First Haying of the Year!
Oenomel (n): Something combining strength with sweetness
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
On Sunday, we decided to do some more traveling.
We turned onto the Canna Creek Road, just before Whitewater, Colorado,
Then traveled up the Land’s End Road to the Reeder Mesa turn-off
What a treat!
Lots of building going on up there, BUT
Like I showed you earlier, this Pronghorn ran alongside us for a goodly little way. It was
acting like he/she was looking for its herd.
Then we entered Whitewater, Colorado, and drove to Grand Junction to eat ribs at Texas Roadhouse.
Back home before the heat built up into sweltering.
A good day for sure!
Fernweh (n): An ache for distant places; a craving for travel.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Our youngest granddaughter drove us to decorate the graves…
Like me, she is very interested in who these people are that we choose to remember
(She said she would take over my Genealogy research when I’m gone. Which is so nice to know that all that time and money and the people found, won’t be lost.)
Afterwards, we had a practice photo shoot for her Senior pictures
Gosh, time is flying.
Taphophile: (n)—An individual who has a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Well, I figured out adulthood. I became an adult—very soon after I was moved to that hidden pen.
Yep—babies became part of my life.
I loved those little sweet squirming babies.
But I didn’t get to have them for long. As soon as they hit their 8th week zipp, they were placed in a pen next to me.
I sang calming songs to them, like Momma did for us.
Soon, I repeated the whole process all over again, and again and again.
Then one day, the lady showed up with a man. The woman said that I was for sale!
“FOR SALE!!!!” She was getting rid of me!!!!
The man reached down and picked me up. Held me close to his heart, and I felt Peace!
Wow!
I really like my new ‘owner.’ He was good to me, gave me a bath once a month, and let me exercise in the sun, which was a tiny distance from my new pen.
Of course, I still had my ADULT duties of having and raising puppies.
Then one day…actually, night, the puppies and I almost ran over the rainbow bridge together.
It took me a long time to recover from all that.
After I got well, my man owner came into the pen. He was wonderful, he talked to me and to everyone else in the pens all the time. Telling us good things about ourselves, telling us things about each other. You know nice stuff.
Anyway, in he came. Picked me up. Gave me a kiss on the nose and said: “Today is a big day for you, Boo.” He called me Boo, even though my full name is Boo Berry Betty and the lady called me Betty.
“Today, you are going to take a bath, get all cleaned up, because today you are going to live with a family. No more adulting for you. Last time was just too much. I’ve found a wonderful family who will love and keep you, and you can learn to be a farm dog.”
Farm dog? What’s a farm dog, I thought.
Anyway, I had a bath, toenails clipped, and a nice brush. I felt so good. My owner always gave us really nice baths.
Then this lady showed up in the doorway. I didn’t pay attention, because people were always coming and going — leaving with puppies.
My owner picked me up. Handed me to MOM and gave Mom my papers (whatever those are), then walked with Mom and me to the car.
“Thank you, Alan, Mom said. I promise she will have a wonderful life with us and get to do lots of fun things. No more ‘work’ Boo Berry.”
With that, we drove to my new life!
“MARTHA!!!! MARTHA!!! WHERE ARE YOU!”
“Coming, DEAR, Coming! I was just searching for bugs over here.”
Yutori (Japanese): To intentionally slow down to simply be, breathe, listen, and appreciate the beauty of nature and life.
Consciously creating space to relax, reflect, and integrate rather than being constantly busy or rushed.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Sometimes I struggle. Just a little, but still—-
That mild depression I talked about a few days ago—
But you know something?—
All I have to do is look around,
And see the many blessings,
Gifts, hugs, and love the earth, the sky, the very air I breath gives to me
Not to fail to mention, all your well wishes and lovely comments
To know I have nothing to be depressed about.
Life is good—always. We just have to ‘see’ to understand.
