A Marvelous Journey—-Monday, October 30, 2017

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Dayphoto

“A poet, a weaver of dreams, a man who makes glory from nothing and dazzles you with its making”.— Mary Stewart, The Last Enchantment

I remember I was in the 4th grade when I decided I liked to write down words. AND I liked the words to tell stories.

I grew up in a family of readers…both my grandmothers always read to me…one grandmother would read the newspaper comics to me, the other (a 1st and 3rd Grade Teacher) would read Little Golden Books to my brother and I, PLUS tell wonderful imaginative stories about her childhood in San Angelo, Texas.

Our parents were readers, therefore supplying my brother and I with all the books, comic books and fanciful reading material they could afford.

The Library was our friend!

I got my first camera in the 5th grade. A camera which used film, that had to be developed — took eons to get back and sometimes the photos were so poor they weren’t worth keeping.

As time progressed I finally had the ways and means to put both media’s together, via a blog.

What a joy!

To bring together the photos of clear or cloudy days, small brilliant moons, or violet-rose vaulted skies, or when pink light flooded our farm.

Together with WORDS! What a marvelous satisfaction.

Then to bring both (writing and photography) these things together in one place to share with you I was finally able to share this shining place Terry and I call home. Our farm.

A place that rests within our souls and breathes softly on twilight winds.

I thank you, my friends for allowing me to share our lives and the farm with you,

Love,

Linda

Simple Stuff—Monday, October 23, 2017

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Dayphoto

Terry is down having the corn checked for moisture…we are getting close now. Soon it will be harvest time, and the completion of this years growing season. We aren’t there just yet….but ever so close.

Our days are growing shorter and shorter, November is fast upon us and the time change from Daylight back to regular time.

So far the days are golden and peaceful. The nights are contented with warm sounds of sap popping as the logs burn in the woodstove; two sleeping cats on Terry, and a Beagle next to me, while I work on a needlepoint project.

The dark of the moon has passed; growing now toward the glittering brightness of the full moon. I love night walks in the moonlight.

A wee pause in the growing season. Then the last busy push of corn harvest.

But not today…not just yet.

We tarry a little longer.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Through the Calls of the Wild Geese—-Wednesday, November 2016

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Dayphoto

The geese are here…winging their way back to us! Their shouted hellos add to the cacophony of the combine and the rumble of the grain truckI am actually comforted by all the activity, although (at different points) I find I hold my breath trying to hear the geese through the noise. When I do so; I also feel the pounding of my heart.

Listening, listening, for that odd sound, which means something isn’t right. Then there it is— a mess of a tire.

It slows harvest down. A small diversion

A quick ride into farm yard— get a tire and back out we all go. Boomer included.

Then everything is good to go again.

I sometimes think young people believe {we} old folks are a separate form of life.

That’s alright, someday they will be old and will understand…just going about every day’s business —together—is the sunbeam of growing old.

As for myself, I couldn’t ask for more.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—Stopped

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Dayphoto

Dad and Mom are stopped on harvesting the corn.

Stopped!

It snowing!

SNOWING!

But Dad says: “At least we got two fields done! Only one more field to go, we can handle this small wait.”

So we wait.

That works for me…toasting my feet by the fire!

Boomer

It IS January After All—Thursday, January 7, 2016

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Dayphoto

We were going to test the corn again today. By that I mean we would gather three ears of corn from each corn field, keeping them in separate buckets, bring them in and shell the kernels off the cobs into their bucket, then run (each bucket separately) through the corn moisture meter tester. If the moisture content was low enough, Terry would then take the three buckets down to the elevator and have THEM test each bucket. (Remember each bucket represents each field).

It doesn’t NOT matter what your moisture tester says, it only matters what their moisture tester says. They buy and store and sell the corn so they know what they want in their silos. We have our moisture tester set to match theirs, but we are always erring on the side of caution. To combine a huge load of corn and have it turned away would be not be a very good thing.

