Listen—Sunday, June 28, 2015

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Dayphoto

The heat is ferocious–late July and early August heat. Bearing down and smashing one into the ground. Still I’ll take it any day over the long, dark, cold, and dreary days of winter.

Anyday!

Years ago I saw these beautiful flowers growing in my Mother-in-law’s yard. She was ripping them out and tossing them in the trash heap.

“Oh, what are those beautiful plants”? I asked her.

“Scotch Bluebonnets”, she replied. “You don’t want them, they spread like weeds.”

“Oh, but I do! May I have a couple of shovel fulls to plant in me yard?” I replied with shinning eyes!

“Honestly you will NOT want these things” she said in disgust, as she put two shovel full of starts in a cardboard box for me.

I hugged the box to my chest and placed it very carefully in the trunk of the car. “Thank you!” I cried. “I’m sure I will love them.”

“Don’t thank me”, she very tiredly replied. “I guarantee you will not like them, in the long run.”

I can assure you, many, many, years later…SHE WAS RIGHT! I do NOT want these invasive weeds masquerading as flowers. Horrid plants! Just HORRID! They are everywhere in my yard, in the grass on the lawn, in every flowerbed, along side the ditches—-ugh!

Every morning the earth, the sky, and the air seem so fresh and alive. If one stands still surrounded by the chirps and chitters of all the birds; stands outside and is very still. Still in the mind, not just the body, still so your soul can hear—the voice of the earth will speak loud and clear.

It seems that the rocks and the trees and even the soil underneath your feet is waking refreshed and eager to start the day.

As the day ends and night creeps along our mesa; lengthening it’s way toward the west; I can sometimes feel the sweet song of bedtime flowing down deep within the earth.

Today is Sunday. Today we only do those things that MUST be done…today we rest and enjoy the fruits of the past week, preparing for the new week.

I hope each and everyone of you have a good Sunday, my friends!

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm

Linda

Nodding Thistle or also known as Musk Thistle

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Dayphoto

We have many, many weed here…some are just a pain, but others are really horrid. The invasive species are the worst….nothing likes to eat them, they sterilize the soil so only ‘they’ can grow, and (usually) they are ugly –Russian Knapp Weed, Canada Thistle are examples.

Randomly there is a weed that is just downright beautiful-but still a weed and still an invasive weed. I chop them down the second I see them start to form. Sometimes I miss one or so, before you know it…there they are.

The Nodding Thistle or also known as the Musk Thistle is one of those horrid weeds which is incredibly beautiful.

This one got by my shovel, so I took photos of it for you.

A beautiful weed

Now chopped off.

But I can assure you there are more out there! Invasive species have incredible survival skills.

Linda

The Day From H#%%

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Dayphoto

A neighbor of ours (2 miles away) decided that today (with 20-30 m.p.h. wind and gusts of wind) was an excellent day to burn one of his ditches.

Well, he got the ditch burnt that is for sure, and the neighbors farm and our farm.

Terry and I are just sick! Sick, sick, sick!

It took the Delta Fire Department, the Olathe Fire Department, the Cedaredge Fire Department and the Lands End Fire Department from Whitewater to put the fire out. (If you get out a map you will see how far some of them had to come to help)

The fire reached our place at 2:30 that afternoon with fire jumping and running over all of our pastures, hillsides and into the corn fields. THANK GOD!!! Terry had disked the ends of the corn or it would have ran right to our house.

The fire also ate it’s way right up to our kids’ barns and chicken house….we had to load up and move out all the goats, chickens, dogs and cats. One of the next door neighbors took Tally, the other kids were in school for part of the time.

The sheriff department had all three roads blocked off from traffic as the smoke was so thick seeing was next to impossible.

The rancher and his daughter and her boyfriend came up and rounded up the cows and calves to keep them out of harms way.

The fire was finally put down at 6:30 that evening. Terry’s equipment was saved, the buildings were saved and no animals lost their lives that we are aware of.

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Terry and I are sick about the loss of the centuries old Chico and Sagebrush, the ancient cactus. What will happen now is the invasive weeds will take over.

Sigh,

Linda