Huge Push and Insane Cold Wind–Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Dayphoto

We are making a huge push now to finish up the house and get it winterized for the winter. The wind that arrived around six in the morning is miserable and cold. It’s so cold it takes your breath away and feels like your skin is starting to frost bite. (I’ve read this wind is much worse in Wyoming and other places….brrrrrr.)

Terry and I wired the kitchen yesterday. We have some more electrical work today, then I will dust, mop and vacuum and wash the windows (maybe) and I’ll be done.

I still have the trim to paint on the west and the north of the house, but I got everything done on the east and south. I’m thinking that I’ll just have to wait to finish those sides of the house come spring…it’s for sure winter is here—EARLY.

As for the fence…we still have to work on the fence, but that will be after the corn is done and before the cows come in—the cows arrive sometime in January. There again I might not be able to get it painted, but at least we will have the places that need repair fixed…I’ll just have to wait on the paint for a warm day.

The weather is just too nasty to start combining…rain and snow are expected in here tonight to last until Sunday….Terry isn’t even going to even think about combining until this storm moves out. So far no one else has started here, only the ranchers, and they feed with high moisture.

Well, off I go now, Terry is warming up from getting the stuff ready to take to the other house, while I finish this up.

Sammy usually loves to be outside, but today he ran out did his business; then waited for me to come to the door and let him back in. He is toasting by the fire right now. 🙂

Sending all of you warm and toasty thoughts and wishes for a good day!

Your friend,

Linda

There is Always One–Monday, November 10, 2014

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Dayphoto

I think there must be a Law of Nature, or maybe of the Universe, or maybe a sort of contrary energy field that runs in a zig-zag instead of straight—-whatever it is there is ALWAYS ONE!

You know ‘that one’ — the kid that can never stay still in the classroom, or the employee who always, always marches to a different drummer, or a dog who just doesn’t ‘get’ whatever you have taught a million other dogs to understand.

If you’ve ever had a flock of sheep to move you know that often times the WHOLE flock will follow a goat…I have no idea why, but they will….just put a goat in the mix and the whole flock will head to wherever the goat wants to go (and you lead the goat)…except one. (Maybe two if you have a large flock and those two are a PAIN to get to the place you want them to be–enter the sheep dog..yup, works every time.) Most shepherds just use the sheep dog now a days.

That ONE exists everywhere—people, animals and PLANTS!!!!! GRRRRR

See that HUGE wonderfully full of leaves tree down at the other house? Yep! That’s the one. And it’s smack dab right in the middle of the whole back yard. You can’t tell it from the photo but it is. The clothes line stretches from it to another tree (devoid of all it’s leaves) at the edge of the yard.

I have every leaf raked and the lawn clean,; trying to get the ankle deep leaves up before the weather changes and I have a huge mess. Accept— I must wait for that tree! The One! The one that marches to a totally different rhythm.

“WHY!” I shouted at it yesterday. “WHY can’t you push off your leaves at the same time as all the others in the yard.

All I heard was a huge belly laugh followed by several snorts and a snorkle…”Because I don’t want too” the lovely tree replied, “I do it when I’m good and ready and not a minute before.”

I suppose so, I muttered to myself, I suppose so.

Your friend,

Linda

Wonder—-Sunday, November 9, 2014

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Dayphoto

Before I begin, Sara from http://myfavoritesheep.blogspot.com/ asked: “Could you post a dog/rescue charity that FuzzyDude Brown would like us to support?” I can. Back when I had more time I used to volunteer as a dog walker at CAWS in Delta, Colorado. I always hate to ask for donations, but if you are so inclined ……I thank you very much.

Our last of our company has left, but will return next weekend. This next time the whole family is coming, Momma, Daddy, and the three kids.

I’ve been raking leaves…here and at the other house.

Yesterday Terry and I started getting ready for the installation of the new furnace at the other house. Sadly we are having to tear out an old existing chimney, which has made a huge mess in the kitchen I just finished painting. It was necessary to fix the mess the other person made when he installed the propane furnace for Aunt Benita…the chimney was in the middle of the house therefore that spot is needed for the cold air intake. What a huge mess.