Anyway, that is what we were GOING to do. But not anymore.

It’s snowing again. Snow is a good thing for January. Something we have prayed for in the past, enjoyed when it was here, and just plain understood, that is winter after all.

Until this year…until this very strange year when the corn doesn’t dry down in a normal way and is harvested by late November and/or early December. This year we are eagerly waiting for the snow to dry off (or fall off) the corn shucks; then we go out and hand check the shucks for dryness. If everything is looking just right we get our buckets set up for the next day…and wake-up to more snow.

So for now we wait. Even if the corn is dry enough, the shucks are not, maybe next week. Only time will tell.

As I was hauling in wood to fill the wood stove this morning, Terry was standing at the back door looking out, “Snow,” he mumbles. ” Well, I guess it is January.” Turning around he headed to his spot on the sofa, feet stretched out toward the wood stove; matching Boomer’s four paws toasting on his side of the wood stove. “I guess we wait some more.”

I guess so.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Still no Harvest—Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Dayphoto

I loved these two photos from FaceBook; thought I would share them with you. The header and this one.

Still no corn harvest…Terry will check tomorrow to see where the corn moisture is…he and I are hoping with all this cold the corn has dried it down enough we can begin. What a strange, strange year for harvesting.

Hope you have a good one today!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Corn Report—Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Dayphoto

Well, here we sit, the corn is still standing, albeit growing shorter and shorter as the days go by. The weather and the wind has started breaking the tops off the stalks, the moisture is keep the corn kernels wet, and the ground is muddy.

It’s not just us…it is everyone who has corn to shell and sell.

Still we wait. There isn’t anything else to do.

Corn harvest…not yet!

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Getting Close–Thursday, September 25, 2015

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Dayphoto

We are getting close (now), to being done, with the pinto bean harvest. Tomorrow should see the end!

Prices are low. They are low on the corn and the hay also. But storing something doesn’t always produce a higher price later on.

I always find this so odd…the farmer get a small amount, but the retail in the grocery store is extremely high…too many middle people along the way, I guess.

We are still irrigating the alfalfa field. It’s a big field and takes a long time to get across, but we should finish with the irrigation by Saturday.

After that we wait.

Corn harvest will start the last of October, or in November sometime, it all depends on the moisture content of the corn.

Winding down to gear up again…it called harvest!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday—Cornharvest

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Dayphoto

Here is the corn all in a row,

The tassels are up; the cobs below.

Dad’s in the combine making a dust,

Harvest is continuing all in a rush.

The corn is all gobbled and spun out to fly

Leaving a cob all empty to dry.

Monkey wants to hunt mice with me

But I have the Nose you see

Off you go Monkey don’t wait around now

If there is something interesting I set up and Howl!

Your Poet at large ( TEE HEE!)

BOOMER, The Handsome!!!

I’m Late, I’m Late—Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Dayphoto

I’m late today! Very late!

But we have been up and at’em since 5 this morning. What a joggle of a day.

The brakes went out of the LOADED grain truck —this time the booster. This time the truck stays parked until the brakes can be fixed. (This is exactly WHY most people do NOT want to deal with old equipment…but I digress!)

Thankfully the truck was in the yard and parked under the car port…blessings abound!

We covered the completely full truck up with a tarp and tied it down. Then while Terry ran over to a neighbor who works on semi’s, to see if there were parts he could get to fix the truck, I got the house straightened up ready so we could go get the other truck. Hines said Terry could use one of their trucks to finish up our fields (two to go—well, really 1 3/4 to go). If everything holds together we hope to be done by next week…fingers and toes crossed and magic thoughts and prayers…even a knock or two on wood!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

I have two beautiful photos from a long-time blog friend, OneFly...the first is a stunning rainbow he sent awhile back

and the second is a photo when he was going to San Jose…he loves the tropical places and travels somewhere warm and lush every winter. (This was taken in 2012—I thought it was fun to share it today, being how it is winter and brown and drab here 🙂 )