Tuesday October 22, 2013

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Dayphoto

I thought it would be fun to show you how tiny our City Hall used to be. ( The photos are on file at the Delta County Museum and Historical Society or with the City of Delta)

Delta City Hall – from 1910 to 1962 – 3^rd Street (where museum courtyard is today photo provided by Jim Wetzel, Curator)

Below is the City Hall now….amazing how fast a town can grow from the above little office to what is needed today.

When I was a child what is now City Hall was a bank. I think it was called The Bank and Trust or something of that nature. I can remember going in there and putting money in my savings account.

I also remember how stunned I was that I didn’t get to have the exact money I took in back out…just a paper book with the amount written on a little square of how much I had with the bank.

This is the museum court yard today. (Where the original City Hall stood)If you ever get a chance to stop by the bell collection is extremely nice, and the original log cabin is fascinating. (I think I could be a pioneer, I really do.)

Our weather is very nice right now. I got my yard put to bed and all the weeds pulled for the year. Today I plan on cleaning the trucks, Terry’s pick-up and my car. Then I will be taking Linki to soccer practice in the afternoon.

I hope this weather stays for some time, having this nice weather is really a gift for corn harvest.

No, we haven’t started corn harvest yet, maybe November 1st. Terry will take some corn down and have it tested that day to see. Everyone is gearing up, but the corn is still high moisture so we wait.

I hope everyone has a good day!

Your Friend,

Linda

Monday, October 21, 2013

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Dayphoto

Today is my little brother’s birthday. Of course he isn’t my ‘little’ brother anymore, standing way taller than I do. 🙂

He looks rather startled by the flash, don’t you think.

There are only the two of us…he and I.

Happy Birthday, Dan!

Linda

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Dayphoto

We have snow about 1 hour away — all around us.

We get glimpses of the snow off and on as the clouds move here and there on Grand Mesa. The weather man says we are to have more rain starting this evening around 6 and then changing to a snow/rain mix after mid-night.

We sure have been having lots of moisture since July. Although, I am NOT complaining we most assuredly need the snow pack to fill the reservoirs in the mountains… all this rain is wrecking havoc on the crops and the harvesting of the crops.

Some of you noticed the semi-coming toward us as we drove along I-80….

This was a photo of a wrecker pulling a semi truck into the shop. It did so look like a truck coming right at us I had to take a photo. 🙂

This is a semi-load of Honey bees. They were being transported from somewhere in Nebraska to somewhere else. The lettering on the truck said they were from South Dakota.

This is one HUGE pile of sugar beets along the way. The sugar beets were mainly in eastern Colorado and the corner of Nebraska. The factory behind the pile is defunct now. We were told that most of the old factories are being torn down. I suppose this one will be knocked down and cleaned up sometime in the near future.

This is the Great Western Sugar factory those beets are heading here. There is also an active beet factory in eastern Colorado and other places in the corner of Wyoming and western Nebraska. I’m not sure where they all are located.

We only saw one wreck and that was in a town and not a bad one, which was good. And the remains of what must have been a horrible train wreck.

Not seeing wrecks is always a very good thing.

Today Terry is working on the bean combine, putting it to bed for the year and the dogs and I are going out to pick up siphon tubes.

They all have to be picked up before he can start the corn harvest. (You can see the wind in the corn…sigh) I want to get them done, before the clouds set down any more.

I took this last night…the colors were just outstanding. Sometimes I think Autumn is a Dr. Seuss world so brilliant and complete yet simple and divine all rolled together.

Have a good one everyone!

Your friend,

Linda

Monday, October 14, 2013

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Dayphoto

I am so disappointed!!!! We had a stunning rainbow last night right in our front corn field.

I took the photos —PERFECT!

I down loaded them and LOST THEM…sob! sob!

Only this pale other end survived…

I guess this is better than nothing. But if you could have seen the other….

WOW!

After a ~~few~~ couple more stops we headed back.

Our trip back was fast…we decided that we would just hit the interstate and head home as fast as we could go.

On thing about the interstate — it’s boring! Miles and miles of the above.

Since Terry worked as a Line Foreman for our REA for 37 years we always look at electric poles, sub stations, transfer stations, you name it…stuff no one else sees but really does exists.

These wires are created special for areas that the wind whips through so power isn’t lost. Or at least they hope it isn’t lost.

I-80 is an major road from one coast to the other…therefore, we met lots and lots of semi’s.

We spent the night in Kearney, Nebraska. One thing about about Nebraska there is lots, and lots of history in this state.

It was good to see Denver again!

When we started out of Denver we could see storms ahead of us.

It was raining and snowing up to the tunnel and then at the tunnel the sun was shining (go figure)

The other side of the tunnel was wet and nasty.

Glenwood Canyon was still beautiful but wet.

Boy, was it nice to get home again.

Your friend in Colorado,

Linda

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Dayphoto

We took a flying trip to Norfolk, Nebraska as Terry needed some combine parts and a bracket for the suitcase weights for one of the tractors. Since we were both ready for a short trip off we went.

The desert between us and Grand Junction is extremely green. ( You can see Wild Horse Mesa in the background — it is the last green bowl shaped mesa just before the blue sharp lines of Grand Mesa)

We have had and are still having lots and lots of rain. Very nice for making the world fresh and lovely.

We got to Grand Junction as morning was coming into full-light. This is a very quick photo of the Book-cliffs which surround Grand Junction on one side.

Glenwood Canyon was beautiful waking up to a day of full-speed-ahead traffic.