We will get all the prep work done…remove the chimney, restore the ceiling and floor and walls, clean up the tremendous mess (I hope I don’t have to re-paint, but if I do I will) and then we will have to crawl under the house and create (DIG) pathways for the installers to have space to work. I’m tired just thinking about it. The house was built in 1903, by Terry’s great grandfather…he was a master carpenter (although that term wasn’t coined at the time)–his work is outstanding. The house has been remodeled twice by Terry’s Aunt and Uncle who lived there after Grandpa and Grandma Hill passed. Terry purchased the house from the estate after Benita passed. All houses have their issues…we are just about to get this house’s problems completely solved. (Which will be a very good thing)

The corn is testing out at 15.6% We are very close now for the harvest to begin. Terry will have a selection of corn tested around noon tomorrow—hopefully we can start combining. Keep your fingers crossed.

The little kids loved playing in the corn tunnels—

But I’m really sure there will still be some corn still here when they come 🙂

Gradually, gradually we are starting to get caught up. I am so very thankful that we have this time (fall) to work on that other house…spring and summer are so extremely busy it would be hard to get everything done down there.

My mother would always say: “Everything works out for the best….if you just let it”.

She was so right.

Moving forward one-day-at-a-time,

Your friend on a Colorado Farm,

Linda

SHISH! Today is THURSDAY—November 5, 2014

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Dayphoto

I am so messed up…Fuzzy passed on Thursday not yesterday. Goodness…even though I wrote Wednesday it didn’t register. I think that was because his first stroke happened Wednesday morning, with the end on Thursday morning.

I was sent this lovely youtube video…. About the “Other Side”.

My other company came in last night. They will be here until Sunday. Maybe I’ll collapse on Monday. We will see. 🙂

Your Friend,

Linda

A Week Later— Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

It’s been a week (today at 11 a.m.) Life without the Fuzz Dude goes on. I still want to put two bowls of dog food out, or reach down and pet Fuzzy when I’m sitting somewhere.

Being distracted with others who need food, conversation, activity has helped. Although, it has made me really behind on answering my comments and emails. I have over 300 comments and emails combined that I need to respond too. I hope to get to everyone. Please know that I have appreciated your kind thoughts and comforting words….even those of you who wrote on my Pinterest pages.

Terry took a sample of corn down from all the fields…still too high…the lowest field was at 17% the highest at 18%. We continue to wait. Although, the huge dip in night time temperatures is sure to keep drying out the knerals, which is good.

Two huge stacks of hay has been sold, although, the buyer is leaving them here for a time. He took a third of them yesterday and will call when he is ready to come back out, maybe in a couple of days. Only a small stack is left (100 or so bales). The other 300 bales go to the Delta Elevator. Almost done with that crop…Excellent! What every one strives for to get their product sold.

Those really neat cows

Neighbors-Cows

I was so happy to see (at our neighbors) made the great escape and traveled into our Upper End by jumping the fence between us. It was only three, but three is too many. (with corn to be harvested…you can lose a cow in a corn field and the cow would make a mess and possibly bloat)

Terry and I (Boomer rode along) headed the cows down the hills and into the draw of the Back Forty where we could open the gate between our two farms and send them home.

We had them rounded up and in their home land in just about an hour. BIG SMILE 🙂

It was nice to have people to take evening walks with, Boomer and I enjoyed the company.

Anyway, please know how much your words have meant and that I WILL try to get everyone answered soon!

Your Friend,

Linda

Guest Post and Photo by Museum Director/Curator: Jim Wetzel Monday, November 2, 2014

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

This 1954 view of Delta’s Egyptian theater shows one of the three marquis changes which the theater has had over the years. The street lamp in this photo has long since disappeared, and now there are two street lamps, one on each side of the theater. There are a few other differences, as well. You won’t see bicycles parked like these any more.

Thank you all —Late Autumn—Sunday, November 2, 2014

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

A storm blew in yesterday…although the temperatures were warm…75*. The weather people are saying there is a strong possibly of (lots of) snow around the 8,000 feet by this evening and Monday morning.

(Which is good) it’s good to be busy.

I got the house completely finished painting on the inside of the house…HAPPY DANCE!

I will start on the trim on the outside of the house and the fence. Also, raking of the the leaves. The work is starting to end down there…(which is another good thing)

Tuesday Terry will check the corn again to see where the moisture content is…the ranchers are already combining their corn. They feed up the corn, as they combine, so they can use high moisture corn.

