FIRE!!!—Thursday, March 23, 2017

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Dayphoto

Sunday afternoon I looked over our fields and saw a huge plume of smoke!

HUGE…of course I didn’t think to take a photo of it.

Hoping it wasn’t a farm on fire we drove down to see if we could help. Although, as we started down we were passed by a fleet of fire trucks heading toward the Rubidoux Canyon.

Now most of the Roubidoux Canyon is the ranch of Mr. Davis and his daughter. (There are other homes and farms and BLM land down there, but they are way at the other end of the canyon.)

(Davis settled they whole canyon and the ledges just above the canyon many years ago when Delta was just opened up for settlement around 1881 or so.) This is a photo of the hold home place in 1882.

The canyon is the winter home of the bulls, the horses and the cows and yearling calves.

And it is posted!

Still people trespass and ‘camp and picnic’ on their property. Leaving behind broken glass, beer cans, all sorts of nasty trash.

Sunday a careless camper started a campfire to cook potatoes; the result was a canyon on fire.

Our oldest daughter and Jason were down in the canyon when the fire broke out and were able to help move the bulls to higher ground. Teresa Davis and other members of the Davis family moved the rest of the cows and calves.

The fire was so intense it even jumped the river.

Sigh!

We haven’t gone down to see the damage, I’m sure it’s extensive. What a sad mess. What a hard lesson for that camper to learn—the whole thing is a bad deal.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

A Spot of History—Monday, January 9, 2015

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Dayphoto

Before I move forward

The dome building behind the cows is someone’s house. Our farm is the edge of California Mesa, then it drops down into what the old-timers call ‘No-Man’s Land’. No-man’s-land is the flat land just before the next drop into Roubidoux Canyon. No-man’s-land is very poor ground, not fit for good farming back in 1882 when Delta was incorporated. Farming was hard enough in our area, although not so bad in the town of Delta and North Delta…they had water. Water the lifeblood of man.

Here you see the edge of the mesa better. You also see more of the flat land.

Today the flatlands have been subdivided allowing people to live ‘out in the country’. Also, water is available, which always helps any ground improve. I could go on and on about the history of our place, but I think I will stop here.

On a sidebar note—those gigantic transmission power lines are on the OTHER Side of Roubidoux Canyon…The blue/grey is the foot hills of the Uncompahgre Plateau, and the blue is The Uncompahgre Plateau.

I’m sure I’ve bored you long enough. I thank you for stopping by and asking questions. I love to go on and on about the history of this area, but…enough, really is enough!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Right on Time–Winter’s Chill–Friday, January 2, 2015

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Dayphoto

The Sunday after Christmas a strong winter storm made it’s way across the Utah border and onto the the Uncompahgre Plateau (Un-come-pah-gray accent on the pah). We watched it slowly fill in the canyons and draws, skimming the tops of the mesas until it started to push it’s way into the Roubidoux Canyon. Once in the canyon it’s just a matter of a fast wind before it hits us. We are the first mesa after you leave the canyon…you can see the flat lands below us (we are the last farm on California Mesa – just before the flat lands which drop off into Roubidoux Canyon.)

Monday morning the kids headed back in a snow storm, leaving well before the storm stopped.

By afternoon the Uncompahgre Plateau was white and we had about an inch of snow. Today we we have about and 1 1/2 inches— not a lot of snow. But what we do have is COLD!

That typical cold, which freezes your skin the minute you head outside. Your air puffs white and steamy as you breathe in and out, in and out. With conditions just right you nose even freezes shut. Sure is a nasty feeling.

Boomer and I still go walking late at night. The moon is almost full now, which allows me to walk without a flashlight—-although I do take one with me.

The air is crisp and full of sounds. Sounds carry far in cold air…I can hear the coal train going through Delta on it’s way to Utah, I can hear the neighbors cows from over in the hollow, and the sound of cars and trucks passing way over there.

Boomer and I walk along …he smells all the news along the way, I see the foot prints…bunny, mice, birds, deer, Sammy the cat’s paw prints, and other canine prints…dog? Coyote? Wild dog packs? Cy-dogs? I don’t pause to decide what I’m looking upon. Lots of our neighbors allow their dogs to roam the farms (never a good idea–a dog chasing livestock is sure to be shot).

When the chill starts to be too much we head back toward the house and the heat of the wood fire. Boomer settles back down for a long winter nap. After filling the wood stove I like to sit by the window watching the frozen world full of white/silver moonlight; the cats sit with me–Sammy on top of the sofa and Monkey in the window. We all stare outside marveling at the mid-night beauty of ice, snow, and sparkling white moonlight.

Your friend on a very frozen farm in the western part of Colorado,

Linda

The Corn is Looking Good

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Dayphoto

The corn is tasseling out and setting ears now.

This is when we start having trouble with the deer. They love to eat the silks off the corn. As most of you know the pollinating of the corn ear comes from the tassel which is at the top of the corn stalk. The pollen from the tassels falls all over the silk at the end of the corn husk (ear). Each little silk is a direct link to a kernel inside the husk.

If the deer eat the silk the husk dries up and dies. No corn. Not for us or anyone.

It’s hot here…running anywhere between 97-1004*. Humdity builds and builds and builds and then we get