Lavender and a Fence —-Thursday, July 10, 2014

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Dayphoto

Gosh, summer is flying by. It wasn’t too long ago (around the Summer Solstices) the little birds were waking up at first light…singing sleepily to the lightening day. For us ~~here~~ (it’s all relative I know) that was 4:40 in the morning. Today I wake before the first cheep of the day, which occurs around 5:11 a.m. The Sunrise: 5:56 a.m.; it now sets at 8:39 p.m. Our Day length is fourteen hours and fort-three minutes.

On the Summer Solstice the sunrise was 5:48 a.m. and the sunset at 8:41 p.m. Making our day fourteen hours and fifty-three minutes. It doesn’t seem like much because the days are warm and lovely and long.

I’ve been weeding in the pinto bean field. I do it every evening. I’m 3/4 of the way through. I need to hurry as the pinto beans are starting to bloom and to shoot feelers. (The mosquitoes and hoards of other biting flying insects are having delicious time with me out there also!)

Once the rows grow shut the weeds will get to party. (Then Terry and I will just have to ignore them. It’s sort of hard because the pinto beans are planted in front of the house this year. Not only will we see the weeds, but so will everyone else driving down the road 😦 )

My lavender is just lovely! I had to share it with you!

The joyful sound of bees working with each blossom fills the summer air. When you move past the lavender plants the smell is of heaven. (I’m sure heaven must have a smell…don’t you?

My contribution to this weeks Good Fences and Gates over on Teresa’s blog is a decorative cement block fence going up Third Street Hill in Delta. This house was originally built by a really good Physician in our town.

For more fun and unusual fences head on over to the Run *A* Round Ranch and check what others have posted. It is surprising how many unusual fences and gates are out there in the big wide world.

Your Farm Friend on a lovely July Day,

Linda

Birds in the Yard— Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Dayphoto

I need some help….I have this cool little bird(s) that loves to come and check out the Hummingbird feeders. If anyone can tell me it’s name I would be delighted!

But first I thought I would show you a darling little Calliope Hummer. We have the Calliope and the Black Chin again this year. I’ve counted five pair of the Black Chin and five pair of the Calliope.

We also have four pair of the Bullock Orioles.

I was extremely excited to see one pair of Rufus Hummingbirds!

He is sort of hard to see in the above photo, but look closely he is there.

But what is this little bird? I was thinking it was a finch of some sort, but my finch food is untouched.

Of course it is terribly shy…not letting me near it at all.

This little darling comes for a drink often…or is it just curious?You can’t see the red here so now I’m wondering if this is a different bird. Anyway, any help on identifying this bird or birds will be appreciated.

Your friend,

Linda

Tuesdays with Friends — Fog Bows—Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Dayphoto

I’m a tad late today as we had to do some stuff before it got too hot to breathe. We had several weed trees (Chinese Elm) that had taken root in my tiny orchard and sprouted to enormous proportions–some dead branches in the ancient (95 years old lilac tree) and some low hanging and dangerous limbs (Rio Grande Cottonwood) and a nasty branch (Colorado Blue Spruce) which kept scraping my neck as I mowed the lawn which all needed Terry’s expertise with the chain saw.

Awhile back I asked if anyone had cool rainbows or other really neat photos that they would love to share with me and with the readers of my blog. If they would send them to me I would put them on my blog and give the appropriate credit for the photo gift.

Leenie from Side Trips sent me two photos of Fog Bows. I have never seen nor heard of a Fog Bow so this was a real treat!

The Side Trips folks stopped by not long ago on their way from Telluride to Grand Junction, Colorado. How cool was that!

Leenie is an amazing watercolor artist. You might take a look at her Esty store to get and idea for a neat gift or two.

Well, off now to get the lawn mowed, the edges trimmed and the hedge clipped. I need to fertilize some of my lagging plants so I best get on the move. The day is heating up…which I LOVE!

Your western Colorado Farm Friend,

Linda

Dance of the Veils— Monday, July 7, 2014

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Dayphoto

Our second daughter and third child, loves Middle Eastern Dance. She has been doing this for years…I’m not sure how many years….maybe around 15-20 years. I’d have to sit down and figure it out, but probably not going to. 🙂

She is the one closest to us in the red, with the royal blue veil.

