Sundog and a Holding Pen Fence—Thursday, October 10, 2014

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Dayphoto

We saw a sundog the other day…three days from the sighting of a sundog colder weather is coming. Friday we should have colder weather…yep. I looked on the weather channel and Friday we will be in the 60’s.

For my fence today I’m showing you Mr. Davis’ holding corral. He uses this when he loads out the cows.

It’s all metal and hand welded. I think its really pretty neat!

Well, head on over to Teresa’s place and link up your fences or gates. If you don’t want to do that check out what the others have linked!

You friend,

Linda

Fun Photos from Friends—Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Dayphoto

The following photos are from OneFly…they are taken in the White Sands area of White Sands New Mexico north of Alamogordo and south of Carrizozo.

The mountain range in the far distance is the White Sands Missile Range. Just look at these unusual and dramatic cravings on this huge rock!

Rock Art is found all over the world. These are Petroglyphs —information carved into the rock… Signs-on-Rock-2 Pictographs are painted on rocks. I think there is another type but I can’t think of it’s name right now.

It’s always mystery what they were saying…but I think I see a horse and either a deer or a mountain sheep. 🙂

Your friend,

Linda

Rabbit’s Foot Grass (Polypogon Monspeliensis)–Invasive Species–Tuesday, October, 7, 2014

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Dayphoto

Although Tuesday is usually the day I post all the wonderful photo gifts from you, my friends, today I shall continue yesterday’s post with the answer to my mystery weed.

Unable to to find a ‘for certain and sure answer’ I decided to chop out part of the plant and take it over to our neighbor who is an expert weed master. Paul and his son have a very successful spraying business.

Grabbing my trusty shovel, hopping onto the four-wheeler I drove down to the Priority Ditch and chopped out a large section of the plant—roots and all. Then I drove on over to our neighbor and politely asked for help in identifying this unusual grass.

“Goodness!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know we had that invasive weed here. We’ve had information on this plant for a couple of years now, but haven’t seen it so far!”

Turns out this is a nasty invasive weed, sometimes planted as an ornamental in people’s yards. It’s hardy to Zone 3.

Needless to say that plant has been chopped out and dumped into the burn barrel!!!

Thank you everyone for your help! Because of the alarm bells that rang out loud and clear from you everyone in our neighborhood will be on the lookout for this exotic plant. Shovels and buckets and burn barrels will be Rabbitfoot Grasses new friend.

Tomorrow I will showcase my photo gifts,but for today I bring you this weed update. 🙂

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm

Linda

A Question —Monday, October 6, 2014

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Dayphoto

We have a new grass growing on the one of the cement ditches. I have never seen it before (or at least I don’t think I have).

Does anyone know what it might be called? It sure is a ~~purdy~~ pretty thing.

Your Friend,

Linda

A Rainbow Sky—Sunday, October 5, 2014

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

When the storms started to leave our area the sun was underway to waking up the world on the opposite side of us. The clouds had become ragged and sparse in the West allowing the sun to break free and shine wonderfully upon the land. The East still held the massively dark storm clouds, although they were moving on toward the mountains and the people who lived and worked and played among them.

I was upstairs putting my daily paperwork into a pile and getting ready to turn off the computer when I saw a very faint rainbow filling the east and southern part of our sky! (Close to Olathe)

What a joy I thought to myself! Gazing out the window I watched it fade to nothing. Turning off the computer I headed downstairs.

Wait!!! What do I see around the Eckert, Cedaredge area?

WOW! I grabbed my camera and headed out the front door to stand on the top step

What an amazing splash of color!

It was filling the whole basin with brilliant light! You can even see some little puffs of clouds captured within the prism ray of sunlight!

I stayed an watched until it faded. What a pleasure to be able to experience the wonder of sunlight on droplets of water!

Today is Sunday. Today we stop and rest, only doing those things that are necessary. Tomorrow we will be back to working on the other house and picking back-up the dropped tasks of the week. The fields are starting to dry enough the dogs and I will be able to go out and start gathering in the siphon tubes, the plastic dams, and the metal tin dams. The corn is still green, but if the storms stay away it will continue to dry down taking all the moisture out of the stalks, leaves, and the little seeds. Once it is dry enough we will begin the last harvest (for us) of the season.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Today we have SUNSHINE!!! and a Mossy Fence— Thursday October 2, 2014

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

Today we have beautiful, wonderful, delightful SUNSHINE!!!

If the sun will stay the moss on the fences, anything made of cement (or wood), and the trees will dry up and go away!

Not to mention the drying up of the yard and the road and the fields!

YAY! SUNSHINE!!!

For more fences and gates (or to add your own) head over to Teresa’s Place… you won’t be disappointed!

Your friend,

Linda

Drenched, Wet, Beyond Wet, Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Dayphoto

We are wet!

Very wet! And it’s still raining!

