Tag Archives: 2017

The Days are Full of Harvest—Wednesday, November 1, 2017

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With great joy and thankfulness we are moving along in the harvest!!

We have two fields done and working on the last one!

YAY!

 Where it all bogs down is at the Elevator.   Terry’s second load arrived at the Elevator at 1:30 in the afternoon


He was number sixteen!  It’s a time of visiting among the drivers, but still…a very long wait.

They dump two trucks at a time.  The semi’s take about 45 minutes each to dump, a truck our size take 20 minutes.  In between the dumping stops if there is a customer (dairy, feed lot, chicken farm…etc.) who comes in and wants a load of corn.

I went down at five to take him supper and he still had an hour and half wait to go.  I stayed there to keep him company. There was one other truck behind him.

The elevator opens at 6:00 in the morning and they stop taking loads after 3:00 in the afternoon.  Long hours for the workers at the elevator.  Long hours, but (more likely) much appreciated over-time.

Six thirty and we were dumped and heading home!

10:00 this morning he was back in the combine opening up the third field!  Hopefully by Monday of next week we will be done!

When we got in, got everything put away for the night it was dark.  I looked up into the moonlit sky and saw the most perfect Halloween moon!  I just had to share it with you!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Weather an Intimate Companion—Tuesday, October 31, 2017

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The leaves are falling thick and fast now on sunny days and cloudy days

I got most of them raked off the lawn last night.  I still have more to go around the buildings

As the wind and the clouds re-write the weather the corn harvest goes on.

(This is an old photo of the Elevator taken January 2016…the year the corn never dried down)

The Elevator opens at 6 in the morning and a line is there waiting

The air today sings of rain, but is only damp, with the clouds starting to part and blue skies shinning through.

Terry called and said he was sixth in line…if all goes well, he should be home for lunch!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Marvelous Journey—-Monday, October 30, 2017

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“A poet, a weaver of dreams, a man who makes glory from nothing and dazzles you with its making”.— Mary Stewart, The Last Enchantment

I remember I was in the 4th grade when I decided I liked to write down words. AND I liked the words to tell stories.

I grew up in a family of readers…both my grandmothers always read to me…one grandmother would read the newspaper comics to me, the other (a 1st and 3rd Grade Teacher) would read Little Golden Books to my brother and I, PLUS tell wonderful imaginative stories about her childhood in San Angelo, Texas.

Our parents were readers, therefore supplying my brother and I with all the books, comic books and fanciful reading material they could afford.

The Library was our friend!

I got my first camera in the 5th grade. A camera which used film, that had to be developed — took eons to get back and sometimes the photos were so poor they weren’t worth keeping.

As time progressed I finally had the ways and means to put both media’s together, via a blog.

What a joy!

To bring together the photos of clear or cloudy days, small brilliant moons, or violet-rose vaulted skies, or when pink light flooded our farm.

Together with WORDS!  What a marvelous satisfaction.

Then to bring both (writing and photography) these things together in one place to share with you I was finally able to share this shining place Terry and I call home.  Our farm.

A place that rests within our souls and breathes softly on twilight winds.

I thank you, my friends for allowing me to share our lives and the farm with you,

Love,

Linda

 

 

 

In that Space In-Between Harvest—-Sunday, October 29, 2017

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One field done, part of another finished and another to go.  We had to stop harvest as the moisture was too high.  Maybe Monday or Tuesday we will begin again.

Since we were at a stand still, and Saturday was here…

We went to New Castle to watch the last soccer game of the year for the Championship

Then back to Rifle where we took in the second game of the new season of basketball- coach and granddaughter and (new to the sport) little friends

 Then home again, home again jiggity-jig!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

Friends from Far Lands—October 26, 2017

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Shannon made friends with a really nice person from India, who lives and works here now.

Over time I have  gotten to know him.  He is here from India, along with his two cousins.  Being a very friendly soul and a very lonely one he has gradually introduced us to his former life in India.