I wish to thank each and everyone of your for your heartfelt condolences about my Fuzzy. I hope to get each of you answered as time permits. Please know that I appreciate your thoughts and kind words. I know he was ‘just a dog’ but what A Dog he was!

Your friend on a Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Crisp Fall Day–Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Dayphoto

The trees on the way to the other house are just lovely. As are the trees AT the other house.

The other house in the thicket of trees that you see across the way. Trees with lots and lots and leaves on them. It’s been freezing every night…we had 26* this morning. You and I know what that means…all those leaves are going to be falling down into the yard. What that means for me is a whole other job…raking leaves. I rather dread it. I have this yard with it’s leaves and now I have that yard. SIGH!

Anyway all I have left to paint is the ceiling in the dining room, then I’m done with the inside of the house. YAY!

Oh, yes. I still have the outside and now the yard, but I’m making headway.

Our neighbor to the south, has brought his cows home for the winter. He just put the heifers in his back field which connects to our Upper End. It’s nice to hear them talking and conversing with each other. 🙂

Your friend,

Linda

October Irrigation — Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Dayphoto

We started the irrigation water back up. The alfalfa field was just too dry to make it through the winter.

Early morning and every evening is very cold here, although it is warming up some in the afternoon.

Yesterday was horrible with wind and cold and just plain nasty.

Boomer thought he was going to freeze to death so I took off one of my jackets so he could warm up.

The storm blew on by and left us with another killing frost—no ice on the running water though.

Terry had the corn tested yesterday one field was 18 and all the others at 19. We have a long ways to go to get to 14 moisture content. If this cold stays we might get there in two weeks or so.

Two weeks will give me a nice amount of time…I’m just about done painting INSIDE the house. I have the trim/cabinets/doors in the kitchen and the ceiling in the Dining Room. I dread that ceiling as it’s very tall, that is why I keep putting it off. Still I should be able to get to it either today or tomorrow. YIPPEE!

Then I can start on the trim outside and the fences.

Once the corn is harvested we will have to work on getting all the fences on the place cow/calf proof so Mr. Davis’ cows can come to the Brown Nursery. I call our place the Brown Nursery since all the spring’n heifers (first year to calf) calve out on our place. They were babies here two years ago so they are delighted to arrive back. Lots of kicking up of heels and running when they first come in—then they wander everywhere checking out to see what has changed. It takes them about three days to settle down to the place they want to graze first. I always enjoy having them here.

But first………..there is the house to finish and the trim and fences to fix. Oh, and the corn to harvest! (and the irrigation water to change until the ditch is shut off on Saturday).

Your friend,

Linda

The Song of Fall—Monday, October 27, 2014

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Dayphoto

Soon now. The stalks and the ears are getting that ‘look’. Soon.

Sometime today Terry will go out and pick a ear from every field —shell each ear in it’s own test bucket, then take the ear to the elevator to get a moisture test. To harvest our corn the moisture needs to be at 14, any higher than that the corn will mold in the elevators. If you are selling to a feed lot then can take a higher corn moisture….but not where we take it.

Our haystacks are shrinking! Very little left now. The man that is loading out will take that whole stack he is working on, as I took the photo. There is a smaller stack (100) which goes to a horse woman, and the stack that is still covered (we cover all the hay) goes to Delta Elevator. Terry’s goal is for the hay to be gone before winter sets in and Hank’s cows arrive. We have to build pretty good fences around the stacks if we still have hay and cows; preferably we just give them the run of the place otherwise.

In checking the ground in the alfalfa field we realized that it’s terribly dry, so we will start the irrigation water this week. We MUST do it this week since the Ditch Company will turn all the water off November 1st. A week is enough to get the whole thing wet then the alfalfa will go into the winter nicely. The wind is blowing now and it’s cold. A cold front is moving in today and will linger for at least five days. I love walking in the fields with the wind blowing —- here is an old video from a long time back of the wind in the corn…

I find listening to the wind in the corn as lovely as wind whistling through pine trees.

Late afternoon Fuzzy, Boomer and I go for a four-wheeler ride around the farm…up to the headgate, through the Upper End, into the Back Forty, down the road by the alfalfa field, sometimes over to the equipment area and then to the other house, or we just drive into the corn fields and sit and listen to the sounds.