A Week Later— Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

It’s been a week (today at 11 a.m.) Life without the Fuzz Dude goes on. I still want to put two bowls of dog food out, or reach down and pet Fuzzy when I’m sitting somewhere.

Being distracted with others who need food, conversation, activity has helped. Although, it has made me really behind on answering my comments and emails. I have over 300 comments and emails combined that I need to respond too. I hope to get to everyone. Please know that I have appreciated your kind thoughts and comforting words….even those of you who wrote on my Pinterest pages.

Terry took a sample of corn down from all the fields…still too high…the lowest field was at 17% the highest at 18%. We continue to wait. Although, the huge dip in night time temperatures is sure to keep drying out the knerals, which is good.

Two huge stacks of hay has been sold, although, the buyer is leaving them here for a time. He took a third of them yesterday and will call when he is ready to come back out, maybe in a couple of days. Only a small stack is left (100 or so bales). The other 300 bales go to the Delta Elevator. Almost done with that crop…Excellent! What every one strives for to get their product sold.

Those really neat cows

Neighbors-Cows

I was so happy to see (at our neighbors) made the great escape and traveled into our Upper End by jumping the fence between us. It was only three, but three is too many. (with corn to be harvested…you can lose a cow in a corn field and the cow would make a mess and possibly bloat)

Terry and I (Boomer rode along) headed the cows down the hills and into the draw of the Back Forty where we could open the gate between our two farms and send them home.

We had them rounded up and in their home land in just about an hour. BIG SMILE 🙂

It was nice to have people to take evening walks with, Boomer and I enjoyed the company.

Anyway, please know how much your words have meant and that I WILL try to get everyone answered soon!

Your Friend,

Linda

Banks, Bullets and Bodies; A Failed Robbery in Delta, Colorado –Jim Wetzel Director and Author

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Dayphoto

It’s finally here! Jim Wetzel’s latest literary effort, a book titled, BANKS, BULLETS & BODIES; A Failed Robbery in Delta, Colorado, will be available for initial release on October 11th. It is the story about the 1893 robbery of the Farmers and Merchants Bank on Delta’s Main Street in which two members of the McCarty gang were killed by Delta hardware merchant, W. Ray Simpson, during their attempted escape to safety. During the robbery, bank cashier, Andrew Trew Blachly, was also killed by one of the outlaws

This book not only tells the story of the bank robbery, but provides lots of background details about the people who were caught-up in the event. In addition, Wetzel has disclosed many details never before provided in previous writings of this event. Finally, he offers strong evidence that there were more than three gang members involved in this robbery, leading the reader in directions never imagined.

This book is the culmination of twelve years of research, and many hours of studying this event with the goal of correcting the written history of this story, so much of which has not been very accurate with regard to some details. As Wetzel says, “I question everything that doesn’t make complete sense, and that is very clear in this book.” Regardless of such questions, the stories surrounding the event make for fascinating reading, and this book tells it all.

The book retails for $16.95 and can be purchased at the museum or by mail.

MUSEUM DIRECTOR / CURATOR

Jim Wetzel MUSEUM: (970) 874-8721 deltamuseum@aol.com

Guest Post and Photo by Museum Director/Curator: Jim Wetzel Monday, November 2, 2014

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

This 1954 view of Delta’s Egyptian theater shows one of the three marquis changes which the theater has had over the years. The street lamp in this photo has long since disappeared, and now there are two street lamps, one on each side of the theater. There are a few other differences, as well. You won’t see bicycles parked like these any more.

Thank you all —Late Autumn—Sunday, November 2, 2014

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

A storm blew in yesterday…although the temperatures were warm…75*. The weather people are saying there is a strong possibly of (lots of) snow around the 8,000 feet by this evening and Monday morning.

(Which is good) it’s good to be busy.

I got the house completely finished painting on the inside of the house…HAPPY DANCE!

