Gathering—Gaining Strength—Getting Ready — Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Posted on September 10, 2024 by Dayphoto

I know it isn’t going to be long now

The swallows are gathering. Waiting for the little ones to get enough strength to migrate.

Each and every day I watch them start to have more and more Swallows arrive to begin the big migration.

Our swallows are the last to come in the Spring and the last to leave in the fall. It won’t be long now. I hope I can see them go. Only once did I get to see them all lift as one, swirl around the farm and our house as if saying good-bye…then rise way up into the sky in a joyful dance.

And then were gone.

One once! But that once was a Huge wonderful gift!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Not Long Now — Monday, September 9, 2024

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Dayphoto

The Last of the baby swallows

Have left their warm and comfortable little nest—

Only returning at night. Still just teenagers—needing a bit of comfort before tackling the world.

They were raised over our backdoor. Every time I go in or out I got to watch them as they grew.

Making me smile all the while.

(This makes their parents terribly nervous, but, oh, well, I have enjoyed being part of their little baby lives.)

Soon, they will blend in with the others…making it difficult to ever know who is who again.

Such a distinctly joyful experience!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

DONE! DONE!! DONE!!! — Sunday, September 8, 2024

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Dayphoto

It’s been a whirlwind this past week. We listed the hay for sale Sunday (last week) and sold every single last flake and straw by Wednesday afternoon!

Exhausting and exciting all at once. (I’m sure you could tell I had my blog posts all messed up; my days and times all blending together!)

WE ARE DONE!

WHEW!

Thanks to everyone who came and purchased!

“Surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.”—Laura Ingalls Wilder

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boo Berry Betty and TLC Cai-Cai on 2024 Friday—The Huge, GIANT Rain Event, Friday, September 6, 2024

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Dayphoto

Chapter Three—LUNCH or Is It SNACK!

Here I am! All snuggled down in the Grass/Alfalfa field.

Mom and Boo Berry are getting closer and closer, but not close enough—- yet!!!

All I have to do is wait a bit.

Oh! Look! There are little white butterflies everywhere out here…

Oh! So exciting!

They flitter and flick from one plant to another.

Flitter.

Flick.

Flitter.

Those little white things are really flickering. One lands on the alfalfa, another on a blooming steam of grass…

Oh! This is really interesting.

I snuggle down in the grass/alfalfa a little deeper. When I do about six grasshoppers jump up out of the grass and hop out of the way.

Well, almost out the way…one lit right on a stem In—front of my eyes(!) and one RIGHT ON MY LEFT PAW!!

Oh!

SHHHHH!

Hum, what do I do? If I move it will jump off my paw and get lost in the grass and the one on the grass will also jump somewhere!

My tail is twitching and twitching…just the tip of it, I don’t want to make those two delicious morsels move.

I’m being very, very still…not even moving my head to see where Boo Berry and Mom are.

BOO BERRY AND MOM!!! I will have to do something very soon—before they get here and scare everything away!

Okay, here is what I’m going to do. I’m going to open my mouth very slowly, move my head closer and closer to my left paw, and chomp down on the grasshopper just sitting there all perky and proud of itself!

THEN I AM GOING TO EAT IT!!!

Slowly, slowly, slowly I open my mouth.

Then I gradually put my head close to the grasshopper sitting on my paw and BITE!!!

Yepper! Got it! Yummmmm! Crunchy squishy goodness!

Okay.

Now where is the other one?

“HEY!!! TLC!!! You came! You even beat us here!” Boo Berry hopped over the gated pipe scattering grasshoppers and butterflies everywhere.

“Let’s play, TLC! Let’s see what to do out here in the field!” she yelled as she crashed through the grass and alfalfa plants. Bugs flying everywhere! I MEAN EVERYWHERE!!!

Get it. Crashed. Madly dashing everywhere.

Well, there goes the snacks!

“Wait up, Boo Berry—Wait UP!!!

