Finishing the Winter Chores–Thursday, March 5, 2015

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Dayphoto

Terry and I are finishing work on the other house…it’s been a process, but we are almost done.

Yesterday Terry had to crawl under the house to work on some stuff under there. Before he even could begin he had to dig out a tunnel. Together, we finally got a pathway over to the old duct work; he dug and I hauled. Gradually we made a tunnel big enough to get from here to there and everywhere so the work that needs to be done under there can be done.

Today we will finish hanging the sheetrock in the kitchen. Then we will continue work on the conversion of a unused room into a very nice usable room–a possible extra bedroom.

While working on all this I kept hearing a very unusual bird song…

Finally I saw the lone little bird calling to me—

It was a Towhee! I (personally) have never seen a Towhee. I don’t know if this one was blown off course or if we have them all the time. It sure was a friendly little feathered bird.

He/she would hop close to where I was walking, then fly a short distance away from me. I didn’t see another or even a small flock, just this one.

Sure made my work go fast…

Your friend,

Linda

In One Day’s Time—Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Dayphoto

Yesterday we woke-up to a yard looking like this, only without the shadows or the clip of blue sky.

By early morning it started raining and raining. For a short time a mist would hover over the land, then the clouds would open again.

By evening, when I went to get the nights firewood the lawn looked like this…my boots squished across the sodden expanse.

Later in the evening as I readied for bed I could see lightening flashing in the west. Could we have turned the corner from winter to spring thunder storms? Possibly, only time will tell.

Your friend,

Linda

A Grandpa Bunny Moment—Monday, March 2, 2015

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Dayphoto

It’s raining here…big sploshes of water. Then it turns into a fine mist, but still wet. Not satisfied with the mist the raindrops return.

Our snow is rapidly melting, becoming ragged and tattered. Mud is appearing, plus the food for the cows—no more nosing around in the snow to find fodder. It’s there, just waiting to be munched upon.

When I was bringing in the wood, for the woodstove yesterday a tiny break in the clouds offered up a patch of blue sky and enough sun to cast blue shadows on the lawn.

It was a Grandpa Bunny moment! Grandpa Bunny was my most favorite story in the Little Golden Books. (I have three copies,)

Grandpa Bunny teaches all the other bunnies how to decorate nature. Grandpa Bunny loves each and every season–one of my favorite parts is when Grandpa Bunny shows the little bunnies how to paint shadows on the snow.

Walking along with my load of wood I realized I saw a perfect Grandpa Bunny moment

As they say: “Priceless”.

Your Friend,

Linda

The First Day of March–Sunday, March 1, 2015

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Dayphoto

We’ve finally made it to the first day of March. That, in and of itself, is a true joy for me.

This has been the sun for two weeks or more. Sometimes the clouds part; showing little patches of blue. Blue sky, it sparks such hope.

We have a pair of Canada Geese living with the cows in the corn field. I love having them here. I mentally send them peace and safety…they must have decided to stay for a spell before heading up north.

I have also seen flocks of Western Meadowlarks (YAY, they are Back!) And huge flocks of blackbirds, some smaller flocks of red-winged black birds, but I have not seen any blue birds yet. Soon I hope.

My favorite cow is here again this year. She is dressed to the nines in stylish back and white…see her white tail. 🙂 It always makes me smile when I see her. She is getting older, so I wonder if she will be back next year. Only time will tell.

March 1st….what a nice date to see on the calendar…in 31 days we will be at April. WHOO HOOO!

Your friend,

Linda

As February Leaves—Thursday, February 26, 2015

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Dayphoto

Winter is still with us….flinging flakes of very wet snow here and there in a willy-nilly sort of pattern.

Wind with very icy fingers stab and pull at you and every other living thing.

I do believe winter is throwing a huge fit, because you know…really we all know …that the time has come for Winter to leave. It doesn’t matter how ugly and how hard winter demands for us to pay attention Winter IS in charge. Stamping its blue and icy foot..the earth is tilting ever so slowly.

The sun moving toward the warm point of spring and then summer, casts brilliant colors, which fiercely sends warning sounds, for winter to calm down. Enough is enough.

The weather people are saying winter is still very preoccupied trying to keep a foothold on our part of the world–this bitter, cold tantrum will weaken and strengthen over several more days, then the middle (Wednesday) of the first week in March, the sun and the earth will send warmth and comfort back to the land with temperatures rising into the 50’s for several days. Perfect for drying up snow and mud.

So go ahead and throw a fit, make it a good one, for soon you, Old Man Winter, will be banished to other parts and the gentle cherub of Spring will dance it’s way into our hearts and souls.