I will start on the trim on the outside of the house and the fence. Also, raking of the the leaves. The work is starting to end down there…(which is another good thing)

Tuesday Terry will check the corn again to see where the moisture content is…the ranchers are already combining their corn. They feed up the corn, as they combine, so they can use high moisture corn.

I wish to thank each and everyone of your for your heartfelt condolences about my Fuzzy. I hope to get each of you answered as time permits. Please know that I appreciate your thoughts and kind words. I know he was ‘just a dog’ but what A Dog he was!

Your friend on a Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Crisp Fall Day–Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Dayphoto

The trees on the way to the other house are just lovely. As are the trees AT the other house.

The other house in the thicket of trees that you see across the way. Trees with lots and lots and leaves on them. It’s been freezing every night…we had 26* this morning. You and I know what that means…all those leaves are going to be falling down into the yard. What that means for me is a whole other job…raking leaves. I rather dread it. I have this yard with it’s leaves and now I have that yard. SIGH!

Anyway all I have left to paint is the ceiling in the dining room, then I’m done with the inside of the house. YAY!

Oh, yes. I still have the outside and now the yard, but I’m making headway.

Our neighbor to the south, has brought his cows home for the winter. He just put the heifers in his back field which connects to our Upper End. It’s nice to hear them talking and conversing with each other. 🙂

Your friend,

Linda

October Irrigation — Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Dayphoto

We started the irrigation water back up. The alfalfa field was just too dry to make it through the winter.

Early morning and every evening is very cold here, although it is warming up some in the afternoon.

Yesterday was horrible with wind and cold and just plain nasty.

Boomer thought he was going to freeze to death so I took off one of my jackets so he could warm up.

The storm blew on by and left us with another killing frost—no ice on the running water though.

Terry had the corn tested yesterday one field was 18 and all the others at 19. We have a long ways to go to get to 14 moisture content. If this cold stays we might get there in two weeks or so.

Two weeks will give me a nice amount of time…I’m just about done painting INSIDE the house. I have the trim/cabinets/doors in the kitchen and the ceiling in the Dining Room. I dread that ceiling as it’s very tall, that is why I keep putting it off. Still I should be able to get to it either today or tomorrow. YIPPEE!

Then I can start on the trim outside and the fences.

Once the corn is harvested we will have to work on getting all the fences on the place cow/calf proof so Mr. Davis’ cows can come to the Brown Nursery. I call our place the Brown Nursery since all the spring’n heifers (first year to calf) calve out on our place. They were babies here two years ago so they are delighted to arrive back. Lots of kicking up of heels and running when they first come in—then they wander everywhere checking out to see what has changed. It takes them about three days to settle down to the place they want to graze first. I always enjoy having them here.

But first………..there is the house to finish and the trim and fences to fix. Oh, and the corn to harvest! (and the irrigation water to change until the ditch is shut off on Saturday).

Your friend,

Linda

The Song of Fall—Monday, October 27, 2014

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Dayphoto

Soon now. The stalks and the ears are getting that ‘look’. Soon.

Sometime today Terry will go out and pick a ear from every field —shell each ear in it’s own test bucket, then take the ear to the elevator to get a moisture test. To harvest our corn the moisture needs to be at 14, any higher than that the corn will mold in the elevators. If you are selling to a feed lot then can take a higher corn moisture….but not where we take it.

Our haystacks are shrinking! Very little left now. The man that is loading out will take that whole stack he is working on, as I took the photo. There is a smaller stack (100) which goes to a horse woman, and the stack that is still covered (we cover all the hay) goes to Delta Elevator. Terry’s goal is for the hay to be gone before winter sets in and Hank’s cows arrive. We have to build pretty good fences around the stacks if we still have hay and cows; preferably we just give them the run of the place otherwise.

In checking the ground in the alfalfa field we realized that it’s terribly dry, so we will start the irrigation water this week. We MUST do it this week since the Ditch Company will turn all the water off November 1st. A week is enough to get the whole thing wet then the alfalfa will go into the winter nicely. The wind is blowing now and it’s cold. A cold front is moving in today and will linger for at least five days. I love walking in the fields with the wind blowing —- here is an old video from a long time back of the wind in the corn…

I find listening to the wind in the corn as lovely as wind whistling through pine trees.

