Quick Trip— Sunday, December 7, 2014

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Dayphoto

Friday night…no wait!!! Early Saturday morning –3:30—neither Terry nor I could sleep…worrying about getting the corn in…the brakes went out of the grain truck…everything was wet from the rain…just stuff. The kind of thing that bothers you at night but doesn’t in the daytime.

Around 4 o’clock Terry said: “Let’s get up and go to Craig and watch Blade’s basketball tournament.”

“Sounds good to me. If we leave here at 4:30 we should make it to the gym by 7:30. Blade plays at 8:00—won’t he be surprised when we walk in?”

So we did.

The drive was beautiful..randomly we could see the moon, but mostly it was cloudy, traffic was light (not many people up at that time of day), the deer, elk and antelope stayed somewhere safe for them and for us. Right at 7:30 a.m. sharp we walked into the gym…there he was! Lined up with the team…he saw us! A smile and a tiny wave let us know! Around 7:55 the rest of the family came through the ticket booth … huge smiles all around…it was a great surprise. We enjoyed this so much.

In-between Blade’s games we went up to see their Christmas decorations and to then to see the pigs, Linky is ‘sharing’ with their neighbor. (They are his pigs, but this very lonesome for the farm little girl, was asked by Mr. Chapman if she would like to help him gentle down and take care of his latest pigs). Every day she trudges up the hill to the pig barn and plays with the three little pigs–I forget their names. When she gets tired of them she then walks along and pets and brushes down all the other pigs in this very clean and friendly pig barn. There is no smell in this set up because of how the pigs are fed and taken care of…they have their own pellet stove for the winter and nice fans for the summer. These are special pigs raised only for showing…all the little pigs are sold only to those places that want show pigs. It’s a great life for a pig!

Then back we went to watch the basketball hustle. Bladen is a good basketball player! it was ever so much fun.

The only sad part in the whole day was Tally lost her backpack—hopefully someone found it and will return it to the school or to Kelly or Misty. One can always hope, I suppose.

We were heading back home right after the games, but the kids asked us to stay for a bite to eat and a short visit. We did…it was nice.

We made it back home just as the sun was going down around 4:30 or so. It was a very fast trip but a very nice trip.

Now we prepare for another week of harvest (we hope) only two more fields to go. It sure would be nice to be done before Christmas!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm

Linda

Storms and More Storms–Monday, November 24, 2014

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Dayphoto

The weather people were right…storms and more storms following each other right on each other’s heels…

Our neighbor got his corn field baled just at the miserable winds arrived. Although, the loose corn leaves would not have bothered us, it would have made a huge mess for the Church of the First Born on the corner by the corn field.

The the rain and the sleet descended blocking our view. That’s okay, the corn fields have blocked our view until just last week. 🙂

Then the flurries started bringing snow to the foothills of Grand Mesa, the Uncompahgre Plateau (Un-come-pah-gray), and the area of the Black Canyon, and rain to us.

Sunday was a good day to sit by the fire!

Last night the storm left and

another one arrived around 4 in the morning. The sunrise around 6:30 was a promise of more storms—which is true, it’s snowing as I write this.

Later on today we will travel out and gather more corn for sampling the moisture. A tedious routine now, but necessary. Just as soon as the meter hits 14% the combine will roar into the life and the big orange truck will find it’s way out to the proper field, waiting for the corn to be loaded into the back. As soon as the bed is full, the truck will head down to the Elevator…hopefully! That’s the plan anyway. Finger’s Crossed and Magic thoughts we can start again (I think I’ve said that at least two times before this time…shish!)

Your friend on a very cold western Colorado farm,

Linda

Storm Heading In–Thursday, November, 20, 2014

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Dayphoto

Yesterday afternoon the clouds started to skim across the sky stretching and cooling down everything under them.

Gradually they thickened and thickened, long frontal cirrostratus(is that the correct name for snow producing clouds?) clouds giving Terry and I the feeling that snow was about to happen. Although, the weather people were saying not.

This morning we woke to clear skies and the ever present cold 17*. But a storm is predicted to be in here for the weekend.

Today we are bright and sunny! Still I can see those same frontal cirrostratus clouds being pushed toward us over the Uncompahgre Plateau. (Un-come-pah-gray—a Ute Indian word meaning: (take your pick; rocks made red by water, rocks that make water red, or just plain dirty water. 🙂 ) A winter storm is predicted to arrive here Friday night bringing with it snow for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. After that our daytime highs will shift down a notch from the mid 40’s to the mid 30’s. The slide into the long, dark days of winter has begun. And it’s early! Those of you getting slammed with snow are very aware of that —-winter has arrived; albeit several weeks early.

The corn is still checking out dry on the top end of the field and very dry in the middle, but the bottom end is W.E.T.! 17%. We continue to wait. If this snow goes around us and isn’t too wet (right here) possibly the ends of the fields will dry down enough we can start on Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday…hummm, next week sometime. 🙂

I thank each one of you for your continued concern and encouraging words and magic thoughts that soon, very soon, the corn dries down enough we can get this years harvest in.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Wonder—-Sunday, November 9, 2014

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Dayphoto

Before I begin, Sara from http://myfavoritesheep.blogspot.com/ asked: “Could you post a dog/rescue charity that FuzzyDude Brown would like us to support?” I can. Back when I had more time I used to volunteer as a dog walker at CAWS in Delta, Colorado. I always hate to ask for donations, but if you are so inclined ……I thank you very much.