There! That’s a better photo.

I was glad that Tally was with us…she loves music and sparkles and glitters and singing and dance.

We both (Tally and I) agreed that seeing the beautiful women dancing and twirling was really sparkly and fun!

Your friend,

Linda

The Long Weekend–Sunday, July 6, 2014

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Dayphoto

What a silly thing to say…a long weekend! Terry and I are retired and we farm (we retired from our paying jobs, but kept the farm job 🙂 )

All that this means we we either have long weekends constantly or we never have a break…who knows.

Anyway…right after we got all the water set for the day, we loaded up in the McCormick van and headed up to Paonia Cherry Days to watch our second daughter dance. (I will post this in an up coming post)

We watched a coal shoveling contest, (vintage and classic cars, lots of friends, Visited many booths of yummy food, and looked at many things to purchase.

Bladen stood in line for over an hour to get a ride on the bungee jump. He said it was FUN!!!

A much braver soul than I….even if I were his age!

Home again, home again…it’s always nice to be home again. We got the water set as the sun was going down. Nice and tired after a break from the day to day.

Your farm friend,

Linda

Thursday Fences and a Look at the Fields–July 3, 2014

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

I was sitting at the stop light waiting to turn right when I realized that right there!!! Why right there in front of me was a cute fence with colorful roses sitting off it’s charm. Quickly I pulled out my camera, took a shot just the light turned green and drove on by.

Looking at the photo later I still thought the fence was charming. It off-sets the family home (which you can just see the corner of the porch roof) and the Antique Shop on the other side of it!

The whole feeling is of a bit of whimsy as a person is sitting at the stop light waiting to move forward with the day. (The Antique Shop is pretty neat also—one has to remember that we are a fairly young state so the antiques here will not go back to the beginning of America–like you would find in the original Thirteen Colonies! 🙂 )

The corn is looking good! (I forgot to get a photo of the pinto beans…will try to do that today. It should be a no brainer as all I have to do is walk out the front door 🙂 !

You saw the Alfalfa the other day. I’ll get a photo of the pinto beans so you can see how fast they are growing.

Our days are nice an hot. Not so hot it is hard to breathe but nicely hot. We are still have wind in the afternoon…and THAT is a hot wind. Still it only lasts for four hours then dies down.

For more fences head on over to Teresa’s blogspot!

I’m off to go buy my monthly amount of groceries…lots of nice sales right now because of the up coming Anniversary of our countries Independence from England!

See you in the comments,

Linda

A Perfect Day — Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

Our grandson, Bladen, loves soccer. He has played soccer ever since he was in the first grade. Since the world cup has been on Blade rides his bike over and watches the action with Grandpa. If Blade’s Dad is home he comes over and watches also. It’s a rollicking good time!

At least once or twice during the day Blade rides his bike through all the fields then stops by to let Hank Puff (their dog) cool off in the canal. Sometimes he stops by and visits with us, or stays for lunch, or rests on one of the chairs outside.

Next year he will be in the 7th grade. Next year he will be in Craig. 😦

Tally will also ride her bike over, but it is a long, long way when you are only 6 and you have to peddle LOTS to get your little bike from home to here. Once she is here she wants to watch a cartoon, or play on Grandpa’s IPad. But her most favorite thing is playing in the tree!

(My two hearts sitting in the garden)

Yesterday, Linky asked Grandpa if he would shoot with her.

(After school was out Grandpa gave Linkin his long-bow. Earlier, Kelly-their Dad–had made Linkin a long bow from an Russian Olive branch. She adored it! But being a branch it finally broke…in steps Grandpa with a gift of his Long-bow. She adored it! She practiced every day, getting better and better. So for her birthday we bought her a bow and some arrows, a wrist guard and a quiver.

She continued to practice.

Yesterday when Grandpa took Bladen home –after the US lost their bid for the World Cup in Soccer and after Grandpa showed Blade how to put a new tube in his bike tire….Linkin asked if she could come up and spend the night and shoot arrows with Grandpa.

Her smile says it all.

They pretty much tied with the hitting of the target!

It won’t be long now until they move to Craig, Colorado. By the end of this month.

Blessed we are, Terry and I. All these days are priceless.

