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.

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

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Dayphoto

More flash flooding is predicted for our part of Western Colorado.

Although, we are NOT getting what the Boulder, Colorado Springs, Longmont, and Greeley area are having. (They are in the Corridor of our State) Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in those flood damaged areas. 😦

Our rain puddles are starting to grow slime

Even the trees are showing signs of moss

We are so wet it is hard to find a spot to walk without sinking up to your ankles.

An old-timer called this the ‘100-year rain’.

This morning we had some scattering of blue skies

Just seeing the blue made me happy.

Last night there was also a break in the clouds

The sunlight was outstanding! It caught the rim of Black Canyon. You can’t see the other mountains behind Black Canyon because the clouds have them covered.

The sunlight also produced a rainbow

Rainbows always make me think of hope.

According to the weather channel today is the last horrible day of torrential rain, then the slow moving storm will move on…which means it will move toward the east possibly hitting Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and/or parts of Texas, it just depends on the the jet stream. I sure hope you don’t get the floods, but lots of really nice ground soaking rain. 🙂

I hope your Sunday turns out well my friends,

Linda

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Dayphoto

The rains have arrived. They threaten all day long, then around 8:00 in the evening they began.

We were lucky that it waited until we got home. Just as I drove into the shed the rain started falling in a serious manner. Terry didn’t believe me when I said it was raining (he beat me in) but as we walked out of the building he became a believer. 🙂

Today Terry has a meeting, which leaves just the dogs and I to change the water…I hope it isn’t raining at that point. I also dread the drive on a mud slick ditch bank, but I know it can be done.

Yes, I do!

Anyway, The Farmer’s Almanac has printed their predictions for the up and coming winter…I’m already ready for Spring. I guess I shouldn’t be so selfish, as I know some of my Dear Blog Friends are also ready for Spring—-they can only have Spring if we have Winter so I’ll slap on a Happy Face and ‘try’ to be okay with Winter.

Now for the Good part of Winter…if the predictions are true we will have snow, which means the reservoirs should recover some, which is a very good thing.

Your Grateful the pinto beans are harvested and sold and the hay is baled and stacked friend,

Linda

Tired

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Dayphoto

Today is Sunday…Thankfully a day of rest. We always try to take this day off, of course there are some things that just don’t rest–like changing the irrigation water. But for the most part we ‘MADE IT THROUGH THE WEEK!’

The last load of pinto beans went to

The Beanery at 7:15 in the morning.

Terry went over and helped Nick unload our truck at 1:00 in the afternoon. The truck is now all cleaned up and put away until we start the corn harvest –sometime after the middle of October on, depending on how the corn dries down.

The little girls spent the day with us so they helped me do my job in the hay field.

I had a load with the old dog, the crippled dog and the two girls 🙂 but they enjoyed themselves. Linkin (I call her Nee-Nee) helped me straighten and pick up bales.

(Tallen is waving at Grandpa coming into the field for a load)

It was her first time, but she is old enough now — our kids started around 9 years of age so I figured she could too.

The tractor broke down on the first load of hay heading into the haystack 😦 but by that time is was supper time and Misty was back home. (Kelly and Bladen went to Bladen’s soccer game in Leadville and were spending the night in Gunnison with a college friend of Kelly’s last night.0 So Misty stayed and helped us. She is feeling better again, thankfully.

While Misty and Terry brought the broken tractor to the shed, the girls and I finished up the dishes. The last load of hay came in just as dark was settling down on the land. They wanted to help irrigate so off we all went to the old alfalfa field to start the water … IN the Dark!

While up there I lost Fuzzy. The poor old thing just has the hardest time keeping up with everyone. He wanted off the four-wheeler to walk with the girls so I put him down.

While following them he must have stopped to sniff around for a spell and they walked on. He didn’t come back and didn’t come back and didn’t come back. Fuzzy can’t hear or see very well so I was getting very concerned. Finally I took the four-wheeler and drove into the upper end, which is by the hay field…turned on the lights and drove around looking for him. I was almost to start panicking when I saw his white paws trying to get to me.

