The Feeling of a Mountain—Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Dayphoto

Today I am counting my blessings:

The first cutting of hay has been cut, dried, baled and stacked.

(And at the time of this writing, several loads of have been sold–loaded up and gone to new homes)

The biggest blessing is the fact Terry had to have an emergency appendix operation Sunday morning—shortly before noon, but is doing much better today.

Thankfully Saturday night we had turned the water back into the canal so I haven’t had to worry with changing and setting of the water.

Our children, near and far, came to see their Dad and to help us while Terry was in the hospital— it made the loading of the sold hay go ever so much easier, than if I had to do it by myself.

They have all gone home now, but the several days Terry was in the hospital I was there with him. That left the kids to pick up our slack plus do their own work also.

What a huge relief!

In the midst of all this, I found another small heart!

It might be a mountain right now, but I know ————— somehow we will get the cultivation of the corn done and we will get the pinto beans planted.

I can do the irrigation…that isn’t even an concern.

The others things will sort themselves out as we proceed forward.

It will just take us (Terry and I) to take it one step at a time…that is really the only way to walk up, across and down and mountain.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Step Three/Pinto Bean Harvest—September 12, 2016

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Dayphoto

The pinto beans are harvested with a pinto bean combine and pinto bean header.
This is how it works, gently lifting up the rows and moving them through the combine, where it breaks out the pinto beans and put them in the hopper

The trash—everything that is NOT a pinto bean is thrashed and left behind. Now if you have cockaburs, sunflower seeds, or Canada Thistle seeds they will also be combined and flung into the hopper with the pinto beans.

Once there they all go into the truck and hauled to the Beanery, where we are docked for trash in the beans. Therefore, now you know why we always hand weed our fields–the cleaner the beans the more money we bring home. (You can see some of the ‘trash’ [in the back of our truck] which wasn’t cleaned out in with the pinto beans…this is also trash, which will dock us.)

The other problem, with those seeds, is when the pinto beans go over the shaker at the Beanery, they are the same size as a pinto bean and shake right with the beans. If you have too many and have to have the pinto beans triple cleaned….well you get the picture.

A storm is coming in…I hope it stays far way. If it rains we will have a mess with the pinto bean harvest in the field that is pulled. 😦

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Pinto Bean Harvest— Step One—-Thursday, September 8, 2016

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Dayphoto

The pinto beans are ready for harvest. The leaves have dried and fallen off leaving only the pods.

Early, early Terry headed out to put the bean puller on the tractor and get into the field.

It was cool enough he had to put on a jacket. It’s important to go early…long before the sun heats up the earth like an old-fashioned flatiron.

The pinto bean plants need to be cold,so when the tractor goes through the pods stay on the vines, and the pinto beans stay in the shell.

The process is in steps–first the pinto beans are pulled

Laying the beans in neat rows to dry.

Then the bright morning warmed up, gilding everything. It was time to stop.

One field down, one more to go.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Last of Summer’s Hay—-Thursday, September 1 , 2016

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Dayphoto

Sunday we ‘did’ hay.

Because we had lots of rain and hail before we could get the hay up; Terry had to ‘turn’ the hay. Sunday Morning he raked the hay turning it over so the top will be the bottom, and the bottom will be the top and the top will dry.

Then about 1:00 in the afternoon the alfalfa had turned to hay. Off Terry went to bale.

And Boomer and went out to roll bales and pick up broken bales (there were only two) and pick up all the loose hay on the corners

Then we started hauling in the bales.

(See the twisted bales?)

I did have a sort of a fright…not bad, but I was very much startled. A huge bull snake was resting under one of the bales, when I moved the bale he jumped up and slithered off and I jumped up and out of his path! 🙂 🙂

We got half the field up and then finished on Monday; after we finished we worked some more on the firewood.

We are still irrigating, the alfalfa field will be the last field we set water on then we will be done for the year. BUT FIRST…the field has to be marked out so the water can get down the rows. Seems like there is always something.

It’s cold enough we must wear jackets in the early morning and late evening when we set water. Sure seems early for jackets, but it is what it is.

Next will be pinto bean harvest—soon…very soon.

(Terry and I are getting a tad tired right now.)

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Crop Report—-Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Dayphoto

We had rain and thunder storms off and on yesterday, but today (so far) it feel all warm and sunny.

Today I must go out and weed! All this lovely wet weather has brought on bloom’s, weeds and the feeling of Fall.

The pinto beans are starting to get ripe. The yellow leaves are an indication. We will still keep watering them, as the beans in the pods need to fill out and swell the pods. Harvest looks like sometimes in September. But only time will tell.

The corn is starting fill out also—kernels are in the milk. Then they will be in the dough, after, which, it will be time to take the water off and let the corn dry down.

This is NOT sweet corn, but the corn you have for corn meal, cereal, and animal food.

Although, we are just starting the month of August the days feels more like September here. We are seeing weeds maturing like they usually do in September, and other weeds, which only start to grow the last part of August in full maturity.

(Storm over Grand Mesa)

It makes Terry and I wonder if we are going to have a early fall. Although, we could have a early freeze and then a long warmish fall, before winter actually sets in.

I guess only time will tell. Until then I’m going to enjoy every bit of summer we have left!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Spring Work is Winding Down—Thursday, June 23, 2016

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Dayphoto

The header is the photo of the flat lands, our cows LOVED being up there and just hanging out. We like to go to the Rocky Point and ‘take a break’, there is something really restful about this part of the farm.

