It’s that time of year again
The time to be grateful for our strong and able bodys
To be grateful for our delightful and marvelous friends
To share pleasant times of food and laughter with those we love
To give thanks for crisp autumn soil and blazing sunsets full of color and splendor
To give thanks for friends both near and far.
To give thanks for those wee little breaks, which whisper ease to the body and soul.
Happy Thanksgiving My Dear Friends,
Linda
I decided to move the game camera — my plan three nights in one place, then move it to another place, to see what I could see.
Ahhhhhhhhhh, nighttime, when strange things stalk the earth
Rather cute little creatures —although, very deadly to chickens.
Shape-shifters who stalk the land at midnight.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The Red-Winged Blackbirds wing playfully all around us
In the fields
Landing in the trees, where they set up a happy sounding fuss
Landing on the lawn
Where they, then, twirl away back into the air
A sky full of reckless delight; vast beauty in an unending expanse of song
While way, way over-head the Canadian Geese fly –the exhilarating sounds of their calls reverberating; mingling with the song of the Red-Winged Blackbirds.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
I love the light
Of that, I am sure you already know
And I love the shadows the light give us
I love how the sunlight breaks forth from the clouds
Bathing all sorts of objects in gold
I love how the setting sun creates a harmony of brilliant colors
Or bathes the sky in mellow pastels
Shadows can only exist in light
Even jumbles of obstacles can not stop light brilliantly shining through
I love how the light shines gleaming through the cold icy air gives us Sundogs —[we are steadily declining into very cold weather].
Light and shadows —
Coloring our world with joy
From my sphere of the globe to your heart,
Linda
Grace and her two little sidekicks, Polk and Dottie
Had a terrible disaster
Steal up upon them
Danger stalked Grace and Polk and Dottie sometime on a warm late Autumn day.
With loving memory of an amazing bird and her two little hens.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
Chapter Three
After a good night’s sleep on my chair that I adore, I decided it was time to head outdoors.
Being inside is good, keeps me from getting cold feet, and cold fur, but I get tired of inside.
MEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. I yelled at Mom, who was fixing breakfast. MMEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWW!
“Geez,” Dad exclaimed, getting up from his place by the woodstove. “What is it, Mindy? Oh. You want out. Okay, out you go.”
Out I went, running as fast as I could through the door, ear flat, tail flat. Then I stopped.
It is cold still. Mist everywhere. Not only cold, damp.
Okay, that’s how it is…I’m not going back inside I need to go see if there are any mice anywhere.
Hmmm
I wonder about the hayfield. I haven’t been there for several days.
Off I went, the mist just starting to burn off as the sun grew warmer.
Okay…
Hum
Looking
Looking
“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!”
What the heck…?
“YEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!”
My goodness! I looked all around me trying to figure out what I was hearing.
“HEY CAT!”
I looked up on top of the power pole
HAWK!
Oh! My Goodness…HAWK!
“Don’t worry, Cat.” The hawk yelled down to me. “I’m full. I had breakfast a short while ago. I just heard the news. Boomer has left the farm for the Rainbow Bridge. Is that true?”
I sat down and peered up at the hawk who was peering down at me— “Yes, my wonderful friend, Boomer lives over the Rainbow Bridge now.” I answered.
“Gosh, this is sad news,” Hawk replied. “Sad news!
I used to see him checking out the news all over the farm.
We would visit sometimes.
Does Oreo know?
Or Freddy Fox?”
“I don’t know” I hollered back to Hawk…but, I’m thinking, if you know, then probably
Ruth the Owl,
Oreo the Skunk, and
Freddy and his family must all know.”
“Maybe so, Cat, Maybe so…I think I’m off to find out.”
I watch Hawk rise up and flap away.
Then just as suddenly Hawk was circling and
LANDING
Not far from me.
I made to run.
“STOP CAT! I just wondered one more thing.
Do the coyotes know.”
“Coyotes! COYOTES? I don’t know, Hawk. I don’t know.”
With that, I ran as fast as I could toward the safety of the house.
Toward DAD!
I Had to Get out of the open of that alfalfa field.
Our early morning skies are full of clouds….lots of clouds
Gradually the tumbling clouds break apart
Slowly ever so slowly
Clearing the skies—Causing sunlight to flood across the land
That is when I saw it! a sundog! Heralding the call that much colder weather will soon slither its way
And unfurl upon our area.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
I would like to introduce you to
Grace! Grace is lots of fun…if she likes you.
She is a very smart turkey. She is ‘in-charge’ of her farm, the hens, Black Beauty (the dog), and Shannon.
She is the terror of the cats—Willow and Oliver.
She also is very watchful of me…even though I am sorta kinda part of the farm..she makes SURE I only do the farm things she approves of.
Let me assure you that a large turkey flying at you is rather intimidating…just ask the delivery men. (and me, (sometimes), and Willow, the cat…we all have experienced the FLYING toward you turkey experience.)
Never let anyone tell you turkeys are dumb. They aren’t and they “FOR SURE” know who belongs on the farm and who does!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
‘Are you finding anything, Myrtle?”
“Well, kinda. Let’s look over here.”
“This is extravagant..lots of weeds and leaves and stuff.
“Let’s head someplace else. I’m not finding anything.”
“Okay”
“Oh, look the loud echoing water is gone. Let’s go down there.”
“I’m done.”
“Me too.”
Knock, knock, knock
“MOM! Come out we want some luxury food.”
MOM!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? MOM!
“YAY! Mom is heading to the hen house with treats!”
“First one there gets all of them!”
“That’s just what you think, Myrtle.”
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The skittering clouds traveled willingly away from us
Bringing beautiful clear skies the next day
During the silence of the night
(Caught on the game camera)
The deer arrived to enjoy snacks and safety with the cows
The farm has a loud and marvelous heartbeat—-if one just listens.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 