He and I were VERY happy to see each other that is for certain and sure!

By the time all of this was over and we sat on the back patio for a spell just to wind down it was past 10 o’clock when we finally went into the house and the little family went home.

We are supposed to have a couple of rainy days starting today sometime so getting all the crops in and covered feels very nice.

Have a restful Sunday everyone, Terry and I are sure going to try.

Linda

Wednesday September 4, 2013

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Dayphoto

Sort of in a rush…we begin combining in an hour.

So far the rains are staying away…

if everything holds together we hope to be done by this week end.

Your harried friend, Linda

Monday, September 2, 2013

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Dayphoto

Although today is technically a holiday here, Terry and I will be doing what the day calls for—Laboring. 🙂

My little hummers are becoming less and less at the feeders, although I see many of the little juveniles feeding on the flowers throughout my yard.

The honey bees are having a great time at the honey bar…I do feel a little concerned they are not out gathering pollen but hanging out at these feeders. I hope it doesn’t cause a problem at the hive later on this winter. 😦 😦

If I don’t feed them they want to swarm the Hummingbird feeders so I guess it is six of one thing or 1/2 a dozen of another. Sure is perplexing.

I caught this little moth having a great time in the petunias…yes, I am one of those that adores petunias. I love their colors and the heavy rich scent that fills the air.

The rains are being really nice and staying away. But they are still here and moving all around us. I loved seeing the sunset on the rain chuts last night.

Well, off to do the many things for the day. Terry will be cutting the old hay field, then he has to remove all the bean pulling equipment, and move the bean combine up to the shop to get it ready for the harvest (hopefully by Friday).

As for myself I have the lawn, the hedge, the many, many weeds to take care of and canning, plus all the other chores that keep a house and yard going.

Best wishes for a perfect Labor Day,

Linda

Saturday the Last Day of August 2013

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Dayphoto

Terry pulled half the pinto beans yesterday before the dew left and the pods became too dry. Pintos have to be pulled early so the dew will keep the bean pods from cracking open and spilling the pinto beans out onto the ground. Once the beans are spilled there is no way to pick them back up.

Today he has been out there since full light. He hopes to get the other half of the field done before the heat hits.

Depending on the weather he will wait about a week then start combining the rows, gathering the beans into the hopper and then the truck and then off to the Beanery to be sacked and sold.

Rain clouds keep building every afternoon, which causes us a huge amount of tension. So far so good, the storms stay around us in the foothills and on the plateau, which is good.

Another thing that is good is we sometimes get a rainbow!

Feeding the bees seems to be working. I use a dollop of honey early in the day…by nightfall it’s all cleaned up.

Terry also said we are on the very last irrigation of the corn. Boy, has summer ever flown. Although, we will still irrigate the hay fields the work load of changing water is fast disappearing.

I’m not sure but I think most of the adult Hummingbirds have left, I still have lots of little ones feeding. I’m not having to fill the feeders as much so I’m thinking this is a sign the large majority of those delightful little birds have gone. I know the Bullock Orioles are gone since I haven’t seen any for two weeks now.

I’m off now to fork the bean ends back so we don’t lose any…those tiny little beans are what we’ve been working all summer to have. 🙂

Your friend,

Linda

August 27, 2013

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Dayphoto

We have been enjoying the rains. (Although, it does make for muddy ditch banks and irrigation roads.)

My hummingbird book says that around August 26th the hummingbirds start their migration to the south. The older hummingbirds leave first…then the juveniles.

The book also says to keep out your feeder until you haven’t seen a little hummer for at least two weeks, allowing the last little one traveling the farthest to have food along the way to the land of blooming nectar plants and tiny flying insects.

My other songbirds have already fled …I haven’t put out seed in the other feeds for over two weeks now. I’m sure the time is coming when I will be slammed with sparrows and starlings…I always try to feed them so they will stay out of the dog food. (I keep the dog food up, but the starlings will dive the dogs until they drive them off and then take over the dish)