Sunday, October 13, 2013

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Dayphoto

We took a flying trip to Norfolk, Nebraska as Terry needed some combine parts and a bracket for the suitcase weights for one of the tractors. Since we were both ready for a short trip off we went.

The desert between us and Grand Junction is extremely green. ( You can see Wild Horse Mesa in the background — it is the last green bowl shaped mesa just before the blue sharp lines of Grand Mesa)

We have had and are still having lots and lots of rain. Very nice for making the world fresh and lovely.

We got to Grand Junction as morning was coming into full-light. This is a very quick photo of the Book-cliffs which surround Grand Junction on one side.

Glenwood Canyon was beautiful waking up to a day of full-speed-ahead traffic.

Driving through the Johnson side of the Eisenhower tunnel.

We live 5 hours from Denver. At this point we are about two hours away. This a horrible mess come ski-season. The traffic slows to a 30 m.p.h. or LESS crawl on Sunday afternoon as people try to come back from a weekend of skiing.

Taking the back roads and staying off the Inter State

This CAN BE a bleak trip, but we enjoy the farms and ranches.

It was sugar beet harvest

And soybean and

corn harvest.

All the way from Colorado to Norfolk.

We cheered and clapped and gave everyone two thumbs up for being able to get their crops in.

That night we stayed in Ogalla, Nebraska —

Getting up early the next morning we we found lots of salvage yards

along our route.

Just what we were looking for!

Continued tomorrow….

Your friend on a California Mesa Farm,

Linda

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Dayphoto

We got the corn combine ready to go!! Although, the wood stove down at Shannon’s is going to take a little more time. We really need to have it done by Thursday as our temperatures are expected to drop 20*. We are on the rapid decline toward winter. (SHUDDER)

Most days now, just before time to fix supper, Terry the dogs and I head out and check the fences. Our neighbors will be bringing in their cows once the corn is off and we don’t want to be fixing fence AFTER the cows figure out how to get over onto our place. 🙂 Although I love cows it is better when they stay with their own people. 🙂

I’m always surprised at the morning frost, but everything seems to come out of it. The only things hurt right now are the pinto beans, squash and pumpkin plants and other extremely delicate growing things.

So far my tropical plant are doing fine, but I expect them to not make it through Thursday and Friday nights.

Shannon’s two turkey’s have finally made it through their molt–beautiful looking birds. These boys will never be anyone’s dinner, but enjoy living out their lives in royal comfort.

Today Terry has a hay customer, then we are off to help Shannon haul wood. After that we will continue work on her fireplace. Nothing heats like a nice wood stove! We won’t get done today, but maybe by Thursday. (We really hope we can be done by Thursday… the cold is settling in — oh, I’m starting to sound like a broken record.)

But today…today it is still Summer 83* today. I will relish every moment of it!

Your friend on a California Mesa farm,

Linda

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Dayphoto

We are warm today, 67* right now. We have a high wind warning starting at noon today as another cold front blows into our area. But for right now, we are nice…Friday we will be wet again. (I hope it goes around us–we are way too wet as it is and need some drying weather for the pinto bean farmers in the area to be able to get their pinto beans out.)

Anywho….

There is a really cool program through Cornell called Project Feeder Watch. Go Here to Sign UP.

This is a program of a winter long survey of birds that visit backyard feeders across America. Watchers count they birds they see at their feeders from November through April and send in their reports. The program tracks invasive species as they move across the continent, like the Eurasian collared-dove (or ring-necked dove), and measures the decline of species such as evening grosbeaks and the population increase of other birds such as Northen Cardinals, Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens. Oh, yes and I think the Redbellied Woodpeckers.

I will probably have one million counts of House Sparrows and Starlings, but I’m going to give it a try.