We are still irrigating the corn…
(early photo showing the ripening of the corn)
it is slowly starting to dent. See the little lines in the kernels, that is the dent.
Once completely dented, the shucks will dry out. (Earlier photo of the shucks being dry)
So, until the corn is all dented and the shucks show dry, we keep the water flowing.
Soon, though, soon. We will be done with the irrigation of the corn for the year.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
I saw a sundog (through our dirty car’s windows 🙂 )
Our temperatures are starting to come down. YAY!
It sure is time for a break in the heat and for lovely Autumn temperatures to arrive!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Chapter Twelve
What Mom doesn’t know.
She really doesn’t know how Beaglie is doing.
Sometimes he seems better, ever so much better.
Then sometimes not.
Last night Mom sat up with Boomie from mid-night to two in the morning. Then she came back to bed and petted and petted and petted me.
I purred lots for Mom.
Sometimes Mom needs comforting also.
Then in the morning Boomer seemed like his old self.
But getting up he hurt his leg.
Sigh!
So now Boomer is on ¼ dose of Prednisone to help the pain and inflammation in his body.
It’s cold here!
The Canadian Geese are back…Early.
Mom, Boomer, Dad, and I all think we are heading toward a very hard wet winter.
Although, by Saturday we are going to be in the high 80’s again. But the lows are what count this time of year….in the low 40’s, they say.
I still like to go out and hunt and protect the farmyard from other cats and mice—mice are yummy, pretty damaging. I see it as my ‘job’ to take care of mice. No one takes care of mice like I do!
Anyway, maybe Boomer will feel like going back on the farm with Mom and Dad.
I guess only time will tell.
So, while Mom sets and pets on Boomer, I sit with Mom and comfort her.
What Mom Doesn’t Know?
Mom says—‘when in comes to Boomer-she just doesn’t know.’
Mindy
P.S. All the photos of Boomer were taken last week before he got really sick and the weather turned bad.
It’s constant now…that checking of the crops… are they made? Is it time?
We can’t take the water off too soon or the little seeds will not be at premium fullness.
As for the pinto beans….
In the wee early pause, between shadow and sunlight. as the sky paled toward sunrise
While the dew filled the plants, making them pliable and soft Terry headed out to begin the harvest of the pinto beans.
Then, when the sun filled the air, and the western stars started to fade…I went out to take photos.
Terry will work until the dew starts to dry up…then he will stop and start again the next pre-dawn day.
I’t important to pull the plants up from the ground, while they are cold and damp, so the pods do NOT shatter and spill the beans all over the soil.
Then we wait. A week, maybe more. All the time continually checking. Making sure the timing is right…. soon. Very soon…we will be hauling pinto beans to market!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Step Two is to blade the beans—which means the next day, after the pinto beans are pulled Terry goes back in with a special blade
Designed to go under the rows of beans, lifting them up and cutting off any weeds or beans the bean puller missed.
All of this MUST be done in the very cool of the morning—it would NOT do to have the pinto beans pods shatter and spill all the pinto beans onto the ground; lost in the dirt.
Once the stems and weeds and pods get to the right level of dryness we harvest!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
A long-time friend of Terry’s needed a part for a piece of equipment. This friend had been down to see if Terry had anything that Terry could part with and he could buy.
Later on we drove up to Paonia, Colorado, to see if the part worked out and well…just to have a short visit. Terry’s friend was right in the middle of cutting hay, but that didn’t stop the two from having a nice visit.
While they talked I hiked around. There is just something about a huge ranch that lends itself to the wonders of living. Terry’s friend and his sister own over 1,000 acres with several grazing permits on the hills surrounding his ranch.
He and his sister do all the farming, irrigation, ranching, and the taking care of their 223 head of cows and several bulls.
His father bought the ranch, taking care of it for 6 years then died. From that point on Terry’s friend and his sister have been the ones to move the ranch forward. Old fences speak volumes of the way things were; new fences tell the story of how things are presently!
Head on over to Teresa’s blog to see many more fences and gates from around the world. While you are there join in with some photos of fences or gates you have in your area!
Your friend on a Western Colorado farm
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 