Gathering Momentum —- Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Dayphoto

The crops are gathering momentum,

The corn is full, fat, and soft.

If you were to touch one of the kernels you could feel what we call ‘the dough’ a soft, fluffy feel to the kernel.

This is NOT the time to starve the corn from water…water is what makes the kernel grow and fill-up nicely.

So every day, three times a day the water is changed; moving through one field and onto another field

The first field of alfalfa is getting ready to be harvested for the third (and possibly the last) time. Maybe next week or the following week…it all depends on the bloom.

Even though, just to look at the farm, it doesn’t seem there is anything happening right now…

There is…growth and growing and preparing for the time to harvest moving forward…always moving forward.

Unseen activity but extremely busy anyway.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Summer’s Scents and Sounds (Although Summer isn’t here until next week )—Sunday, June 10, 2018

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Dayphoto

We are way too hot and too dry. I know that other states are in the same scary place in time. Although I know I didn’t want rain during haying season, rain would be a very good thing now.

We are checking and changing water on a constant basis. Terry is doing better, but I still must go with him to set the tubes. Walking on a slanted ditch bank is just not possible for him at the moment.

The summer flowers are starting to come into the forefront of the yard now…with the spring blooms fading in the hot dry heat. (YAY! I LOVE SUMMER!)

Lady, that most wonderful mule, has gone to summer camp to work with Shannon’s friends on their huge cow ranch and with their Outfitter mules. She had gotten very restless and in need of ‘something to do’. Velvet and Cole just love her. Cole is even riding her instead of one of his other mules. Cole only rides mules. They say she is a very good mule. I’m so glad Shannon was able to spend the year helping Lady learn that all humans are not mean and cruel.

I miss her sweet mule kisses and when she would talk to me as I brought her apples. Still, I think it is a good thing she has a job to do. She was VERY fidgety.

Our days are quiet, every day filled with the smell of roses

The sun pouring down, tingling upon or skin, glittering on the water, running or still.

As bigger and brighter colors fill my yard sparkling in the light.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Chasing Words—Sunday, November 12, 2017

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Dayphoto

Bringing forth words to convey feelings, or to describe a scene is sometimes …

A bit hard.

Searching my mind for those exact words which project what I’m seeing, feeling, or hearing

Causes me to pause for I wish to show to you the earth, the sky, and capture the feeling in words that is see, hear, and feel

Looking for that perfect word reminds me how limited my vocabulary really is–

To help you see (beyond the photographs) the wind rippling through the corn stalks, or

Or clouds obscuring the sun in the possible threat of rain

Or the golden leaves being pushed off the tree’s branches as the sap slowly descends to the roots

Readying for the long winter’s night. I always think of this time of falling leaves as trees making haste slowly, every so slowly preparing for rest and a pause in breathing

The canal water is now gone. Turned off to winter in the Blue Mesa Dam or clear up at Taylor Reservoir. The silence of the tumbling churning water is as stunning as breaking glass…

For us our work is slowing, but not stopping. The harvests are all in, paychecks will arrive sometime in December.

A whole season of farming from daylight to sunset and sometimes in the deep of night.

The perfect life for Terry and I—

From your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

In the Spill of Light—August 28, 2017

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Dayphoto

We are dry here. Of course it rained and rained all through the third cutting hay 🙂 pretty much how haying season goes. 🙂

But the night air is very mild even cold before the sun comes up in the morning.

Still the plants grow gently larger and larger…waiting for that time called harvest

It won’t be long now until pinto bean harvest….the pods are starting to stripe and the leaves to turn yellow

Terry is watching the crops daily now…checking how hard the corn kernels are becoming, where the pods are on the pinto beans…we still work several times a day with the mountain water irrigating the crops,

The other day a summer storm blew in…not that kind that drops water on the ground, but the kind which drops water toward the earth, BUT dries up BEFORE it hits the ground

Leaving us a Rainbow, in the small silence the phantom raindrops made in the air.

My eyes and my heart reached up from the shadows on the ground — Rainbows always say to me—Good things are sure to come!

From my heart to your world,

Linda

The Return of Winter—-Thursday, May 18, 2017

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Dayphoto

We went from summer-like weather

To radically dropping temperatures and snow!

All within one day! Yesterday the little hummingbirds sucked the feeders dry and I refilled them twice in one day. Look at that poor wet little thing.

Wet and cold.

Today is a continuation of yesterday, then by tomorrow this winter storm will gradually move out to replaced with much warmer weather by Sunday.

Sure is a bad deal.

Our hope is the crops make it through…the hay was just starting to bloom, the corn up, my garden and flowers all planted….

Only time will tell.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Storms —Thursday, July 9, 2015

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Dayphoto

All day the clouds shifted here and there. Sometimes dropping rain, moving on, gathering again, lashing out

thunder, lighting, wind… the violence of each passing storm was exhilarating!

The earth, our crops, even myself sighed with relief. Later in the night, well, actually early, early in the morning, the skies cleared and the stars came out.

We woke to a beautiful morning. Fresh, clean, clear…a feeling of lightness in air!

Your rejuvenated friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Spinning Standing Still–Monday, October 20, 2014

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Dayphoto

I feel like I’m just standing still spinning my wheels I have so much to do! Although, I LOVED my weekend! Linkin came to us Friday night; her parents and Bladen and Tally got here on Saturday then left Sunday after lunch.

