The Small Hours—Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Trails-1We heat our house with a wood fire place—it is my job to either let the fire go out and restart it in the morning, or to keep the wood burning day and night.  I have opted for keeping the wood going day and night.  Because of that decision my body is tuned to the subtle sifts in the temperature of the house, as the wood burns down.  That is one reason I’m awake in the middle of the night.  (Although, that reason doesn’t work for the other seasons of the year.)

I think I’m a light sleeper.  I always have been, even as a small child.  I drove my parents bats, since they were heavy sleepers.

Evening-2 Last night I came awake quite suddenly.  Laying in bed I could NOT figure out what had waken me.  I checked the wood stove, all was good there, checked Boomer, okay, and all the cats.  Terry was sleeping peacefully.

I have no notion what why…

Laying back down, turned so I could look out the window; I thought to myself how the air had stilled, there was the inward feel tof the small hours—even though it was still full dark.

I lay very still listening. An ember broke in the wood stove, with a crack then another with a muffled pop.

sunrise-work

The night was undisturbed, waiting for the sunrise.  I drifted off to sleep once more secure in the fact our nights are growing shorter and the days longer.  In another month we will have a completely different feel to our winter weary world.

With much love,

Linda

 

Something Fun –The Bronco’s First Male Cheerleader—- Monday, February 8, 2016

A long-time blog reader, Elaine, from the Black Forest, Colorado, sent me this great photo of Robin Williams

Robin-Williams

Denver Bronco Cheerleader!

Elaine has the following to say:

“BTW, Broncos won that game!  The game was played at Mile High Stadium, in Nov 1979, for an episode of Mork and Mindy, for those those who might not remember 🙂
Mork and Mindy was big when I worked in Boulder.  Parking was tight in downtown Boulder, so it seems I always ended up parking in front of “the Mork and Mindy house” on Pine St… oh, those were the days!”

Thanks, Elaine.  Robin Williams as truly a great one!

With fondness,

Linda

A Surprise Email—Sunday, February 7, 2016

I received the following email a short time ago, from Charles Sipe, a student at Seattle University:
 “Hi Linda,
I wanted to contact you to let you know that Life on a Colorado Farm was ranked on our list of top farming blogs at http://www.rankedblogs.com/farming .  It is currently ranked #10 on our list.
RankedBlogs.com ranks the top blogs in different categories based on votes, website links, MozRank score, and Twitter followers.
We also have a badge that you can add to your site to encourage people to vote for your blog which will improve your rank on our list.
e16a6a0d-8791-4e42-8f5a-0870b41c6a30
Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for your time.
Best regards,
Charles Sipe
Student
Seattle University
So—- as you see I have added the badge to my side bar…what a fun thing to have happen!   If you would like to see all the ranked farm blogs just click on the badge, in the sidebar. (Not in this post–the one in this post won’t go anywhere.  🙂 )
Then if you are want you can visit the blogs and vote for those YOU like.
Your smiling farm friend,
Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—Priceless——–Friday, February 5, 2016

I think Every One needs a dog…Don’t you?

Resting

We were out working, Mom, Dad, and I.  Doing this and that.  Going here and there.  Then I noticed that Mom and Dad were sitting down taking a break.

Heck!  I’ll just take one with them!

Perfect!

Boomer

 

Minnesota Sunrise—-Thursday, February 4, 2016

Mary Carlson, from Duluth, Minnesota took this wonderful sunrise photo.  Then sent it on to me for all of us to enjoy.
This is what she had to say: “Linda I took the picture yesterday morning off my second story deck using the iphone camera. I live in Duluth, Minnesota, so the clouds were lake affect clouds from Lake Superior.
Sunrise
“Enjoy, I did as I sat in my favorite chair in the corner that gets the morning sun. I’m there now re-learning to knit. A relaxing peaceful day filled with many blessings. Congrats on getting the farm put to bed. I put the yard away about Oct and it’s always a good feeling to move inside and switch gears for a few months, well in Minnesota it’s for many months. :)”
I am so blessed because of you, my wonderful blog readers.  I do so enjoy these amazing photo gifts from your neck of the world.  Thank you so much for sending them to me and then allowing me to post them on my blog.
Your very humble friend in western Colorado (on a farm!),
Linda

Hearts of Sweetness—Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Our children in Craig, Colorado, will be coming for Valentine’s Day.  Really they coming because it is a small break for their school district, and since all of them are in the school district in some form, they all get a break.

