High in the sky
In a flash of feathers
Appearing and disappearing, emerging solid and larger than life
Dipping closer and closer
was the sad fact for the little chipmunk, but a necessary lunch in the of the circle of life.
Sigh.
From my world to yours,
Linda
Sometimes there are things within seemingly ordinary days
That blaze forth into my heart, mind, and soul
Often times its something so tremendously common, yet so toweringly wonderful
They seem to blanket the earth, or the sky, whichever it may be
The commonplace whispers to me with throbbing messages of distant lands or new places to see
Sometimes it an amazing gift of wings in flight
Or grumbling clouds filled with streaks of light
But always, always whispering all around me in slow rhythmic movements
Silently the every day of common things weigh wonderful upon my life.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
In this world of many wonders, the God(s) send brilliant blessings, which we can not see if we don’t stop and look.
My email had this marvelous message:
” Hi, Linda.
A strong and fast storm blew through late afternoon today, knocking down limbs throughout the area. It moved west to east, with the setting sun breaking out on the horizon right as the downpour ended.
You know what that means:
And just a few moments before, this was sitting atop our roof:
By its tail feathers, it looked to be a Cooper’s Hawk.
Hoping you get some good rain – and soon.
Thanks. Take care.
Joe
This day, this wonderous day is the only one you have until you wake up the next morning.
Thank you, Joe!
May each one of you have a day full of glowing sunlight!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Mom and I headed over to the other equipment area to ‘do some work’. Mom goes over with Dad to help Dad do something hard…like change out a fuel pump, work on the chain on the pickup header, you know ‘stuff’; things I don’t have to do EVER!
So, while they were working, I took myself off to see what I could see, learn what I could learn, and find out all the news on that part of the farm.
I was sniffing along
when suddenly from out of no-where came Quade’s wife Quick and all the little Quails…cheeping and chirping as they scuttled along…they came so very fast and in such a large group I nearly jumped out of my dog fur!
As they scuttled away Quade appeared.
Quade and I visited for a spell, then he was off…he didn’t want Quick to get too far out of his sight.
Closer to the old (filled in) ensilage pit I ran into Stewart and Stanley.
They chattered with me for a long time, but I found listening to them rather hard…full cheeks and communication do NOT make good partners….
Stewart kept spitting little chunks as he talked…kinda interesting and gross all at the same time.
I had headed over to the little asparagus patch, down the tiny draw there when I hear the high-pitched whistle of …. HAWK!
I jerked my head up to look into the branches of the very ancient willow tree and saw….a wind-blow hawk surveying the place where Quade and his little family had just vacated.
I raced back up the small rise in the land, ran over to Mom, turned around and, raised my right front paw, straightened out my whole body so I was an arrow from the tip of my nose to the tip of the tail, lifted my head up and HOWLED!!! Pointing with all my might at the tip of the old Willow tree and the hawk!
Mom and Dad stopped whatever they were doing looked at me, looked at where I was pointing and saw that hawk surveying the farm for lunch!
“Good Job, Boomer!” Mom came over to where I was standing, took out her camera and took several photos of the hawk. Just as she finished the hawk took off; flying up high into the sky, then way over onto the back of the farm on the Back Forty…a long way from where Stewart, Stanley, Quade, and the chipmunks live. Thank Goodness!
Mom and Dad did a little bit more of whatever they were doing.
Then Mom called me and put me on the four-wheeler, gave me a pat and a kiss on the nose; we were off.
Heading home
where Mindy Cat is safe from the likes of at big bird predator in the sky.
And Mom and Dad and I can do ‘stuff’ around the farmyard, instead.
Boomer Beaglie Brown
This is a most unusual August. It feels more like September. Not even early September, but late September.
We are having lots of rain…scary now that the alfalfa is down; needing to dry and become hay.
The air is very cool, although it makes for nice sleeping at night.
While working out by the 1970 John Deere grain auger a little Quail flew up on the corral fence…then in a graceful movement walked
to the the bottom rung of the hay stack fence…calling gently in the velvet air for his or her mate.
Later in the day, as the sun warmed the air, making pools of bright light, and the bees worked busily in the Russian Sage; I watched a hawk land lazily on the electric pole next to our yard.
We watched each other for the longest time. Then with a very silent lift of it’s wing — the sun sent the hawk’s shadow over the lawn, then over where I was working; rising up, up, up in the sky I saw it no more.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The wind is still with us…a very sharp wind, blowing across the snow freshly dumped in the mountains all around us.
We are COLD. In my yard the asparagus has froze, the lilac buds have turned brown and dried on the stem, the fruit trees crisp white blooms are now a brown yucky color. Out on the farm everything is still okay…the alfalfa is cold but green, growing slowly, but still alive. We are still irrigating, nothing has been planted so we have no worries in that department.
Rain and snow occurred off and on all day
The wind pushing storm clouds from the west toward us, then onto the east
At different points the sun shined into the Roubidoux Canyon allowing us to see the geological formations just four miles from our farm.
The tri-colored Red-winged Blackbirds helped us while we changed water, searching for yummy things in the soil.
A hawk looking for super also, watched us while we changed the water, swaying gently in the wind on his tiny branch in the tree. The tree is still waiting for warmth so it can leaf out…waiting, just like us.
Suddenly a rainbow lite up an culvert a neighbor has ready to insert across an arroyo on his land!
We worked on the water until dark, but even the dark offered Bling in the most spectacular of ways!
The Bling of Nature…really, who could ask for more? Not I. I am most comfortable here, on the land…really Terry and I try hard to one with the land and all that shares it with us!
Your farming friend,
Linda
I have a little hawk…he/she is an extremely friendly….
He/she sits very close to me looking for mice hanging under the firewood
I’ve never had a hawk be so…hum…NOT shy. But this one is.
He/she even let me go into the house, get the camera, come back and take his/her photo. Of course the wild birds have fled…I would too if I were potential dinner. 🙂
As for the mice…he/she can have all that can be eaten.
Hauling wood is an even most pleasant chore!
Your farm friend,
Linda
But it’s beautiful right now, and that is what really matters!
Not all of the snow has gone, but with this warm weather it should be out of here by the time the next storm hits.
Our next door farming neighbor is still trying to get his corn in. The moisture is running around 15%. Boy do we feel for him!
The sun has been just delightful…this falcon thinks so also. Bitter weather is hard on everything.
Babies are due any day now. I suppose they will wait until the storms hit.
Our cows still stay pretty close together, but not far from the visiting herd.
Until the next storm…
Life is Good!
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 