Go Ahead, spend yourself out —soon you stay in your room and cry huge hiccuping sobs until you are spent and need to rest to recover. We will just wait you out.

Your friend,

Linda

February Ends with a Bang–Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Dayphoto

The weatherman says these snow storms are going to stay in here for a good solid week. With snow levels increasing to 18″ or more in some places. We have 8″ right now.The nice thing about this late snow is it won’t last…the warmth will return and the winds from the west will arrive. Until then we hunker down.

Your friend,

Linda

Winter Returned—Monday, February 23, 2015

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Dayphoto

It started snowing hard yesterday afternoon flinging the snow into the night and on to the morning, where it is still snowing today. Big soft wet flakes of pristine whiteness.

Of course there are more babies out there…we counted three, just hours old, but up and following the Mom. That is in the bunch close to the house. The older calf is somewhere else, I haven’t seen it this morning.

Winter has returned here. Storm warnings are until tomorrow with 18″ on Cerro Summit. Water should be good this year. 🙂

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

One–February 22, 2015

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Dayphoto

There is a new little critter on the farm! I don’t know if its a male or female, but to me it doesn’t matter. We saw this darling little calf yesterday.

Since we are in the middle of a arctic blast, cold winds and snow flurries (it will leave out of here by Tuesday) there will probably be several more.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Fire Roads—Thursday, February 19, 2015

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Dayphoto

Terry and I spent yesterday sprucing up the fire roads. We lived here for years and years and never had to have fire roads, but in 2012 all that changed.

Our neighbor two miles from us started a fire on one of his fields and left for lunch. Didn’t check or stay with it or, well, anything. From 11 in the morning until around 2 in the afternoon he didn’t even know what the fire was doing.

We did! We knew! And so did the other people in the path the fire. The whole thing was frightening. It took several fire departments to put out the blaze, which didn’t occur until evening…in the process we almost lost a barn and all the farm equipment. Thankfully, Mr. Davis’ cows and calves were okay. It was a nightmare day.

Guess what…the next year he sat his fire again…I just don’t get people who use fire to clear the farm ground….put it back into the soil…it’s better for the soil and the air. Not to mention safer.

After the first fire we built fire roads, because you see, this man STILL burns off his land every spring, he says he likes the results better. 😦

This is the tractor I drive, it has the loader. The loader and Terry’s has the blade, we make a good team. After years and years of hand signals, I think I am FINALLY figuring them out. 🙂

While up there we checked for calves, nothing yet. I think those girls are going to all pop at the same time! One day we will look out and see 60 babies on the ground. There are 80 cows out there, but surely not all 80 will lay down a calf as the same time. 🙂

Off today to look for a wood chipper and log splitter. I would like the wood chipper for the two yards for mulch and Terry is tired of splitting wood by hand. We may not find one we like but at least we will start the process of looking!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm

Linda

A Weekend Update—Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Dayphoto

I have returned! What a glorious weekend…first day we celebrated Tallin’s 7th Birthday! Everyone came and showered her with very fun things to make and ‘stuff’ to do AND a Diary with a Lock and TWO KEYS! (Guess what she played with the most…the Lock and the two keys! 🙂

Today I was starting to clean up the house when I found the two keys places in a very safe spot, under a beautiful plastic heart. Aren’t children fun? I need to gather all things left behind and mail them to them. The keys will be most missed, I’m sure she is frantic. 🙂

The next day (Sunday) we went to a Mardi Gras Party at our daughter and son-in-law’s in Grand Junction. There was tons of food, some ingredients they had shipped in just for the occasion–several different types of gumbos, budan, beans and rice, cray fish…I can’t even remember all the different dishes they had.

Monday it was pack up and leave time, BUT before we said good-bye everyone went to the Shannon’s Salon (also in Grand Junction) for hair cuts, colors and whole new looks for the coming spring. I think the little family probably got back home to Craig, Colorado at 8 o’clock in the evening…a long day for them.

A cold front moved through yesterday, but we only received sprinkles and wind..Just enough wet to make the windows dirty!

Today I’m cleaning the house back up—you clean for the company then you clean after the company 🙂 –but everyone knows that.

Soon Terry and I will begin again on the winter farm projects–this time we will be hauling in dirt from one of the ‘settling ditches’ and building up our farm roads, dirt ditches and holes in the fields. Farming will start around the 10th of March, if the weather holds, so we must get the winter work finished.

I will be around soon to visit all of you!

Your Friend,

Linda