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!

I hope you have a great Sunday!

Your friend,

Linda

Running Late— Thursday, June 26, 2014

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Dayphoto

Sorry I’m running late today on my blog post. Terry and I were over at the equipment storage area working on the hay swather. (The biting bugs are horrid!!!—Lots of horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, and those other nasty biting things!)

He had to remove a broken piece off the sickle bar and needed my extra hands. If you are going to farm it’s a real good thing to be able to fix the variety of farm machinery that seems to fall apart just when you are not wanting it too. 🙂

I want to thank all of you who have clicked the follow button, left comments of where you hail from, and asked to Friend me on Face Book. We are a great company of wonderful blog friends from here to there! (Uncle Spike is even from Turkey)

Sara, from a Punkin’s Patch sent me a beautiful rainbow to start my day with! How lucky we all are!

Remember if you would like to share anything with my reader’s on this blog I am open to do so…especially if you have a rainbow or moon bow (on my bucket list) or just something really cool I would love to post it. I always ask your permission first and then give you credit.

I must be off…Terry had to come in an make a phone call. I had to come in an make a post on my blog, but it’s time to get back over there.

(One of the corn fields)

Your western Colorado farm friend,

Linda

An Invitation —-Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Dayphoto

Long before the real work of the farm starts I head upstairs to my office, turn on my computer and sit down and publish my blog post of the day. Once that is done I take a few moments to read and answer emails then I read blogs.

Like many of you I have many blogs I read, each of you reach out to us in blog land offering up a tiny bit of your life (a sharing, if you please).

Often times we readers gather inspirations, new thoughts, insights and creative ways to do something in our own lives and on our own blogs.

The Kitchen Garden Cecilia blogs daily at sunrise. She is a beach raised New Zealand girl now married and living on a farm in Illinois. She is the farmer determined to raise good clean food for her family and for other people in the area.

This is one very busy lady…not only is she the farmer, she creates items for purchase (such as calendars of her delightful pig, Shelia) plus a book (with help from her blog readers) soon to be release: Letters to my Sister. On top of all this (as if she doesn’t have enough to do) she and her husband have opened up their home for nightly or weekly visits with all inclusive breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I was reading through her tabs—please do when you visit. And I ran across her invitation to join her on the blog. It was such a wonderful idea that I wrote her and asked if she would mind if I did something similar on my blog. She was very gracious.

So here is my invitation to you- I will post this in a tab as soon as post this for today.

I would love for you to join my blog. To join this short, daily blog about a life on a farm in Western Colorado. All you need to do is click the button on that says: Sign Me UP! That is all there is to it. Once you do you will receive a notice in your email box the minute I upload a new post. I post every day, except on Saturday.

I post every morning, telling you about yesterday, or today. I sometimes muse about things that interest me, or offer, for your consideration, a brief look at the history of where we live—Delta, Colorado. Then when I stop for a break I read and answer the comments left for me. For me this is a pleasure before I head back to daily chores — my conversations with you!

On Friday’s Fuzzy and Boomer, the two farm dogs, like to take over and blog about their adventures throughout the week. You will find that these two dogs are really very friendly and do have a fun take on every day farm work.

If you would like to join Life on a Colorado Farm (whether you feel like you would want to comment or not) please scroll down a short way from the header photo and click the Sign Me Up! Button. I would love to have you part of our daily life.

If you do sign up, or even if you have been signed-up for a very long time, it would be interesting (no pressure…ever in this world of blogging) to learn where you are from—state or country. I have had the most delightful time getting to know my many commenters over the years. I would like to get to know you also.

If you would like to join the Face Book page go here: FACEBOOK

If you would like to join me on Pinterest, where I post my favorite photos of the day please go here: PINTREST

I know there are many other social sites, but these two I’m most active on.

I thank you very much for joining me, my husband, the cats, and our two farm dogs, Fuzzy and Boomer, in our daily lives on a western Colorado farm in the high mountain desert.

Your friend on a farm in Delta, Colorado,

Linda

Capturing the Spirit– Wednesday, June 24, 2014

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Dayphoto

I was asked yesterday if all the photos were from my yard—yes they are. I love pink flowers for late spring, then my colors move into a riot of reds and hot pink with splashes of yellow. Yellow and oranges with touches of blue carry me through until frost. ( My Spring colors are blue with pale pink.)

The only thing I don’t grow in my yard are cactus…we have plenty on the Cactus hill. The pink cactus are just about finished blooming, then the yellow will appear.

The yellow is the last to bloom. After blooming the cactus will set fruit. If I were really industrious I would pick the fruit and make cactus jelly. But that isn’t going to happen.

I make sure my photos are current to the day…meaning, I take my photos the day before, then post them the next day.

Also, Salli mentioned that I gave her and ear worm yesterday with my post about the Good Old Summertime …I was glad to share that particular ear worm! I had it running throughout my head for two days!!! 🙂 🙂

When out and about around 5:30 this morning taking some more photos, I developed another ear worm. Paul Simon’s –Kodachrome (While others of my age dancing their way through the Beach Boys, I was immersed in Simon and Garfunkel.)

My paternal Grandmother even liked them with me. Her favorite was a Bridge Over Trouble Waters. She would often times be humming this song as she went about her daily work cleaning the house or tending her rose garden.

Kodachrome is running rampant through my thoughts…I guess because I am really enjoying this day of digital cameras…no more taking a photo and waiting for the film to be processed.

Cameras have always been a part of my life, I was given my first one at 10…from that point on I was hooked. Capturing the spirit of the day!

Off I must go from this pleasant activity of visiting with you, my friends, from around the world, to the mundane things of every day living. Today I must wash windows and screens (again). Washing windows has become extremely taxing on my shoulder and elbow, but my eyes feast upon the outdoors. Looking through sparkling glass is delightful!

Your Farm Friend,

Linda

In the Good Old Summer Time — Monday, June 23, 2014

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Dayphoto

My Mother and my Mother’s family were always a musical group. Momma didn’t really play the piano, she more or less played at the piano, her Aunt Lois Did Play and very well. (She was a music teacher for an Idaho school system all her working life), my grandfather played the guitar, his brother played the fiddle, Momma’s Uncle Henry played the Cornet, and my brother played (and still plays the guitar).

My point to all of this is we grew up with music in our every day lives—and we grew up with a radio playing songs. (And we all sang with them…even off key!)

This morning is beautiful here! A perfect song of a day. (Suddenly) thinking about the day I remembered an old song In the Good Old Summer Time… Momma would sometimes sing this to my brother and I as we made our beds in the morning, or if we were walking down to our Grandparents in the evening.