Sunshine and a Stiff Breeze—-Thursday, January 15, 2015

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Dayphoto

Yesterday was a very nice day…I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends from here and around the whole globe. I thank each one of you very much!

Another gift today — last evening, as the sun was starting to set, the clouds broke up; allowing clear skies to appear! Sunshine always gives a huge lift to the spirit!

Always!

Elaine from Black Forest, Colorado, sent me this beautiful frozen photo of the frost and fog and hoar frost not far from her home. It looks like the photo is in black and white, but in reality it was just that cold.

Then Linda, from very large ranch in Alberta, Canada, sent me this stunning sunrise.

The world is just a beautiful place!

Your friend,

Linda

Life is Full of Gifts—Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Dayphoto

Today I’m another year old. That in and of itself is a very nice gift! Not only am I another year older I am in good health! That is a HUGE gift!

Another (tongue and check gift) is I will be 66 two years in a row…HOW COOL is THAT?!

Not many people can have the same birthday twice, but I’ve managed to do so several times in my life. When I turned 37 I was 38 for two years, when I turned 51 I was 52 for two years and then last year when I turned 65, (just like those other years before) I skipped being that number and rushed myself right along to 66—so once more I get to be 66 for a year! I even up-aged my oldest daughter and then for some crazy reason I down-aged my two youngest daughters, my son got to stay his right age.

The weather is still dark and dreary and wet. BUT the gift is IT ISN’T terribly cold! When the sun does shine forth you can bet I’ll be outside dancing in it! 🙂

The fuel prices in our town have taken a decidedly nice tumble—although, I understand that falling fuel prices are NOT a good thing for people working in the gas and oil fields.

Terry gave me a really neat, sturdy outdoor jacket! I just love it! Full of pockets to carry my camera, gloves, scarves, you name it. It’s sturdy and warm! YAY!

I have many wonderful gifts…I wish to not single any one out, but this one is heart-warming and sad and special all at once.

Fuzzy and Boomer’s stories all wrapped up in two bound books, complete with photos.

Our daughter in Grand Junction, pulled the stories off the blog and had them bound in two books.

I cried when saw them. Inside are all the animals our families have had…each granddog over the years and, of course, that wonderful wise dog Fuzzy and his side-kick Boomer.

The back shows the photo our Kelly, our son-in-law took of a rainbow over our house and farm buildings. A rainbow is such a beautiful site and to have it right over our place is a true gift.

This morning I had many, many, many birthday wishes on FaceBook, emails of birthday wishes and several phone calls, and the post office has delivered many, many birthday cards!

I am so humble and over-whelmed at the amazing people who fill my life–each one of you are a special gift to all who know you—and most definitely a special gift to me!

Your (finally) 66 year old friend!

Linda

Confused Weather–Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Dayphoto

Look at this weather! Typical of summer, but not the middle of January!

And…it really isn’t all that cold—it’s 35* (I think that is 1.66 in celsius ???) right now. The ratty and tired snow is now gone and huge mud puddles in it’s place. There is no really working outside in this. (Although, I will still need to haul wood for the fireplace.)

Yesterday Terry and I did some maintenance jobs around the yard involving the chain saw, we were able to do them without moisture—snow or rain.

We still have a list of chores that needs to be done and soon…one of them is to put a new roof on the tilehouse, another is to finish hooking up the wood stove in one of the shops, and of course the fences all need to be walked and checked. The ditch company is very bad about just cutting the fence, if they want in …drives us bats. We have gates—sure they might have to walk a short distance to get to the gate (we leave them open during farming season) and then walk another short distance to get where ever it is they want to be. But no…they just cut the four strands of barbed wire – down the fences go and in they walk. Sure is disrespectful and (basically) lazy.

Anyway… (this is a summer rain photo with a Boomer nose on the side)

I will enjoy this sorta–like summer rain and do some baking. It will be nice to get caught back up on my house stuff.

Your friend,

Linda

Silence is Golden and Lonely—Monday, January 12, 2014

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Dayphoto

Ever since Christmas our house has been full of people! Oh, sure we’ve had a few days off here and there, but on the whole Terry and I have had the energy and brightness of our children and their families and extended families sharing our house, food and lives.