I Found a Feather — Pheasant to be Exact, Thursday, September 5, 2024

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Dayphoto

A quick Google search says:

Finding feathers is a message that your angels are nearby, waiting to help you.

How grateful I am! (For the feather, for pheasant, and for my angels)

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Time is Fleeing—Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Dayphoto

The insect world is working hard, harder, hardest.

This time of year —although, the heat makes one feel like the days are dragging,—

The insects know it isn’t

That one day, very soon, the heat will no longer fill the days, and quite suddenly

(We had a freeze on Oct 6, 2013—-a photo from the archives)

A freeze will occur causing summer to vanish.

Until then—

We will continue to prepare and watch the signs of the year’s turning.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Yes I Know They are Pests—-Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Dayphoto

But I don’t really care.

They are very destructive to the corn—they love the silks. Once they eat the silk the kernel stops forming.

But…oh, well! We have enough to share.

Aren’t they beautiful!?

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Rainbow at the Edge of a Cloud– Cloud Iridescence— Monday, September 2, 2024

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Dayphoto

The morning stars were in the sky

Rainbow at the edge of the clouds

Although I was shooting straight into the unfiltered cloud and developed rainbow sunspots, I was hoping you could see the edge of the cloud—

A RAINBOW on Cloud edges!!
It’s called cloud

Here you can read all about it here! SO MUCH FUN!!

Turn your eyes to the sky!

We are so bless, you and I!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Shannon Gave Me Rainbows — Sunday, September 1, 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Dayphoto

WOW! Mom! Look a double rainbow as I’m leaving work—Shannon texted me.

My! This is just stunning…three rainbows

The rainbows just seem to be everywhere

They are lighting up the BookCliffs!

I am driving with Rainbows!

I just had to share them with you! Shannon wrote

“Breath the sweetness that hovers at the end of August.” Denise Levertov

From my world to your heart— as we begin September!

Linda

The Adventures of Boo Berry Betty and TLC Cai-Cai on Friday—The Huge, GIANT Rain Event, Friday, August 30, 2024

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Dayphoto

Chapter Two Just Wait, Boo Berry, You Just Wait

One thing Mom and Dad do every morning is check the weather. Dad looks at [only] one site, but Mom checks out three different ones. Then Mom rechecks it at noon. Mom is weather-obsessed.

Just say’n.

So—anyway, Mom and Dad look at the weather. Pronounce that we might get some rain, which would be a good thing; 30%.

“Actually, 30% usually doesn’t get us anything.” Mom mused. “Most of the time when they say 30% all that rain stays up on the Plateau never heading our way.” Mom got up from searching about the weather on her phone called Boo Berry and me and headed out the back door.

WAIT!!! Before I go any further the Plateau means, the Uncompahgre Plateau. (un-come-paug-re, that is how it sounds to Boo and I. Maybe you can say it a bit differently, but still, it gives you an idea).

We spent the morning, working with Mom—Dad headed out to change the water, Boo and I sat around in the shade, way too hot for sunshine sitting, and Mom worked in her yard.

Still, the day was a very beautiful! The sun was shining, the sky a bright blue, birds singing everywhere, big white fluffy clouds, and a soft, soft breeze ruffling our fur as we lay w….a….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………

HUH!!!? WHA?!

“Wake up-TLC! Mom is heading out to the field for something. She asked if we wanted to go.”

“Go?! Is she talking that loud blue thing that has a blue box on it for YOU!!! (Not ME) to ride in?”

“No, no….hurry—we’re being left behind!” Boo Berry barked at me as she ran off to be with Mom.

Fine! Run off! I can run faster than both of you and I can beat you there! I stood up rather slowly, stretched out my front paws as far as they could go…ahhhhhhh, the old backbone feels good all stretched out. Then I stretched out my whole body so my back feet were helping pull my backbone the other way. Then I sort a stood there and gave my whole body and shake, even my ears!!!

By the time I got all this done, Mom and Boo Berry were turning the corner by the Butler Grain Bins.