few feet onto our neighbor’s farm. The field is where Mr. Sinner keeps his bulls during the off season of farming.

Now bulls- being curious sorts, love to mess in stuff. Cows will do it also, but a field of bulls will get bored fast…nothing much to do you see. Once they find something odd, interesting, unusual, different, they will paw at it until they make a huge mess.

We are putting a top on the last part of the ditch…the ditch is cement, but it makes a curve. We don’t want to put this short ditch into a pipe, because we have to keep trash out and this ‘the taking out of the trash’ spot. It will be flush with the ground and blend in…those very wiley bulls will just pass it by on the look for something else to discover.

The headgate to our place is huge and imposing anytime of the year, but in the winter a person can get a good idea of how really big it is, and how much the water is eroding away the sides of the canal.

That is the take off from the head gate called the artery ditch take out, it’s wood, until it hits the fence line then we made it cement. See the damage the water is doing around the box of the headgate.

We should finish up the top today. One project done before spring work starts!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Work—Monday, January 20, 2015

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Dayphoto

It’s time! The range cows should be here in two weeks or less. We spent time checking the fences along the North, East and West sides of our place. They are not in too bad of shape, we fixed a little here and there, a broken off pole, a sagging wire–we still have to fix part of the fence where the Ditch Rider’s cut along the North side next to the main road.

Later on this week we will work on the South side and down by the other house. Terry wants to have two dead trees cut down along the fence line in the yard of the other house. One was hit by lightening in the summer and the other is rotten and leaning into the main road.

I DREAD this job! Those trees are HUGE and OLD and full of WORK! He has a call into a tree service now.

I know I’m being cynical but I know how all this goes….the tree people cut down the trees then leave.

The tree people would clean everything up but the cost is exorbitant, so ‘we’ say ‘we’ will clean everything up.

The last time we did a nasty big tree job like this our son wasn’t working, our son-in-law had winter break at school, and another young man was bored and came over to lend a hand. It took all of them, the tractor and loader, a wagon and myself to get everything out of the field. (We paid everyone, I fed everyone; so was a win-win!)

This time everyone is working or has moved. Sigh!

So now that I’ve throw my fit, I just have to get my head around this new set of work and move on. Fits never accomplish anything…I don’t know why I thought I needed to throw one. 😦

Then while I was dreading the tree cutting job…the earth gave me a gift. A rock in the shape of a heart. All I need to do is take one day at a time…everything always works out for the best — if you just let it.—as my Momma always said. 🙂

Your friend,

Linda

This is New to Me and it’s Stunning—-Monday, January 19, 2015

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Dayphoto

A good friend of mine sent me a link from her FaceBook page to mine with these stunning photos of Fire Rainbows.

Fire-Rainbows ‘Fire rainbows’ are a rare phenomenon that only occur when the Sun is higher than 58° above the horizon and its light passes through cirrus clouds made of ice crystals. At the right alignment, the ice crystals act as a prism, and refract the light to look like a rainbow. Photo by Livescience.

They are amazing!

Also there is a whole discussion about the type of clouds on the FaceBook site and some sort-of ugly comments of people to each other about the phenomenon. I’m just warning you, so if you read them you will understand they are not something I’m involved with…I just loved this rare and beautiful sky and wanted to share it with you. The Photo is by Livescience–as you see— and the photos are on the the Global Coherence Initiative. I have not really read or studied anything about the Global Coherence Initiative — I really just loved the photos and wanted to share them with you.

Your friend,

Linda

SURPRISE—Sunday, January 18, 2015

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Dayphoto

Friday night, late….late…late we heard the alarm on the very long lane leading from the main road to our house.

Ding! It didn’t last long so we didn’t get up to see what or who was coming down the drive-way. Over the years we have learned that hunting cats, night birds, neighbor dogs and grazing deer will set the “Company’s Coming” alarm off.

Terry stayed right in his lazy-boy watching TV, Boomer only raised his head and went right back to sleep, Monkey and Sam didn’t even stir. I thought about going to see what set off the alarm, but decided the book I was reading was more interesting.

A few minutes later Boomer rose up with a happy yip and big tail wags just as the back door opened and a little voice called: “GRANDPA! GRAMMY! Are you asleep”? Terry, myself, and Boomer all rushed into the kitchen, while the two cats scrabbled to hide under the bed.

By the time we got to the kitchen the youngest grandchild was flinging off her coat and kicking off her boots. Then Blade was inside…carrying the huge duffel bag stuffed with overnight clothes and next day clothes for he, his two sisters and his Mom.

By this time Tally had jumped into her grandpa’s arms and Linky was pushing herself through the back door; past Blade to give me a HUGE HUG!!!

Then Blade grabbed Grandpa, Tally, Linkin and myself– giving us all a giant hug!

“What is this all about?” Grandpa asked.

Mom-mom was now in the door looking exhausted and wore-out, but wearing a very pleased smile….”Happy Birthday, Mom!”

“YES! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMMY!” those precious voices chimed in.

What a special and very much unexpected surprise!

“Just over-night”,, Mom-mom warned…we must get back to Craig (Colorado) by six on Saturday since we have an important function to attend.

Saturday morning flew by and it was suddenly time for lunch. They wanted to take us out for a late-birthday celebration so down to Pizza Hut we drove—taking the new by-pass which ends right across from Pizza Hut.

Suddenly ….the party was over—waving good-bye we watched their van enter the traffic on main street and speed away toward Grand Junction. Knowing they had a three-hour drive from here…first to Grand Junction, then to Rifle, after that Meeker, and finally home at Craig.

Gosh, that was nice!

Your friend on a farm in Western Colorado,

Linda