Hearts-2

(the pink are cinnamon, the blue is mint, the purple flavored raspberry, and the yellow is orange flavor.  So far everyone always pick pink and falls in love with it.  As a result they don’t try the other flavors/colors.  🙂  )

WE will get to see our grandchildren! (Oh, yes and their parents. tee hee)

It is also our youngest grandchild’s birthday that weekend.

So, with all this in mind, I decided I would make a huge selection of treats and goodies…perfect for snacking, or for a birthday celebration.

Hearts-1

And, of course, Valentine’s Day!  🙂

Roses-1

Tally’s name is Tallin Rose. Her birthday falls on February 15th…don’t you just know for every birthday, for the rest of her life, she will be gifted with hearts and roses?  🙂

To top it all off her favorite color is pink…preferably SPARKLY pink!  She makes me smile.

Very much your friend,

Linda

A Wee Walk About—Tuesday, February 2, 2016

East-1Our air started chilling down on Saturday night…growing thick with mystery and the  promise of snow.  The gray-pink clouds began enfolding the earth, as the sun set assuring us of a blanket white enchantment.

SNow

Sunday the snow started falling; winter’s promise was still alive.

Terry and I spent Sunday warm and safe.  Although, a little on the bored side.

Boomer and I took a wee walk in the soft, muffled air.  Boomer doesn’t really walk with me, there is always so much more to see and do than stay right by my side.  Of course, now that cows are here he tends to not drift TOO far away!

Snow-2 Waking on the farm  is to walk to the sound of silence — for even the cows are quiet  in the falling snow.

SnowWalking is satisfying,  getting outside is delicious.

Snow-1

Monday morning the snow was thick and lush and rich.  As I shoveled the snow off the sidewalks there was only my footprints, Boomer’s and the cats!  (I enjoyed being the only human foot prints in the yard. 🙂 )

Snow! That gift of water for the spring, summer and fall!

 

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

 

Another Stunning Photo from Duluth, Minnesota—Monday, February 1, 2016

Marti Carroll, a FaceBook Friend, sent me this fox9 news photo from Duluth, Minnesota.

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This is what it says on the site:  “Another amazing photo from Tim Mlodozyniec in Duluth, Minnesota. “While shooting the sunrise down at Park Point this morning, I happened to turn around and see this snowbow behind me. I had to use my phone to take a panoramic photo of it because it was so big.”

This is stunning.  I’ve never had the good fortune to see a snowbow!

Your friend,

Linda

P.S.  Please remember if you would like to share a photo with us, please email it to me at coloradofarmlife@gmail.com   I will post it and give you credit!

 

THE COWS ARE HERE!!!!!—Sunday, January 31, 2016

CowsThe cows arrived early the next morning!  Terry and I manned the gates, while Hank and his daughter, Teresa, brought in 80 cows.

The cows were as delighted to be here as I was to see them!    Every time I look out into the fields my heart does a happy dance.  I know that sounds silly, but it’s true.

Even if it snows again, the cows have arrived! With the cows come babies, babies mean Spring.

Cows

The reason the Davis’ calve out in April is they want the calves big enough to be able to walk all the way to the ranch on the Uncompahgre Plateau.

First the cows, calves and bulls will walk (trail) up to the mid-way ranch–they call this place the White Ranch.  Here the cows spend time until the high country is free of snow.

June, or so,  the cows will head up to the lush cool forest on the Plateau, where the long-time Davis summer ranch is— here they will spend the summer and the fall.  Once the snows start to come the Davis’ will round-up the the cows trailing them back down to the half-way house (the White Ranch) allowing the  cows to linger there and put on the weight they may have lost on the long walk down the mountain side.

Once the snows reach the White Ranch the cows will be trailed to the Davis Ranch to spend the winter.

CowsTHEN COMES LATE WINTER when the spring’n heifers and ‘some’ of the second years get to come to OUR PLACE!!  *¨*•♪♫♫♪ ♪♫•*¨*•♥

The cows are as happy as I am…•❥*◝◟.they sift themselves here and there, checking out their old favorite places.  Then by the second or third day they have settled down into a routine. (We don’t see the third or fourth year cows, only the first and second year)

Your very happy friend, on a western Colorado farm

Linda

 

Sand Hill Cranes—Thursday, January 28, 2016

Cranes-1I feel so lucky…well, I feel they WE are so lucky!

Cranes-6We have masses of Sandhill Cranes living on the farm.

A huge gift from nature!

Your friend on a farm full of Sandhill Cranes in the high mountain desert of the Rocky Mountains,

Linda