Late afternoon Fuzzy, Boomer and I go for a four-wheeler ride around the farm…up to the headgate, through the Upper End, into the Back Forty, down the road by the alfalfa field, sometimes over to the equipment area and then to the other house, or we just drive into the corn fields and sit and listen to the sounds.

Peace floods my heart, mind and soul. I am so thankful to be able to live and work here.

Life is Good, My Friends, Life is Good!

Wishing you the best of the day!

Your Friend,

Linda

A Bit of Fun—Saturday, October 26, 2014

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Dayphoto

We took Saturday off and headed up to the Devris and Olathe Fire Department Punkin Chunkin and Classic and Antique Tractor Pull in Olathe, Colorado.

There were booths of fun things to purchase and activities for the kids to try. The radio and local Television was on hand to report the activities of the Punkin Chunkin,

complete with a helicopter drop of a huge basket of pumpkins at the end of the Punkin Chunkin contest.

The tractors lined up waiting for the pull to begin; allowing people to see and touch the tractors of yester year. (Although, in our case we still use ours for every day work on the farm.)

Ours turned out to be a fun tractor for families. Several families asked if it was okay to sit on the tractor “SURE, GO RIGHT AHEAD!”

(Tractor’s LOVE attention!)

It was also a chance to visit with old friends and to make new ones. There were only 21 tractors in the pull.

Gradually #19 was ready to take his place. I had a hard time taking photos because I had to face INTO the sun. If you like to see #19 make his pull the following is a short video. He got 4th.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It’s Off to Work I Go—Thursday, October 23, 2014

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Dayphoto

Making huge strides now…our house is done, even the floors mopped and the windows washed.

I got most of the other house painted–just lack the pantry, a ceiling and the doors and some of the trim in the kitchen! HOO RAY!!

I have started the fall clean-up in the yard (while Terry is busy creating a new head gate for one of the ditches). I leave everything standing for winter interest and food for the winter birds, but I MUST dig up the tropicals. I started that yesterday. As I dig the tropicals I replace them with fall bulbs, works slick, since I’m already in that spot. It will feel good to get the yard taken care of and the other house, after that I wonder if I will be bored….hummmm!

Probably not. 🙂 The corn harvest should be close (if not) started. Then there is picking up all the siphon tubes, dams, building the fences…oh, yes and I forgot finish painting the trim and the fences at the other house.

One step at a time….slowly I’m getting there!

Your friend,

Linda

Checking My List—Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Dayphoto

I let the dogs go with me to the other house! I know, I know, I said Boomer couldn’t go anymore, but ….I just felt so sorry for him….those sad beagle eyes you know.

So off we went…then while I was there he had to come inside while I worked at painting the coat closet. He didn’t mind, although Fuzzy said he preferred sitting outside on the step in the sunshine.

This house is almost where I want it to forget it for a spell, all I have to do is mop (!) then I’m done for a time.

I also took our ballets in to the court house…there—- we have voted! YIPPEE!!

Now we just wait to see how the vote turns out. I really like this mail in voting…no standing in line—get your ballet- think about what you want to see happen, color in the square…put everything back in the proper envelopes, sign and date the back, then either walk it in and put it in the voting box or mail it. DONE!

Tomorrow I should finish up this houses’ to-do list and maybe get closer to finished INSIDE the other house. I would really like to get the trim and the fences done before the weather turns bad. I would also like to be done down there, before the corn harvest starts. I looked back over my blog and we started the 5th of November last year. That’s not to far off now. Although, it depends on the moisture of the corn…one year we were clear to Christmas before we got done, not being able to start until after Thanksgiving. I sure hope we don’t have another year like that!

With joy in my heart and a song on my lips–the list is shortening every day!

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda