A Heart Beat—–Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Canyon-rainWe finished up the last set as rain clouds played over the Uncompahgre Plateau, and in the canyons, between us and Grand Junction, Colorado

Rain-in-the-setting-sun2The air was like walking through a hum of bees…the ozone strong enough to be felt on your skin.

It had rained earlier, creating a slick mud on the earth, but only one layer deep.

Rain-the-setting-sun-3When the air is like this it give me a sense of intimacy, as though my soul is flowing out to mingle with sky.

Evening-3I was thinking how I would love to transport you here with me…sometimes photos are just simply not equal to the experience.

It was then I looked down, walking where I had walked many, many times before, when I saw it…

I-found-a-heartI took it home, washed all of the dirt off then took a photo for you.  (I realize, now, I should have taken a photo of it right there, mud covered and all, but I didn’t)

The earth had given me a heartbeat…one to share with you; my friends.

From my world to your heart

Your friend, always

Linda

 

Canyons, Mesas and Hills April 27, 2014

Boy, is it ever COLD here!!!  Miserable in fact.  We started the heat back on in the house yesterday and have kept it going all night and even today.  I’m down to four logs of wood (that have been cut to length)  I was hoping the cut wood would last us until warm and settled weather of spring.  So far that isn’t going to be the case.

Last night Terry and I were dress in our winter clothes —carhart jackets, hooded sweatshirts, with warm winter hats pulled way down over our ears to do the irrigation water.  Miserable changing and resetting (melted snow) ice water in all those clothes.  But we had to do it or freeze.

Today there is edges of ice along the rows it’s so cold out here.

Of course, the fruit trees are in full bloom—apples, cherries, prunes, pears, and plums.  These trees are on our place and I don’t smudge.  I’m sure the orchardist are smudging or running wind fans to try and save their fruit and their living.

Out there on the ditch bank I had to marvel at the beauty that surrounds us—sometimes it is just stunning.

Canyons-3

The storm clouds had lifted a little bit allowing the sun to shine on the canyons, mesas, hills and the Uncompahgre Plateau (Un-come-pah-gray) highlighting the vistas surrounding our mesa.

There is something about being near these geological wonders that lifts my soul.  Something mystic, even exciting.  The canyons draw me to them speaking of mystery and and enchantment—opening my spirit to those who have traveled long long ago, within their captivating walls, or walked along the mesas and hills hunting, foraging, putting down roots, making a life for themselves.

Canyons2

Then there are all the wild animals and other creatures that complete the magic within the vista…calling to my soul!

Anyway….I couldn’t tarry long day dreaming, but for a spell, a very short spell, the canyons and mesas, the plateaus and the hills where filled with sunshine then the storm descended upon them also.

But, lucky for me, I was outside and saw…now you can too.

From the high mountain deserts of Western Colorado I sing to you a bright and very cold “Good Morning!”

You friend,

Linda

The View from Upstairs — March 26, 2014

Yesterday was such a busy day I had a hard time getting everything done.  I was upstairs finishing up some things on the computer, working feverishly to bring completion to some projects that have been in limbo for some time.

Light-eGradually the day started to end, the sun sinking behind the rim of the Uncompahgre (un-come-pah-gray — accent on the pah) Plateau lighting up the canyons that border Highway 50 –Escalante, Dominguez, and others.  Thinking I had better get up and turn on a light I raised my eyes from the computer to see a stunning play of shadows and sun rays spilling across the yard and into the fields.

More-light-pI grabbed my camera and headed toward the alcove window, allowing the sinking sun to send healing light to my eyes and my head.

SamyAs I sat there watching I saw Sammy-Sam hunting along the canal bank…what a good hunter he is.  In January he turn 13 years old and still does his kitty duty.  Last fall Sammy ate something that made him very, very ill.  He must have eaten something that either was poisoned or very sick itself.  Since that time Sammy has been a little on the fragile side.

GAs I watched two late straggler Canada Geese settled down on the old corn field to spend the night.  They settled into a soft little spot in the dip in the ground fluffing up their feathers for a night of rest.

VisitorThe earth, the sky and the things that live all around us are amazing, really.  It is up to us to stop…look…listen…to be aware.  If we do these things then we become one with all, desiring to be good stewards of these wondrous gifts.

Your friend,

Linda

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

A late summer storm crashed all around us last night around mid-night.  The lightening held all three kinds…sheet, cloud to cloud, and cloud to earth.  The cloud to earth ones are always, ALWAYS the dangerous ones.  The dogs don’t mind the lightening it’s the loud booming thunder that sends them under my bed.  Fuzzy has taught Boomer to be afraid, be VERY afraid of thunder.  Not a good thing.  Boomer didn’t ‘know’ he was supposed to act goofy when the thunder sounded until he figured it out from Fuzzy.