Thanks to our new daughter-in-law, Jolyne we have some family photos for the first time in a very, very, very long-time. (Over Christmas Jolyne’s sister and darling little baby visited Evan and Jolyne for two weeks, and then Jolyne’s Mom came for a week over New Year’s. Everyone drove out a couple of times to see us and we went in to town to visit with them.)

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Our daughter Kimberly and her husband, Cliff live in Grand Junction–they came up several times to be with all of us. Kimberly’s birthday was the 7th and Bladen’s the 9th so we got to celebrate Kimberly’s twice…once with she and Cliff-then again when everyone was here for Blade’s birthday.

Shannon and Jason just live down the road (two miles) and came by often. Another cool thing was Jason’s Dad came to visit the kids and we got to celebrate his birthday also.

On Saturday we had a group birthday…Kimberly the 7th, Paul, Jason’s Dad the 8th and Blade on the 9th! What a cool happening!

And the family from Craig came down…complete with Hank Puff — coming for two weeks at Christmas and this weekend for Blade’s 13th birthday…we had lots and lots of food, lots and lots of presents, best friends over to play and many walks around the farm. After everyone left yesterday Terry and I collapsed and took a nap for two hours. (I know, what can I say, we are old 🙂 )

That night and today we realized it was way too quiet here.

Your friend,

Linda

FOG — Sunday, January 11, 2015

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Dayphoto

Fog rolled in just before the snow hit! (It’s snowing here now)

Nothing is a beautiful as fog.

Of course we don’t have fog like the other parts of the world, we have fog in a very random way. Fog is Not a staple here, nor is it a common occurrence. It isn’t rare, but it is unusual.

When we do get fog it’s caused from the large variety of canals and rivers, which are in our area; the water becomes warmer than the air then we get fog!!! I adore the fog!

Of course it never lasts long. So having it descend on the farm is really nice!

Your friend,

Linda

A Little of This and a Little of That—Thursday, January 8, 2015

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Dayphoto

This is a photo was taken by our oldest daughter while she and Jason were up on the Uncompahgre Plateau (Un-come-pah-gray, with the accent on the pah). Winter on the plateau!

It’s melting here! Bright sunshine and warmer temperatures are quickly destroying all the footprints in the snow.

I am not sure if this is a canine with a bum leg or a lame deer. My vote goes for the deer–although, I’m really not sure. A dog could drag a leg, but more than likely they hop along on three legs.

Little birds…of which kind I’m not sure….we have quail, pheasant, plus many little song birds. There is also a possibility that mice have scampered over the birds tracks.

I have even brought out my EVERYDAY shoes! Feet need to see the sun! 🙂 That’s my theory, anyway! 🙂 I can only wear these ‘shoes’ when the snow is still frozen, the rest of the time–I wear boots.

Under the big cottonwood tree in the yard, the snow has melted and turned to dry dirt—makes a joy to haul wood. I even raked around the wood pile yesterday!

Another storm is due in here in a few days, but for right now! I’m enjoying this warmer weather and the sunshine! YAY!

Your friend,

Linda

Traffic Jam—Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Dayphoto

You honestly don’t see this much here anymore. Most of the time the shepherds and the cowboys truck their animals from one pasture to another.

BUT if the need to move to a pasture just a short distance the animals are driven there.

Terry and I were on our way to Grand Junction, Colorado, when we ran into about 300 sheep around Camel’s Switch! It was a hoot to watch the dogs working the sheep.

To give you a tiny idea of cowboys herding cows here is an older photo of the cows leaving our place for a pasture just down the road. Moving cows has the romance of ranch life all wrapped up in herd—cows, horses and cows boys!When I was a child sheep and cattle drives were very common. Often times children were let out of school to help drive the cows up to the pasture on Grand Mesa (I went a few times) or to gather the cows in the fall and bring them down.

Sheep were moved from one orchard to another in the winter…(Shepherds Walk WITH their flocks), many a time my brother and I would leave for school in the morning and come home that evening to sheep feeding along the trees in our father’s orchards. Overtime we would head out to school then come home to find the sheep had moved on…to a back orchard or to a neighbors. Sheep were perfect for mowing down all the weeds between the trees and along the ditch banks in orchards. They were short enough they didn’t eat twigs from the trees and always hungry enough the orchards were void if ladder binding weeds when it became time to start pruning the trees before spring buds appeared.

