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

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Dayphoto

The last Sunday in September…sometimes it seems like time really gets away from me.

Last Friday’s mail brought to me a wonderful surprise! Well, not just me, but a surprise for Terry and I…

Jan, from the Poodle and Dog Blog, sent Terry and I here hand-crafted Christmas stockings.

The workmanship is just outstanding! Terry was, also, impressed with the amount of detail in crafting each sock. If anyone is interested she has an Esty store where she has many more socks and many different colors and designs.

I humbly Thank You, Jan!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Crossing the Canal

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Dayphoto

MOM!!!!

MOM!!! ARE YOU READY!!!!

MOM!!!

Can we go for a walk now?

Huh, Mom?

We are ready!!!!

Good! Here we go!

Houston is getting ahead….wait up Houston!

We have to wait for Fuzzy, Mom said.

Oh. Fuzzy is going to wait by the combines….that’s okay, Fuzz.

Whap, whap, thump. We’ll come back and get you.

LET’S GO!

COME ON HANK! We have to catch Houston!!!

Hummm…the canal. We’ve made it clear around the place and now there is the canal.

We HAVE to cross the canal to get to the other side!

Houston says she will go first—

Now Mom—

That’s good.

Now our Sister, Shannon.

Okay…ME!

Good now we are across… LET’S GO! Fuzzy is waiting!!!

WAIT!

Where is Hank?!?!

HANK PUFF!!! WHERE ARE YOU?

Hank?

You are STUCK?

You can’t cross the pipe?

Yes, you always fall in but you don’t have to fall in. Just walk really fast and you’ll make it.

Come on Hank!

Give it a good try!

Hank, come on.

Oh, you won’t come unless Shannon walks with you….but there is only room on the pipe for one dog at a time.

“It is okay, Hank, not a problem, just one paw in front of the other and you can do it” says Houston.

KEEP ON DOING IT….You are making it!

YAY, HANKIE PUFF!!!

We made it back to Fuzzy and everyone was good and tired. Ready for a break after that really hard walk across the pipe.

Have a good rest all. See Hank and Houston are already napping.

Yawn.

That really was a good hike!

Boomer

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Dayphoto

We are warm today, 67* right now. We have a high wind warning starting at noon today as another cold front blows into our area. But for right now, we are nice…Friday we will be wet again. (I hope it goes around us–we are way too wet as it is and need some drying weather for the pinto bean farmers in the area to be able to get their pinto beans out.)

Anywho….

There is a really cool program through Cornell called Project Feeder Watch. Go Here to Sign UP.

This is a program of a winter long survey of birds that visit backyard feeders across America. Watchers count they birds they see at their feeders from November through April and send in their reports. The program tracks invasive species as they move across the continent, like the Eurasian collared-dove (or ring-necked dove), and measures the decline of species such as evening grosbeaks and the population increase of other birds such as Northen Cardinals, Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens. Oh, yes and I think the Redbellied Woodpeckers.

I will probably have one million counts of House Sparrows and Starlings, but I’m going to give it a try.

Your friend on a California Mesa farm,

Linda

From the Past—August 22, 1913

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Dayphoto

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

August 22, 1913

During a heavy thunder shower accompanied by frequent flashes of lightening in the Cedaredge district last Thursday evening, one of those sharp flashes connected with stacks of hay on the farm of Dr. H. K. Gibbs and soon all was a solid mass of flames.

There were spectators to the lurid scene, it is reported, but nothing could be done to check the blaze and in a very few moments 110 tons of hay, one or more sheds and considerable fence, was in ashes. The loss is conservatively estimated at between $800 and $1,000.

The residence and other buildings on the Gibbs farm were at sufficient distance from the fire to escape unscathed. Mr. Gibbs many Delta county friends and acquaintances will regret to learn of his misfortune.

This is something we rarely hear about anymore. Although, when I was a child I remember playing in our front yard when our neighbor across the road had one of their three haystacks burst into flames.

Everyone close by rushed to help Mr. and Mrs. Shock put out the fire, but nothing could be done to save the three haystacks. By the time the Cedaredge Fire Department arrived all three stacks were on fire. Cedaredge is a good 20 minutes from where we lived so the time it took to call the operator (yes we still had telephone operators back then) have her alert the volunteer fire department and personnel, for everyone to arrive at the station and then drive down there a goodly amount of time had past. A goodly amount of time.

Momma watched with my brother and I while all the men did what they could. When questioning her “WHY?!?!” She explained that the hay stack had gotten so hot inside that the fire started, which was a amazing thought to a small 6 or 7 year old.

Gradually I began to understand that when hay is stacked up still wet (or too fresh or too green, however you like to think of it) the heat will build until a fire will self-start. A fire like that is called spontaneous combustion.

It was an amazing site and one that still stays with me even now. Terry is very, very careful to never put up hay that is too wet for just this reason. Also wet hay can mold, which is not good for animals to eat causing many air born and other illnesses. It’s a matter of timing for good rich hay complete with the little leaves still attached to the stem. The little leaves are the rich source of protein perfect for maintaining good health in animals.

Today is groomer day for the dogs…I’m sure Fuzzy isn’t going to appreciate where we are going. But he will enjoy the ride (until we get there, that is!:))

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Flight of the Monarch Butterfly

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Dayphoto

Yesterday, about 11:00 a.m. I was outside without my camera, of course. When I saw Monarch Butterflies (about four) flying very seriously toward the West. I knew if I ran into the house and got the camera, brought it out, they would be gone so I stayed and watched.

What a gift!!

It is so stunning to imagine the very long flight those four (and all the many others) have undertaken to their home in California . Western American Monarch Butterflies head to California and Eastern American Monarch Butterflies head to Mexico.

My photos above are taken from the Wikipedia site about the Monarch Butterfly.

Today we are in the beginning of a fast moving cold front and fall storm, complete with flash flood warnings of over-saturation levels causing dry-washes filling up and running. I doubt very much if we will see the types of flash floods those in the corridor of the state sadly experienced, still it is wise for people to stay away from flash flood prone areas here. Plus snow is predicted for the high mountain places….like Vail, Aspen, Independence Pass, destinations of that nature.

Moonflowers

For the first time ever, in my 30 years of trying to grow them, I have Moon flower blooms!

The harvest moon was delightful last night!

Maria, the mother of Felipe, has asked if I would like to come to her house and learn how to make her Posole…YES! I hope to do so very soon! Maybe next week or the following week. I’ll let you know how it goes.