The wind is whipping everything and all things today. It started yesterday afternoon and continued with intensity
The clouds and the lovely blue sky is trapped above massive amounts of dirt, blowing bits of weeds and leaves and tiny pebbles of soil.
The only noise outside is agitated and extraordinary and huge 40-50 m.p.h. wind lifting up even empty barrels of 50 galleon drums….what a shuddering mess this wind is.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
For Terry and I — those types of conversations occur constantly…every day and in every way, as we walk solidly up on the land
We see it at the Upper End when the lush grass starts to green up like emeralds, and the air is suffused with the freshness of Spring
We see the Uncompaghre Plateau brighten in the air as lovely as crystals shimmering in the sun
We feel the touch of God’s hand brushing our checks softly in the growing dusk
The wind sometimes lifts us to heights of wonder, complete with fear and trembling (on our part)
Then, when the cloud streaked sky is shredded with the last of the golden sun’s glow, we know, beyond the Shadow of a Doubt we are more than blessed.
From our world to your heart,
Linda
We finally have a calm day. Well, actually we had a calm day starting mid-morning yesterday.
It was lovely. Cold, then warming up — to warm enough a coat could be shed, then cold again.
But that is okay. It’s all about Spring, right now.
In the frenzy of the wind we also fought trash. Lots and lots of trash. Trash so thick and massive it would cause the water to flow over the top of the banks flooding into the next field where the water really should NOT be.
But things are being dealt with…the water for the fields. (Terry wet plants, which means he waters all the field first, allows it to dry out enough he can get a tractor and planter in, then plants the seeds. Once planted in four-five days the little plants pop out of the ground ready to begin their lives of growing. Most other farmers dry plant. Dry plant means you plant the seed into dry soil, then put water into the furrows wetting the soil and the seed at the same time. The seed take a wee bit longer to emerge, but in the end it accomplishes the same thing…growing plants 🙂 )
April is the hurry and prepare month, the emerging of new green of leaves, small brilliant flowers–perfect for food for the honey and bumble bees,—the days longer, twilight gathering later and later in the day, soft flutter-bys flitting here and there, the awakening of those other flying bugs: midges, and flies!
And always, always, setting tubes amid the simple beauty of life on western Colorado farm,
Unfailingly, Your friend,
Linda
Yesterday the snow-laden clouds blew away by noon.
The air warmed up, until we reached the temperature of 84* (28.88 c) by four o’clock in the afternoon.
The sky was warm and lovely, full of puffs of clouds, with gentle little puffs of wind whirling in the air.
Today we are experiencing huge high winds. 40-50 m.p.h. gusts …it’s supposed to be here until sometime tomorrow. Then we have a spell of cold weather (dropping to a high in the 50’s F 10 C), and the wind will be back—huge blasts of wind coming back again by Wednesday of next week.
The bad thing about wind like this, is it brings with it lots of trash. The Trash blows into the water and causes the siphon tubes to stop and the water to run over the banks.
But, you know what? Although, this time of year is hard….Terry and I love every second of it. (I think you know that already 🙂 )
Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,
Linda
The sky is full of threatening clouds today…and it feels cold. Cold enough, if I didn’t think better I would think it might snow.
Although….the weather people say we are going to warm up to 81* today. How odd.
There is a slight breeze, but the scents in the air are of damp and, well, snow. Along with the smell of water on the land, stirred soil, where I have been raking up last years trash on the flower beds, and the roaring canal running passed our farm.
The world is still turning toward spring, the days are growing longer and the nights much shorter.
Of which I rejoice!
Still…even if it does snow. It is still Spring and it will melt and soon the air and the ground and everything alive will burst forth into a wondrous settled time of soft spring days!
I am ready.
I am waiting.
I am excited!
For after Spring comes SUMMER!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
In need of a wee break, Terry and I decided to head up to Ouray and relax for a couple of hours in that marvelous hot spring pool.
We changed the water in the dazzling rays of early morning
Then headed up to where the snow still veiled the mountains, and wind ruffled freezing fingers into your hair.
Once in the water all the cares and worries died to a murmur, while others in the pool laughed softly among themselves.
The snow laid heavily on the amazing peaks…sometime reflecting into millions of diamonds. Once in awhile we could see rock climbers braving the face on the rugged cliffs, warmed by the afternoon sun.
Back home we came, just in time for sunset and the last change of water.
Rested…
And ready to continue our daily lives on a western Colorado farm,
Your friend,
Linda
Winter’s overwhelming lack of smells are gone. Instead we have exciting fresh scents of varied EVERYTHING
Green things growing, water on parched soil, the smell of just fallen rain, mingled with whiffs of equines
Taking dust baths 🙂
(whatever Lady does TaAta thinks she must do also 🙂 )
The smell and feel of the air is crisp and soft and Fresh now— How lucky we are.
Later on in the slightly chilled evening,
Ta Ata came to Visit.
Spring…a time of joy on all the land,
From my heart to your world.
Linda
We got rain! Lots and lots of lovely rain.
Even the birds were singing the trees, as the rain whispered through the small buds on the branches.
And I…I was that good wife, who let Terry go out at nine o’clock of the evening, in the roar of the storm to change the water ONE last time. He graciously told me to stay inside, that it wouldn’t take him long.
He came in a drowned rat…but ever so excited about the depth of moisture in the soil.
The wind blew the clouds away around five o’clock this morning…leaving us with that perfect mix of fresh air, fresh sky, blessed plants and earth from RAIN!
From my world to your heart,
Linda
We begin…”Why do we start so early?” Terry asks, although he knows the answer.
There is just so much to do. Even if we don’t have the care of animals, we do have the care of the land.
The leaves are beginning to unfurl ever so slowly on the trees….first the cottonwood pushes off the little yellow sticky covers, the blooms burst forth (along with the pollen) and finally…if one looks closely the little tips of leaves are starting to appear.
It’s cold again (actually still–we had a couple of really nice days, but not right now.)
Look at the trash coming out of the canal
Masses of stuff.
My yard is the same way…all the corn leaves flew into the yard over the winter making lovely covers on everything. Also making debris come spring, which I must now remove for the gently growing bulbs to spiral up into the spring air.
The little birds are all puffed up keeping warm….they, like us, are ready for warmer weather (although we are NOT having snow like some of you…my heart goes out to you waiting for melt and warmth!)
I am a person who believes in mysteries, in secrets of the Universe, and in the magic of the common daily existence
For you see, I see it each and every day, but ‘specially on that day when we start water on the land…then I can see and feel the heart of the earth beating, slow, incessant, humming —-pulsing—throbbing, throughout the day and into the night—all through the night and back into the day…
Reflecting into the sky, where it is manifested for all to see.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
The water came yesterday around three o’clock in the afternoon. I was just finishing up one of my flower beds when I walked past the canal and saw the back hoe and a large pile of moving brush, dust flying in the midst of water
The water had come!
Terry headed up to watch and I dropped everything and headed up the canal to get photos of this very exciting event
The backhoe grabbed huge chunks of weeds to keep from flooding the farms along the way
Gradually the back hoe started to get the water clearer
The arrival of water!
Gradually the water cleared
We gathered up our shovels, and headed out to start the water on the farm! Which meant, of course, we had to clean all our ditches from the trash coming down the canal and into our ditches
But oh my how it was worth all the work.
The New Year has Begun!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 