Linky and I ‘spent both nights together’ talking and talking way into the night…there is just so much to learn about the life of a ten-year old!

Sunday afternoon Terry and I drove around checking on the corn….

It is starting to dry down…see the ears? When the ears start turning upside down the corn is getting dry. We still are in waiting mode since the corn kernels must get a certain dryness before we can start combining.

That’s okay we still have a ton of work to do down at the other house (oh, by the way—the kids were delighted in everything we have done so far!!! 🙂 ) I still have one room to paint, and Terry has the furnace to fix—that might be clear into the winter. The wood stove will have to continue to be the main heat. We will drain the water out of the house and winterize it in a couple of months.) I need to finish painting the trim on the house and the fences. Then after the corn is out we will build the fences to keep the cows out of the yard. Upper-End

I really, really, really need to get some of my own house work done (which I’m doing today) and started on my yard work—I need to dig my tropical bulbs and a few things like that; plus winterize the pump and the sprinkler lines —maybe this afternoon those things can at least start.

Then I’ve been doing some volunteer research for the Paonia Cemetery District for the last two months trying to find a Henry Lux who lived here in 1926 and purchased three plots at one of the Paonia Cemeteries. I need to get a report written up and sent to them by the end of the week, preferably today, if I can.

The ending of Daylight Savings Time is looming just around the corner—which I dread. I love Daylight Savings Time the best!

This is the treehouse down at the other house…didn’t Kelly do a great job? If this tree house was up here I would hide myself away and read a book.

Well, off to do all the house work that has been screaming at me for the last two weeks…the screaming has grown into a full-blown temper tantrum today so I must go give everything some tender loving care!

Your friend,

Linda

Thursday Fences and a Look at the Fields–July 3, 2014

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dayphoto

I was sitting at the stop light waiting to turn right when I realized that right there!!! Why right there in front of me was a cute fence with colorful roses sitting off it’s charm. Quickly I pulled out my camera, took a shot just the light turned green and drove on by.

Looking at the photo later I still thought the fence was charming. It off-sets the family home (which you can just see the corner of the porch roof) and the Antique Shop on the other side of it!

The whole feeling is of a bit of whimsy as a person is sitting at the stop light waiting to move forward with the day. (The Antique Shop is pretty neat also—one has to remember that we are a fairly young state so the antiques here will not go back to the beginning of America–like you would find in the original Thirteen Colonies! 🙂 )

The corn is looking good! (I forgot to get a photo of the pinto beans…will try to do that today. It should be a no brainer as all I have to do is walk out the front door 🙂 !

You saw the Alfalfa the other day. I’ll get a photo of the pinto beans so you can see how fast they are growing.

Our days are nice an hot. Not so hot it is hard to breathe but nicely hot. We are still have wind in the afternoon…and THAT is a hot wind. Still it only lasts for four hours then dies down.

For more fences head on over to Teresa’s blogspot!

I’m off to go buy my monthly amount of groceries…lots of nice sales right now because of the up coming Anniversary of our countries Independence from England!

See you in the comments,

Linda

Crop Report

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Dayphoto

We only grow three products. That is all we grow. Back in the day…not so very long ago we also raised pigs, goats, and cows. As we aged the raising of the animals diminished. Every year Terry says this is his last year…we had a big laugh about that yesterday. He finally admitted that the only way he is going to stop farming is if there isn’t anymore water or the Good Lord calls him home.

He says there is dirt in his veins instead of blood 🙂 Probably. He’s been farming (helping his Dad) since he was tall enough. He tells a story of the first time he got to go help his Dad…his Mom drove he and his little brother and smaller sister out to the field that his Dad was working in –his job was to harrow the field behind his Dad who was on another tractor. He said he felt really big and grown-up —although he couldn’t sit on the tractor seat and could only stand.

His Mom drove up…he got out…got on the tractor….Mom, brother and little sister stood by the side of the pick-up and watched him…he turned and waved, they waved back ..he then gave the tractor gas and drove off…..leaving the harrow behind.

He was so embarrassed because he hadn’t even thought to check to see if everything was hooked up and ready to go.

They all had a good laugh at him…he backed up and his Mom helped him hook everything up and off he went.

Anyway, everything is looking good…the corn is almost as tall as MY kneecap, the pinto beans are growing taller every day and the hay is sold. The Delta Elevator told him they wanted everything he had, don’t even unload and stack up…just bring it right down to them NOW!

This is the last load to take — sure is nice to just move it once!

The heat is on here…early for this time of year BUT I’ll take this any day over winter! I love the long days, the warmth (heat) and the color that surrounds us.

I need to get outside and get the hedge clipped before the wind starts!

Have a nice day!

Linda

The End of the 2011 Harvest

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Dayphoto

Finally we made it….done! Finished! The 2011 year of crops are harvested and sold. Even, what hay we save out to be sold is sold!

Now different work starts…repairs to the machines, fences and buildings. Always the fences need checked, but we have finally finished. This year was good. Nothing like last year that seemed to go on and on and on. The last of the corn wasn’t harvest until in December, then we couldn’t sell it until the end of March.

Terry was thinking of getting out of farming…but guess what?! He said he thinks he will go another year. (Then there will be another year…when you have dirt for blood I don’t think you ever really want to give in and stop.)

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Have a nice Sunday everyone!

Linda