Your Friend,

Linda

And Crown Thy Good With Brotherhood — Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Dayphoto

I am very bless! Most assuredly I am!

John Myerson recently wrote me to tell me he has added my site to his Family Farmer Support resource page. How cool is that!?

Hi,
I recently added your site as a family farmer support site to my resource page at www.familyfarmer.org
Thank you,

John Myerson.

You can find your site listed here:
http://www.familyfarmer.org/blogs-by-family-farmers/

Kate also sent along these following photos from the Kingdom of Chiconia (smile)

A rainbow

Rain clouds

Not just one beautiful sunset

But TWO beautiful sunsets!
I have some other great photos that have come in over the past week, but I think I’ll save them for next Tuesday.

Photo gifts from sea to shining sea!

We’ve started July! The early summer days. Hot weather and (continuing) hot winds! BUT I AM NOT COMPLAINING…I know what six months down the road brings — and it isn’t just my birthday. 😦

I’ll leave you with a shot of the alfalfa field…two more weeks and it will be haying time again!

Your Western Colorado Farm Friend,

Linda

Warmth for Winter — June 30, 2014

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Dayphoto

Terry and I have been hauling wood for winter fires.

We have three more large box pick-up loads to go then we should be set for those dreary, long, miserable, horrid, nasty, bitter, ugly cold months. (I guess by this sentence you get the impression that I hate winter. 🙂 )

We are hauling pine beetle killed trees…nothing alive, only downed or standing dead tree.

We gather the firewood on Friday’s, which pretty much zonks me for Saturday. We were both wondering, after this last load, if we can keep this up for several more years or not. I guess we will just have to have it delivered, if and when that time comes.

(Although, NOW we do have the propane furnace fixed so we have a very expensive back-up if we need it.)

While tossing and sorting I happened to look up and see a very cool site!

A HEART! I’m going to save this little gift of love and put it some place rather cool in my garden!

A gift of love from nature!

Your friend on a farm!

Linda

My Day is Filled With Bird Song — June 29, 2014

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Dayphoto

I have always had lots of birds here. Most times they could be a nuisance…by flying into the chicken house trying to steal the chicken’s feed. A chicken raiser really doesn’t want wild birds in the chicken house with the chickens; birds transfer diseases to each other so it’s best to try and keep them separated.

My chickens lived in a great house with a covered pen that kept them safe from the many predators that abound. But every afternoon my hens ran free until the sun started falling and they put themselves to bed. They had the best of both worlds, protected house and run and free range from noon until bedtime.

Over time I learned to feed the wild birds so they would stay out of the hen house. I created a place just for the wild birds so the hens would stay out of the bird seed. It worked very well.

Last winter (after my last hen died) I decided that I didn’t want to raise chickens anymore. Maybe later, but for now I don’t. Anyway, after making that decision I expanded my bird feeding stations inviting as many wild birds that want to dine with us that is possible.

Today I have many, many different types of birds (I am not very good with the bird species so I won’t go into listing them) but I do have a few favorites. A huge flock of Red-Winged Black Birds has left the cattails in the Back Forty to peck and scratch at my little bird station. I love their calls.

Then there is the Western Meadow Larks….that have left the fence lines to come partake of the rich goodies out there.

Of course the wonderful Robins… wake us up and sing to us all the day long. Right now they are feasting on the mulberries and the sour cherries that are ripe, or trying to ripe. The Robins really don’t give them a chance to turn really red.

We have many others, Ringed-Necked Doves, ( I miss the Mourning Doves of a few years ago), sparrows of all sorts, and the other little brown feathered birds that fly with them.

I have feeders out for the House Finches so they don’t have to share with the many other little brown feathered birds.

I relish these warm days full of bird song. Winter is rather sparse with only Starlings, Crows, Ravens and the brown feathered hoard. I leave my winters open day and night even if it is extremely hot…I want to soak up every day of Spring, Summer and Fall that I can. Winter is extremely long to me.

Today is a day (Sunday) we only do what is necessary. This evening our oldest daughter, Shannon, is have a pot-luck cook out. We will all slather on bug stuff and enjoy visiting with each other. It won’t be long now before Kelly and Misty and the kids leave for Craig, Colorado, so we must experience as much as possible before they move!