The sunrise yesterday promised more wet later in the day. (Red sunrise in the morning, sailor take warning)

Although it did hold off most the day. That evening we could see more storm clouds blowing our way.(Red sunset at night, sailors delight. ?)

Yep! Right about 6 in the morning we had rolling thunder and large cracks of lightening, then …

Rain! In fact it’s raining as I write this.

BUT there is a wind with this very wet storm. The weather people are saying this storm will move out of here tonight with wind gusts up to 25 m.p.h.

Then temperatures will dip to 25-35 degrees. I do believe Summer will be officially over after these very wet storms get out of here.

The weather people are also saying we have several days of sunshine in the near future…I’ll take it. I’m a sunshine kind of person!

Terry dug little ditches so the water can run into the canal–which reminds me that the canal is clear to the brim…

It’s going to take a spell to get us dry again. That is for sure!

Your friend on a lake that used to be a farm 🙂 🙂

Linda

Small Break and a Post Full of Rainbows–Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Dayphoto

For a small amount of time the clouds parted and blue sky appeared. It was lovely! The dogs and cats and I danced a jig on the very wet lawn. It was delightful!

Then the rains came back. Heavy wet rains complete with thunder.

We are soaked…drowned…extremely wet.

But John North sent me a youtube song about Rainbows and perfect song to go with this wet spell we are having–

A perfectly wonderful wish for a cold wet day.

Then Linda from Alexandria, Louisiana sent this wonderful rainbow

Rene`, who lives in Paonia, Colorado (just about an hour’s drive from here) sent me these two stunning rainbows—spanning the mountains where she lives.

Sara from Punkin’s Patch sent a twitter photo–Brian Miner of BDMphoto https://twitter.com/BDMphoto

Rainbows from around the world and close to home…who could ask for more?

Not I!

Thank you, my friends!

Remember if you have a fun/interesting or outstanding photo you would like to share I will be very glad to post them on my blog—always you will have the credit!

Your friend on a very wet and soggy farm,

Linda

I’m Sorry–Monday, September 29, 2014

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Dayphoto

I’m sorry that I miss lead you somehow…I didn’t grow up in Craig, Colorado. I grew up in Eckert, Colorado.

My Dad’s people arrived here in around 1900, settling in the Read/Austin area. My Momma’s people came when she was a freshman in high school–around 1943.

There were just the two of us—myself and my brother. My brother lives in the Denver, Colorado, area now, but I live here.

Although, I grew up in the Eckert, Cedaredge (my Dad and Grandparents on my Mother’s side had huge orchards which were part of our income)

I’ve lived on this farm all of my adult life accept for the first two years of our marriage.

My parents are the ones who moved to Craig, Colorado. After selling the gas station they operated the orchards only. After several years of bad prices and huge expenses Daddy got a job with Colorado Ute (now Tri-State). He was 37 years old when they moved to Hayden, Colorado. By that time we had Shannon and were waiting the birth of Evan (we have four children–Shannon, Evan, Kimberly, and Misty. Misty is the one who just moved to Craig.)

And that is the irony…my parents and now our youngest living in the Craig area. Hayden is just a 30 minute drive from Craig, Colorado.

It’s still raining here…we had 2″ of water when I checked this morning. Still for a short while there is sunshine, then another downpour is expected starting around noon. Wet we are, that is for sure.

Anyway, I apologize if I made it sound like I grew -up in Craig.

Your friend,

Linda

Socked in- Sunday, September 28, 2014

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Dayphoto

A HUGE rain storm rolled in last night complete with rolling thunder and stunning flashes of lightening. By 9:00 in the evening we were wet. The rain hasn’t let up since the storm rolled in. On one hand the lovely drenching of all the parched and dried spots in the lawns and fields is a very good thing—on the other hand not so lovely. It’s harvest here. Not for us. We have finished our harvest of the two first crops and are waiting for the corn to dry down before we start the third and last crop –corn.

There are others, neighbors and friends, who are in the middle of onion harvest, or their pinto bean harvest, or getting in the last cutting of alfalfa turned hay.

Moisture like this is not good for harvest. 😦

This weekend found us in Craig, Colorado, to watch our grandson play Middle School football and take

Ellie up to play with Linky for a spell. Of course, we also got to enjoy the little Cowgirl and her REAL Cowgirl girl friends.

Craig is home to Tri-State Generation plant. My Dad worked at the station right after it was built- until he retired. Daddy started work for Colorado Ute—now Tri-State–at the Hayden plant, then was promoted to this plant right after it was built.

My parents moved to Hayden, Colorado, the year I was pregnant with Evan. They stayed they for over twenty years, Daddy retiring from Colorado Ute (Tri-State) and Momma retiring form Peabody Coal.

It’s sort of ironic that our youngest daughter and her family are now back in the Moffat/Routt County area don’t you agree?

Anyway we are back to a decidedly very wet fall day. It has the feel of a huge weather switch coming…I wonder if a killing frost will follow all this moisture; I would not be surprised.