Watching the animals move ALWAYS makes me think of that old song RAWHIDE!

Keep movin’, movin’, movin’,
Though they’re disapprovin’,
Keep them doggies movin’ Rawhide!

Move ‘em on, head ‘em up,

Head ‘em up, move ‘em out,

Move ‘em on, head ‘em out Rawhide!
Set ‘em out, ride ‘em in
Ride ‘em in, let ‘em out,
Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in Rawhide.

Wasn’t it Clint Eastwood that starred in that tv series?

Anyway, most ranchers and sheep people move by truck now days. Head over to the post about this happy photo. (I came upon this cattle truck one day way back when I was still working. Just click the blue lines to go to the post. 🙂 )

As a side-note…the guardian dogs were having a great time DOING NOTHING!!! Hahaha, tehe! It was all up to those hard working border collies.

There were three guard dogs and there were EVERYWHERE! They checked out every smell, peed on many a bush, walked down the train tracks…trotted into yards. They were having a DELIGHTFUL TIME!

Just so you don’t think the border collies (four of them in the back, two in the front) had their noses out of joint (my maternal grandmother’s saying 🙂 ) they DID not! They were having the time of their life pushing those sheep along!

I think it is safe to say…I enjoyed every minute of being ‘stuck’ (I use this term very loosely) behind a fast moving flock of sheep!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Housebound—Monday, January 5, 2015

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Dayphoto

Feeling a tad housebound Terry decided that a short walk to hook-up the fence down by the head gate (for the next farm) would fix the problem.

Starting at the electric fencer each strand of wire was checked and re-hooked–working around our farm yard; gradually making it to the gate at the end of the pinto bean field. This is also the head gate (for irrigation water) to the next farm.

Sunday we try to only do those things that MUST be done. But, sometimes the air inside starts to feel closed in an way too warm.

Still feeling like we just DID NOT want to go back inside Terry and I finished up the cleaning of the grain bin. We swept up two buckets of corn, cleaned out the tubes and hooked up all the doors and vents. (Boomer wanted very much to help…but doggie toes on the mesh floor was NOT a good idea.) Then we took the two buckets of corn and flung it out into the ditch to feed the quail and pheasants—the mice and song birds—and yes, any deer that might trot along looking for a nice winter treat.

When we finished our slight chores I noticed that the sun was setting; breaking through the clouds in a tiny rim along the Uncompahgre Plateau. What a joy to see even that tiny bit of sunshine.

This morning the sun rose causing the thin clouds to turn a brilliant red…another joy for a winter’s day. This color is rare, rare, rare in the pale frozen time of winter! I sang a song of happiness when I saw it!

Now, as I sit upstairs in my little office, looking outside I see the thin clouds have become thicker and typical white/blue colors that mark each day have arrived. Today Terry and I will continue to work on the fences and do all those every-day things we each must do.

I am also sending to each and every one of you warm thoughts for a perfect Monday, filled with pleasures and happiness!

Your friend,

Linda

Saying Good-bye–Sunday, January 4, 2015

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Dayphoto

There are so many ways to say Good-bye—so many.

When a life passes on to the ‘other-side’—where that is we will never truly know until we also pass over…the tangible pieces of every day living are left behind. “You can’t take it with you,” is a very true statement.

Rick’s brother and sisters respectfully asked Terry if he could/would come help them with the gathering of Rick’s assets and collections. Farmer’s always have collections, you know. It takes many pieces of this and that to keep things running.

So down the road Terry would go tractor and loader at the ready.

Another neighbor, Shea’s brought over the trailer for Terry to load the equipment for the ready of Flower’s Consignment Sale the first Saturday of February.

Saturday other friends and neighbors arrived— a community of men helping the family complete Rick’s life on earth.

Yesterday they finished. There is something so sad in the thought that one life is finished. The farm house will be sold- a new family will move in excited to begin life in the country- the equipment will go on to someone delighted to have it, and the personal items sorted and delivered to favorite nieces, nephews and cousins. Although gone, the memory of Rick will stay alive in everyone thoughts.