Our last of our company has left, but will return next weekend. This next time the whole family is coming, Momma, Daddy, and the three kids.

I’ve been raking leaves…here and at the other house.

Yesterday Terry and I started getting ready for the installation of the new furnace at the other house. Sadly we are having to tear out an old existing chimney, which has made a huge mess in the kitchen I just finished painting. It was necessary to fix the mess the other person made when he installed the propane furnace for Aunt Benita…the chimney was in the middle of the house therefore that spot is needed for the cold air intake. What a huge mess.

We will get all the prep work done…remove the chimney, restore the ceiling and floor and walls, clean up the tremendous mess (I hope I don’t have to re-paint, but if I do I will) and then we will have to crawl under the house and create (DIG) pathways for the installers to have space to work. I’m tired just thinking about it. The house was built in 1903, by Terry’s great grandfather…he was a master carpenter (although that term wasn’t coined at the time)–his work is outstanding. The house has been remodeled twice by Terry’s Aunt and Uncle who lived there after Grandpa and Grandma Hill passed. Terry purchased the house from the estate after Benita passed. All houses have their issues…we are just about to get this house’s problems completely solved. (Which will be a very good thing)

The corn is testing out at 15.6% We are very close now for the harvest to begin. Terry will have a selection of corn tested around noon tomorrow—hopefully we can start combining. Keep your fingers crossed.

The little kids loved playing in the corn tunnels—

But I’m really sure there will still be some corn still here when they come 🙂

Gradually, gradually we are starting to get caught up. I am so very thankful that we have this time (fall) to work on that other house…spring and summer are so extremely busy it would be hard to get everything done down there.

My mother would always say: “Everything works out for the best….if you just let it”.

She was so right.

Moving forward one-day-at-a-time,

Your friend on a Colorado Farm,

Linda

Checking My List—Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Dayphoto

I let the dogs go with me to the other house! I know, I know, I said Boomer couldn’t go anymore, but ….I just felt so sorry for him….those sad beagle eyes you know.

So off we went…then while I was there he had to come inside while I worked at painting the coat closet. He didn’t mind, although Fuzzy said he preferred sitting outside on the step in the sunshine.

This house is almost where I want it to forget it for a spell, all I have to do is mop (!) then I’m done for a time.

I also took our ballets in to the court house…there—- we have voted! YIPPEE!!

Now we just wait to see how the vote turns out. I really like this mail in voting…no standing in line—get your ballet- think about what you want to see happen, color in the square…put everything back in the proper envelopes, sign and date the back, then either walk it in and put it in the voting box or mail it. DONE!

Tomorrow I should finish up this houses’ to-do list and maybe get closer to finished INSIDE the other house. I would really like to get the trim and the fences done before the weather turns bad. I would also like to be done down there, before the corn harvest starts. I looked back over my blog and we started the 5th of November last year. That’s not to far off now. Although, it depends on the moisture of the corn…one year we were clear to Christmas before we got done, not being able to start until after Thanksgiving. I sure hope we don’t have another year like that!

With joy in my heart and a song on my lips–the list is shortening every day!

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Hidden Pictures

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Dayphoto

Thank you one and all for the magic thoughts, prayers and good wishes for each and every little problem we are experiencing.

Yesterday after the truck was loaded the chain on the gasoline combine’s hopper broke………AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Which means that today Terry and I will shovel out the hopper into the truck, then he will have to climb under and in to remove the chain….go up to Montrose to get a chain (more than likely it will be me and my little sick granddaughter to get the chain) while he tries to fix the diesel combine. When I get back he hopes to be combining with the first combine as the diesel combine is much cheaper to run. If not…he has to figure out which combine will be the quickest to fix, not necessarily the cheapest.

What a harvest this has been!

The bean harvest was just as bad with the bean combine breaking down. The funny thing about our equipment, is it is so old now that the parts a couple of years ago were cheap…not now…and it isn’t because they are hard to find, it’s because collectors have started collecting the equipment that we USE causing the price of the parts to triple in value.

Go figure.

So here we are…old ‘classic’ equipment, old ‘us’, and everything breaking down. Terry says he either needs to buy some newer equipment or stop farming —the last isn’t going to happen my friends, I can’t even imagine it. He says at 69 you could never farm out the cost of the newer equipment so he guesses he will just have to fix what he has.

Sigh.

Soooo anyway….here we are…Terry is at the elevator with the second load waiting to dump (he has been there since daylight) and I have a sick grandchild sleeping on the sofa. In light of all that I thought something fun would be perfect for the post today.

CAN YOU FIND THE DEER

When we were up at the Diversion Dam I took a couple of photos of a deer in the trees, thinking we could play a game…sort like these two posts awhile back——-

If you can see the deer tell us and also let us know what the deer is doing!

