hay customers | Life on a Colorado Farm

We loaded out a hay customer in 100* weather yesterday. (37.7778c). Exhausting all of us. The last bale placed on the hay trailer at 2:40 p.m.

Since Karen now had the long drive back to her Dairy in Edwards, Colorado, we decided a quick break in town for a small lunch would be just the thing.

Then home again and she was off with her load of hay for her lovely milk cows.

Later that evening, after supper and water changes… Terry said

Let’s give ourselves a break and go for a ride

Off we went into a sherbet-colored sky

Then home again, home again as the air started to cool.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

We have had the most unusual summer…

We have had visitors from near and far,

W have raced through forests and witnessed local towns annual celebrations, watched exotic dancers with barefeet dance and veils plus swirls of skirts on extremely hot pavement at the Farmer’s Market in Grand Junction.

We’ve wept at the loss of grandchildren moving from ‘just next to us’ to a town three hours away.

We’ve been guests at our local racetrack as we watched a long-time friend and his family race to the finish line, often times in first place.

This week we are nearing the end of summer. (Summer always ends when school starts 🙂 )

The two youngest grandchildren, the two granddaughters will stay with us just before school starts for them. It is our last full week of the little tykes then their lives will begin with large brush strokes of ‘being the new kid in the classroom’ and first time (for Bladen) on the Middle School Football Team–“Go Bull Dogs”

Grandpa and I will help them collect memories of ‘life on the farm—on a fine summer day’ as much as we can.

Then on Friday they return to Craig, Colorado, and we begin again to prepare for harvest.

The pinto beans leaves are starting to turn yellow. Possibly one more irrigation then we will be done for another season with the pinto beans. Terry is working on the bean combine (I help here and there—‘come hold this bolt, or lift up on the auger’ — you know stuff like that.

And he is getting the hay swather ready to go…the pinto beans and the last cutting of hay will happen very close together. In-between there are hay customers, weeds to pull and now the house across the field, of which I need to mow, water, weed and take a paint brush to here and there.

We are very lucky, Terry and I! Family and friends have filled our days. Soon our son will be getting married and we will welcome a new member. The harvest will begin and my canning will finally be done.

In the evening we will continue to sit outside, as the evening slowly changes into dusk, then dark watching the multitude of twinkling stars. The next day we will begin again.

As each of you will do!

Your friend,

Linda