Corn-9

The field corn, aka: pick’n corn, feed corn, maize, is getting riper by the day.

Tops-of-Corn

I’m still feeding the bees, although I moved their plate away, away from the hummingbird feeders

Bees-1I like it much better.  As you can see the yellow jackets have also found the sugar water

Bees-4These tables we aren’t using anymore because the bees where to thick in the Russian Sage anyway.  A win-win for all of us involved!

The-west

Just for fun…here is the west side of our place looking toward the canyons and Highway 50 to Grand Junction.

Your western Colorado friend,

Linda

 

 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Terry finished ripping the old pinto bean ground.  Old pinto bean ground doesn’t have to disked, plowed, rolled, and leveled, it only has to be ripped and rolled and then marked.

Riping-the-bean-ground1

(He is using the ripper here.)

Terry will finish rolling it today, then he (and I) will continue work on the transmission ditch.  This our main ditch from the head gate to our whole farm —it is where we are laying pipe so the work load can shrink.  Just like moving everything to your computer the upfront work is hard, but after that everything is a breeze.

Ripping-the-bean-ground-2

Putting the main ditch in pipe, underground will help with the loss of water from evaporation  the slew of weeds that love having an unlimited supply of water, and HIP HIP HOORAY keeping the trash out of the rest of the ditches.

Oh, there will still be some trash, because THE WIND DOTH BLOW IN OUR PART OF COLORADO, but it will shrink considerably!

Storm-2

We’ve been having storms playing along the edges of the Uncompahgre Plateau and over the canyons, sure makes for exciting sky photos!

Happy Spring Tuesday!

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —A Walk through the Cows

It sure seems we have been hang’n at the house lots lately.

Sigh!

BUT Mom has started walking out on the place this week and WE GET TO GO WITH HER!!!!

Sure is fun!

I try….really I do…I, hum, try to stay with Mom and Fuzzy…BUT

Boom-the-Boomer

THEREISSOMUCHTOSMELLANDDOOUTTHEREITISREALLYHARD!

Mom walks LOTS slower than I do…I mean, heck, I can be clear to the end of the field and BACK by the time she and Fuzzy get just a little ways into the field.

But to be fair, I think Mom walks with Fuzzy so Fuzzy doesn’t get lonely.

I really should also

BUT THERE IS SURE SO MUCH TO SMELL OUT THERE ————————–

Chasing-Rabbit

We walked over to the equipment hillside, where Fuzzy scared up Robby the Rabbit.  Fuzzy and Robby ran every which where, until Robby got tired and hid in the roller.  Fuzzy barked at me to join him, but I was over with Mom looking at the old junk which really is homes for the mice.

The mice were not as interesting as the Robby the Rabbit but I was just too far away to be part of the fun.  By the time I got there, Robby was tired and sitting in the roller just watching us.

Phooey.

Canyons--0

We sat on the hillside and looked at the canyons of the Esclante and Dominguez for a short while….then we all moved over to the little pasture and Mom told us if it were night we could see all the cars coming across the desert from Grand Junction to Delta, but of course it wasn’t night so we couldn’t see the traffic.

Grand-JunctionMom assured us it was there.

I headed down to the cattails, but Mom and Fuzzy didn’t they headed over to the little alfalfa field, Mom said half the place was good enough to walk for now.

Cow-Trail

The cows have made a path in the same spot in the field and in the dirt ditch that they have for over 40 years…Mom says it’s the shortest distance to where ever they are going.

Every time Dad sees the flattened out ditch (just in that one spot) he threatens to lay pipe there and cover it up. But he never does, he just gets out the ditcher in the spring and makes a new ditch.

I think he just likes to talk about the path, he really doesn’t care!

Walking-aheadOn the way back I joined Mom and Fuzzy, I really needed to be close to Mom because…..

My hurry had sort of vanished!

Because….

Well….

WE

HAD

TO

GO

THROUGH

THE

COWS!!!!!!

I’m really afraid of the cows!

I’ll bark at them if they get too close to the electric fence around the yard, but I don’t want to do more than that.

WHY?!?!?!

Those girls will CHASE YOU!!!

THAT’S WHY!!!

I had them chase me when I first got here, that sort of thrill I didn’t need again in my life!

Afraid-of-the-cows

Mom has to make me go in front of her, but I only go one step in front of her foot…

Mom and Fuzzy laughed at me, but I didn’t care.

As soon as we got through the herd of 70 pregnant females —- you think about that…

SEVENTY

(70)

PREGNANT

FEMALES

I ran right to the house!

Whew!

I enjoyed the walk, I sure did.  But getting through all those cows is best!

Boomer-Brown

Boomer