We call spring work—everything that must be done until the tractor can’t get in there anymore. After that we just irrigate, until harvest time.

Summer work is irrigation

Fall is harvest, although, the corn harvest the last couple have years has been way into winter. Still we consider it fall, until the corn is in.

This is the last cultivation of this field—I call it the Middle Field, Terry calls it by it’s acres.

Cultivation has to stop when the corn is as tall as the bottom of the tractor’s little wheels, to try to run the tractor down after that will result in killing the growing corn.

No more tractor work on this field. The next time something big is on this field will be the combine at harvest time.

This field has a little more growing to go, then it will be done.

The pinto beans are looking GOOD! There is still tractor work–cultivation–on these little guys, but it will stop once the plants are bushy. With this heat it won’t that long.

Our alfalfa hay is getting up to eight leaves. (I forgot to take a photo of it)

Then, of course, there are always those things that tend to slow ya down… (The tractor making the ditch slipped off and got stuck.

It didn’t take long to get him out. Just a little slow down.

Then back to the house I go!

Your friend on a farm in western Colorado 🙂

Linda

The Last of the Pinto Beans—Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Dayphoto

I cooked the last of our pinto beans last night. The aroma of the beans earthy sweetness suffused the kitchen, welcoming us with a comforting embrace. (Eating beans and corn together supplies all the amino acids necessary for our bodies add in some ham; cook together until the beans are done. Serve with a hot chili pepper —- yum.)

Over supper Terry and I talked about farming this coming year. The big question: ‘Are you going to farm?’ Flashing loud and constant, like a neon sign. The second week of March is when the ground will need to be worked, the ditches made, the canal put in order, the seeds bought.

“I don’t know”, Terry shook his head. ” I really don’t know. But I need to be deciding I have to purchase the seeds (including the pinto beans—he plants Bill Zee pinto beans), the alfalfa field needs plowed up and moved….there are things I want to do to improve the place, a renter just can’t, nor should do.”“I just don’t know.” He shook his head again.

“Besides I don’t want to be like our friend…he sold the farm, moved to town, grew so depressed because he didn’t have the farm anymore he rushed his move of the rainbow bridge one night.”

“That was terribly sad, for him and his family. But we are NOT going to sell the farm.” I pointed out.

“No, but Bob, rented his out and said it was the worst thing he ever did. No one could farm the place properly.”

I just smiled.

Then all the old farmers who are my age, keep asking me what I plan on doing if I don’t farm….die?!

“I just don’t know.” He said as he pushed himself away from the table. “I just don’t know.”

So here it is the million dollar question….with the clock ticking.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Scenes of Fall, Monday, September 28, 2015

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Dayphoto

We have finished with the pinto beans. Cleaned up the truck and the combines putting them to bed for…well, forever.

Today we start hauling dirt from the settling ponds..

Sometimes we haul the dirt in the spring, but this year Terry wants to do it in the fall.

He is very serious about renting out the place next year, so he wants to have the farm in ‘perfect’ order for the renter.

We use this dirt to build up areas that have either washed away or blown away. This soil is also spread out over the farm ground to fill in holes that have developed.

Off now! My wish for you is that your day is the best it can be!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Start of the Pinto Bean Harvest, Thursday, September, 17, 2015

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Dayphoto

Right after breakfast and the next set of irrigation water on the alfalfa field, Terry, Boomer, and I header over to hook-up the bean puller and bar.

This is the bean puller

And hook up the bar on the back of the 730. You understand that Terry does most the work. Boomer is off somewhere checking out the news and I’m pretty much there to give him a tool, or the handyman jack, or move something out the way. 🙂

That’s the blade…the puller pulls the beans out the ground and the blade cuts off any stems the puller misses.

The pinto beans are ready. The plant is dry, with only the weeds staying green and growing.

Up and down, careful, careful…you don’t want to run over the plants and loose your crop.

Slowly, ever so slowly,

The beans are put into rows. Once the day warms up, Terry stops— warmer air will dry the dew off the pods causing the pods to split and spill the beans.

Tomorrow (if all goes well) he will put on a different blade and go out and lift all the rows UP so they are fluffy and can have air circulate among the plants.

Then we wait. Terry says (if the warm weather holds and NO rain), in about a week the green weeds should be dry and he can start combining.

Harvest! A huge process with nice results.

Your friend on a Western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Day of Catching Up—Thursday, August 20, 2015

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Dayphoto

We are picking up all the loose ends today–

Terry and I ran down early, early this morning to cut some tree limbs, which were too close to the roof on the other house.

A hay customer just left

We checked to see how the bean crop was doing at the early morning irrigation –the pods are now at the green string bean stage…we need at least three more weeks of growing weather for them to ripen and strip.

The corn is looking good. This is not sweet corn, but the kind of corn you have for cereal, corn bread, and animal food. Harvest for the corn is not until late October or sometime in November.

The alfalfa is coming along nicely. It looks like around Labor day will be third and last cutting of hay.

Boy, the growing season is fast coming to a close!

I’m pleased with my canna bed. This is where we cut down a dead pine tree this winter. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with this area, but I think having the cannas here was a very good thing.

Like most of you, we are having cold temps. It was 47* this morning when we woke-up. Sure feels like fall. Although, we are NOT ready for a freeze. We need the heat to return to be able to get the crops to maturity.