Meraki (v): To do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
Genevieve wrote me three days ago this very sad, but beautiful email:
I will sadly be reading and commenting on your blog all alone from now on. Cupcake has crossed the rainbow bridge after a stunning 18 1/2 years of sparkling life. As you can well imagine, things are pretty dark and sad around here right now.I sent my girl off with instructions to find and kiss our old friends up there and to send me a new good-girl down here. There’s too much love left over for her, so I need a new dog to catch the overflow.
I’ll be back as soon as I figure out who I am without her. But I didn’t want you to worry in the meantime. I’m adding the double rainbow that I saw about a week ago. I imagine Cupcake is sitting under it right now.
Love,
Genevieve
I am singing a song of great happiness for you and your new fur baby!
I love it when the song birds return
They come when the air pressures change
And the wind warms up
Their return always feels like a huge and sacred connection
Between the Great Spirit(s) of the Universe and Us.
A most sacred experience for all.
Caim (kyem) noun: Sanctuary; an invisible circle of protection, drawn around the body with the hand, to remind one of being safe and loved, even in the darkest times. [Scots Gaelic]
From my world to your heart,
Linda
We left early and headed to Unaweep Canyon, (click on the blue to learn more)
Then we headed on toward Uravan (which is no longer there)
Making a stop at the Hanging Flume. What an amazing feat of wonder.
Can you see it, barely hanging alongside the cliff?
Then off we went to eat at Blodie’s in Naturita, up to Bedrock and Paradox, then Nucla for a small tour.
I drove all the way to Norwood, but Terry had to drive Norwood Hill (scary) and Dallas Divide (Lots of traffic—scary)
At Ridgeway, I took over.
We made an ice cream stop in Montrose, then came home.
Coddiwomple (v.): to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.
Tired, happy, and ready to be back to our routine.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Chapter Two Boo Berry Tells a Story
We lived in a tiny space. Just big enough for Momma, my brother, my sister and me. As we grew older, the space grew smaller.
One day the woman came in grabbed up my sister, my brother and myself and put us in another space next to Momma.
Momma could hear us, and we could hear Momma but we could not see her. We could smell her. Which helped.
Momma says it helped her, too.
Momma told us to move as close to the wall as possible, and she would sing us a song. She said she has had this happen to her many, many, many times in her life. Over time, she figured out that if we all got as close to the wall as possible, we could still have contact.
We were able to stay like this for a week or so, then the lady came in, reached down, and took away our brother.
Then the lady came back and took away our Momma. It was just my sister and I left. We cried and cried and cried until we fell asleep.
The next day, the lady came back and picked up my sister in one hand and me in the other hand, and hauled us to a whole other spot.
On the way to that spot, we saw Momma, she was in a pen outside with a really handsome brown dog. I yelped at Momma. She yipped back…calling I LOVE YOU!!! Be good. I hope we see each other again. Then she turned and walked back into the wooden house in the back of her new pen. The really handsome dog stayed outside and just watched all of us.
We were put in different pens. Not far from Momma, but too far, we could just barely see her if we stood at the corner of our outside pen.
Sometimes we would yip at Momma, and she would yip back, but over time we all stopped.
Being outside was scary.
I didn’t like it. ( I do sorta now, if I’m with someone)
My sister did. She would hang out outside our wooden hut and sniff the air, and make conversation with the birds and the bugs.
Me—I would lie in the doorway in the sun and sunbathe, My head out, and my tail inside. So much safer that way.
My Sister….Callie… and I were good friends. We talked a lot about what we were seeing…how life looked now without Momma, and just chilled out.
It was when Callie and I had our 9-month birthday that the lady came back and separated us.
NO!!!! I whined NO!!!
First, Callie was put into a pen that looked like the one we saw Momma in, then down the way, around a scrub bush, I was put into the exact same kind of pen.
I crawled inside and took myself to the darkest corner I could find.
This is NOT fun!
Boo Berry Betty—The Name the Lady gave me.