October 24-29 (of this year) is the Festival of Lights in India called Diwali. On the 24th Shannon and her family were treated to a special meal made up of many delicious and unusual things (to our palates) — there wasn’t anything I didn’t like

Then on the 25th Shannon and I took to him some American food, and a small bag of pinto beans. (He looked extremely nonplussed as how to prepare the pinto beans :).  I will take him some cooked next.)

The he sent home some more food for us to try…snacks made with rice and three types of pickles.

What a special gift to be included in their traditional celebration! 

Very humbly your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

WE HAVE BEGUN!!! —- Wednesday, October 25, 2017

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Terry had the corn checked for moisture and we were DRY!

Out to the field we went, joy mantling our cheeks

On Tuesday’s bright late morning in October (thankfully not January like a couple of years ago) smelling of dry corn stalks, and shelled corn we began filling the truck!

By 1:15 in the afternoon the first load was down to Elevators.  By 2:30 p.m. it was back in the field.

Now…hopefully there are no breakdowns, or some sort of crisis, or rain…rain would not be a good thing right; harvest is here!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

Meet the Latest Equine to Join the Family—-Tuesday, October 24, 2017

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Lady is a very pretty and extremely smart mule

She has been abused, but now in a good place. Lady and Romeo like each other, which is a goo thing.  And Lady likes doing things with Romeo.  If she gets to far from him she gets very nervous.

Shannon is wonderful about gaining abused animals trust.  In time Romeo and Lady will go hiking and camping.

Lady lets Terry and I pet her and brush her.  This coming week she will get her feet trimmed (they are terrible shape)

And after a long patient time—Shannon will ride Lady.  Eventually, Lady and Romeo and Shannon and Jason will go camping in the mountains….

Until then it’s lots of pets, brushings, walks, and carrots!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Simple Stuff—Monday, October 23, 2017

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Terry is down having the corn checked for moisture…we are getting close now.  Soon it will be harvest time, and the completion of this years growing season. We aren’t there just yet….but ever so close.

Our days are growing shorter and shorter, November is fast upon us and the time change from Daylight back to regular time.

So far the days are golden and peaceful. The nights are contented with warm sounds of sap popping as the logs burn in the woodstove; two sleeping cats on Terry, and a Beagle next to me, while I work on a needlepoint project.

The dark of the moon has passed; growing now toward the glittering brightness of the full moon. I love night walks in the moonlight.

A wee pause in the growing season.  Then the last busy push of corn harvest.

But not today…not just yet.

We tarry a little longer.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

We Took off Friday and Saturday—-Sunday, October 22, 2017

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We decided to take the weekend off and hang out with our grandchildren

Friday was Blade’s last Cross-Country meet

Where we cheered all the kids running, but ‘specially,

our Grandson.:)

Then Saturday we went to Parachute, Colorado  where we watched our

oldest Granddaughter’s two soccer games against Telluride, Colorado

The views on that soccer field are amazing!

We didn’t get to our youngest grand daughters very first basketball game at Coal Ridge, since we couldn’t get there in enough time, but she informed us she went for a lay-up using the right foot and right hand AND she dribbled all the way down the court!

Then after visiting for a couple of hours it was time to head back home.  Neither Terry or I like to drive into the sun or after dark so we headed home around four.

We sure had a nice enjoyable break!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

We Left Early This Morning—-Thursday, October 19, 2017

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Once more I will be gone, early, early, by the time you read this.

Yesterday afternoon Terry and l loaded up the trailer and the truck and headed up to Montrose to sell the metal we have gathering here and there on our farm.

I always find the HUGE equipment up there amazing.  There really isn’t anything they can’t pick up and place in some of their piles waiting to go to the recycle of metal places back east.

It’s all pretty cool to watch.

I’ve posted something like this before, this yard really doesn’t change..just the stuff we haul up there.

Also a neat service/business they have…we get rid of the metal, make a little money off it, they sell the metal and make a little more money.  Whoever buys the metal melts it all down and changes it back into something useable.

Pretty cool I think.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm.

Linda