Have fun!

I’ll post the answers in a couple of days!

Your friend,

Linda

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 A Need for Magic Thoughts

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Dayphoto

Terry started the corn harvest

The day was cold and cloudy, but not windy. He waited until noon to see if the promised rain/sheet/snow was going to come. Since it didn’t he began.

About the time he got half the truck loaded the diesel motor started getting HOT! Stopping quickly (we both hope the motor is okay)…and some long flustered and frustrating minutes he dug out the gasoline combine.

That machine hasn’t ran for years. About two hours later (including lunch) he got it going and was able to finish one load. We parked the truck and covered it for the night just as the wind picked up. (Terry is at the elevator right now waiting to dump the load–he says it will be a long wait — he thinks he will be back around lunch or 1:00 p.m. A four to five hour wait.)

Late in the evening as the wind blew and the rain pelted he was able to get the thermostat off hoping that is the problem, if not sometime this after noon he will work on the water pump…let us hope it is the thermostat and not the water pump or worse yet…Not the whole motor! Please send Magic thoughts for a easy and non-costly fix! What a start to the harvest.

Over night the wind blew, the rain turned to sleet/snow and we woke-up to ice everywhere.

The snow isn’t staying, which is good, although the wind is still bitter and nasty. The weather person says this will blow out of here today with the next 6 days really nice!

That would be great…if things could hang together maybe we would be done in 6-10 days.

Anyway, life goes on. Sometimes the days within are a little brain stretching but we always make it.

I must go now and go pick up a sick granddaughter and take her to the Doctor’s Office, an ear infection. Another request for healing for this little girl so she can go to school her ‘most favorite thing in the whole wide world to do–even better than playing with My Little Ponies’.

Your rather frazzled friend,

Linda

Tuesday October 22, 2013

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Dayphoto

I thought it would be fun to show you how tiny our City Hall used to be. ( The photos are on file at the Delta County Museum and Historical Society or with the City of Delta)

Delta City Hall – from 1910 to 1962 – 3^rd Street (where museum courtyard is today photo provided by Jim Wetzel, Curator)

Below is the City Hall now….amazing how fast a town can grow from the above little office to what is needed today.

When I was a child what is now City Hall was a bank. I think it was called The Bank and Trust or something of that nature. I can remember going in there and putting money in my savings account.

I also remember how stunned I was that I didn’t get to have the exact money I took in back out…just a paper book with the amount written on a little square of how much I had with the bank.

This is the museum court yard today. (Where the original City Hall stood)If you ever get a chance to stop by the bell collection is extremely nice, and the original log cabin is fascinating. (I think I could be a pioneer, I really do.)

Our weather is very nice right now. I got my yard put to bed and all the weeds pulled for the year. Today I plan on cleaning the trucks, Terry’s pick-up and my car. Then I will be taking Linki to soccer practice in the afternoon.

I hope this weather stays for some time, having this nice weather is really a gift for corn harvest.

No, we haven’t started corn harvest yet, maybe November 1st. Terry will take some corn down and have it tested that day to see. Everyone is gearing up, but the corn is still high moisture so we wait.

I hope everyone has a good day!

Your Friend,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — For One Day Only

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Dayphoto

Last week we had a huge ice storm, then Mom and Dad LEFT!!!

Mom talked to both of us and told us they were going on a little trip, they would be gone three days and two nights, but they WOULD BE BACK!!!

Then she petted us and gave us kisses on the nose and really nice back scratches and asked us to do a good job of taking care of everything while they were gone.

We gave Mom lots of kisses on her hand and arm and said we would.

It was a LONG TIME UNTIL THEY GOT BACK!

Three days is FOREVER!!!!!

Yes, Shannon came up and took us for walks with the our dog cousins, and Misty and the little kids came over and checked on us….

BUT IT JUST WASN’T THE BEST…………..

We needed Mom and Dad!

Then they were here! Yippee! Boomer laid all over Dad’s feet and I laid right by Mom’s chair until bedtime, then we both slept in the bedroom with OUR PEOPLE!

While they were gone we had another ‘gully-washer’ so none of us could go out and start putting the farm to bed.

Gradually the days dried out and then on the warmest day ever (and I do mean HOT) Mom and Boomer and I and DAD all went out to gather in the siphon tubes

and the roll-out ditches and to pick up all the orange dams. Then we got the metal dams and stored them also.

Dad checked the corn out…still to moist, maybe by Halloween the harvest will start.

Boomer checked out all the raccoon poop and foot prints.

Me?

I stayed with Mom. I always stay right with Mom wherever she is ALWAYS!

That’s my job!

Taking care of Mom!

It sure was HOT! Whew! After all the cold we’ve been having to have a normal temperature day was rather, well…WARM!

Coming back home we all trouped into the house—first Mom, then Boomer and then me.

Monkey at her normal spot

Then Dad came in and made lots of noise, he dropped something I don’t know what….and

SCARED MONKEY!!!

Tee Hee …we all laughed out-loud!

She didn’t think it was funny!

HAHAHAHAH

BUT WE DID!!!

Sure was a good day!

Fuzzy

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.