Driving through the Johnson side of the Eisenhower tunnel.

We live 5 hours from Denver. At this point we are about two hours away. This a horrible mess come ski-season. The traffic slows to a 30 m.p.h. or LESS crawl on Sunday afternoon as people try to come back from a weekend of skiing.

Taking the back roads and staying off the Inter State

This CAN BE a bleak trip, but we enjoy the farms and ranches.

It was sugar beet harvest

And soybean and

corn harvest.

All the way from Colorado to Norfolk.

We cheered and clapped and gave everyone two thumbs up for being able to get their crops in.

That night we stayed in Ogalla, Nebraska —

Getting up early the next morning we we found lots of salvage yards

along our route.

Just what we were looking for!

Continued tomorrow….

Your friend on a California Mesa Farm,

Linda

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Dayphoto

“Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden … it is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals, inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power, striking us to the heart.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne

It happened!

The cold has descended! Killing everything. Next week I will start digging my tropical plants and storing them for the winter. I have so many tubers of Cannas I really don’t know what I’m going to do with them, but I guess I will figure it out.

Most of everything I will leave as seed heads for the birds, it helps them and it helps my pocket book.

The trees and bushes should really start to color up now. It always takes a good hard freeze to start to see color on them.

In three weeks we hope to start the corn harvest.

We are moving marching forward to winter, a steady step-by-step now.

Taking one day at a time, your friend,

Linda

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Dayphoto

I always find the wording of these old news stories very interesting. A sort-of polite tongue-in-cheek bit of humor!

Today we should have the stove in place and the roof fixed. We got the wood hauled yesterday and sorted.

Your farm friend,

Linda

From the Past

Compiled from Delta Newspapers by the Delta County Historical Society

251 Meeker Street, Delta, Colorado, 81416 (970) 874-8721

From the Delta County Independent

September 5, 1913

Lewis G. McBroom, arrested at Hotchkiss on charges of theft a little more than a month ago, and being held for trail at the next term of district court in this county, tired of prison life in this city and opportunities for further service [sic] a that greater guard house in Canon City, and consequently concluded to work out his own freedom. He completed this delivery from the county jail at a little after noon hour on Sunday when people were going home from church and there is yet some wonder that he could drop from sight entirely undetected.

His plan of escape was to get under the jail floor through a trap door or loosened boards and then dig out two or three brick and one stone of the foundation on the court house side, thus making a hole which would allow his body to pass through. He had evidently worked on this passage-way for some days and with a piece of steel bar broken from one of the cells some time ago by Marshall, the forger acquitted at the last term on his insanity plea.

Completing his avenue of escape, McBroom invited Chanes, the young Greek recently arrested for stealing and forging checks at Dominquez Canyon, and the only other prisoner in the jail at the time, to join him in his delivery, but the Greek declined. Half an hour later Chanes saw two young ladies passing the jail. He hailed them and related the disappearance of McBroom. He then said he wanted to see an officer and a note was written to Sheriff Sampson which was delivered as soon as that officer could be located, and a systematic search is now being made with the hope that McBroom can be located and returned to prison.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Dayphoto

We got the corn combine ready to go!! Although, the wood stove down at Shannon’s is going to take a little more time. We really need to have it done by Thursday as our temperatures are expected to drop 20*. We are on the rapid decline toward winter. (SHUDDER)

Most days now, just before time to fix supper, Terry the dogs and I head out and check the fences. Our neighbors will be bringing in their cows once the corn is off and we don’t want to be fixing fence AFTER the cows figure out how to get over onto our place. 🙂 Although I love cows it is better when they stay with their own people. 🙂

I’m always surprised at the morning frost, but everything seems to come out of it. The only things hurt right now are the pinto beans, squash and pumpkin plants and other extremely delicate growing things.

So far my tropical plant are doing fine, but I expect them to not make it through Thursday and Friday nights.

Shannon’s two turkey’s have finally made it through their molt–beautiful looking birds. These boys will never be anyone’s dinner, but enjoy living out their lives in royal comfort.

Today Terry has a hay customer, then we are off to help Shannon haul wood. After that we will continue work on her fireplace. Nothing heats like a nice wood stove! We won’t get done today, but maybe by Thursday. (We really hope we can be done by Thursday… the cold is settling in — oh, I’m starting to sound like a broken record.)

But today…today it is still Summer 83* today. I will relish every moment of it!

Your friend on a California Mesa farm,

Linda

Monday, September 30, 2013

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Dayphoto

The Last Day of September the year 2013 (30 days hath September –April, June, and November).

Although, the morning’s have been very frosty (that is frost on the grass)

The days are warming up nicely, even to the point I can open the windows and pretend it is still Summer. The Daily View taken at 4 O’clock in the afternoon is still looking very nice.

Harvest is going on strong for the pinto beans, onions, and the end of the silage. The frost has taken the weight/moisture out of the ensilage corn, but it still has to be chopped and packed into the pits.

Another storm is due in Friday therefore causing everyone to work diligently in hopes of getting done, or at least as much as possible done before it hits.

We are waiting for the corn to reach the perfect amount of dryness before we must begin our corn harvest. We are thinking around the third week of October, but only time will tell.

I’m off now to help Terry work on our oldest Daughter’s wood stove. Then we will work on the getting the corn combine ready for harvest. After those two things are in place I hope to get my lawn mowed. In many ways fall is just as busy, if not more so than spring.

Your friend on the farm,

Linda