I can feel a hint of Fall in the air, (Just a hint—but I’ll take it)
Just a hint,
But that sparks a wee surge of hope
I truly love summer, But the HEAT this year has been horrible
Savage, actually.
Now I am hoping for long days of bright Autumn before winter brings dark days without sun, full of wind, and cold.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
The Canadian Geese are back…winging their way over our farm
The days are full of delightful sunshine, gliding the land in gold.
So for a wee treat, we took our daughter, Kimberly, and son-in-law, Cliff, up to Cedaredge, Colorado, to Roxy and Bob Morris’, Red Mountain Ranch Store and Tasting Room where we had frozen apple cider slushies.
Then on the way back, we visited Heart’s Basin, where, LOW and BEHOLD(!), we saw a pelican fishing for its dinner!
What a lovely treat of a day!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Our daughter, Kimberly, and son-in-law, Cliff had never been to the East Portal of the Black Canyon so last Sunday Terry and I gathered them up and drove to see where our irrigation water begins.
The Diversion tunnel took ten years to complete, in awful conditions with very basic tools and the technology in the years 1899-1909
Everyone is always amazed at the road just getting to the bottom of the canyon, which is pretty much the road the team and wagons traveled way back when. (It’s a tad scary, just so you know)
The engineering was stunning in the fact the tunnel is almost 6 miles long, through solid rock and soft unstable ground meeting within inches in the middle. The town of LaJane (no longer here) was on the end with the soft soil. (LaJane is pronounced Lu-wan)
Besides the amazing undertaking to get the irrigation water from the Black Canyon to the farm grounds in Montrose and Delta
The views and the history of the canyon are astounding.
The management of the Diversion Tunnel and the water that flows through it is by the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users
One of the ditch riders and his family live in the house in the canyon. He takes care of the dam, the water flow, and other specialized requirements.
The sound of roaring water, the magnificent black walls
Made for a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Then to round out the fullness of the day, we saw a Rainbow!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
As I sit here typing way, the windows are opened to the world; our air is filled with the smell of pulled onions. The ensilage/silage trucks are busy upon our country road/the sound of the corn choppers carrying on the breeze.
Terry is out pulling the last field of the pinto beans…Harvest is underway!
Tomorrow is September’s Full Moon—The Harvest Moon. Traditionally the fullest moon closest to the Autumn equinox is the Harvest Moon. Sometimes the Autumn equinox will will be in October, but only once or twice a decade.
Boomer and I took our walk a little early last night…I really don’t know what the time was, by the silence upon the land said all the equipment, the workers, and the farmers were home. I loved the moon as it broke free of the mountains and filled the leaves of the willow tree with light. My little camera doesn’t take moon shots very well, but I think the leaves helped bring it into focus.
A thundering sunset had faded away and the night was upon us. I love to walk at night, with Boomer…there is no worry or fear of the future, no terror’s of the evil being done in the world to people who don’t deserve such treatment…it all falls away…just Boomer and I and the silence of the night.
We are about done with the huge load of firewood. It’s a relief! We are all tired of it. Terry and Evan cut and I load. Two pick-ups to stack and fill. I am the stacker and the filler of the pick-ups. Sometimes I get behind and they have to stop and help, but not often. I guess I’m proud, of that little fact,…I can keep up with the chainsaws.
Two more days…the end has appeared!
My mother, my brother, and I used to walk down to our grandparents most evenings, in the summer and fall, (when I was young) and Momma would sing “Shine on Harvest Moon” us as we walked, if it was Autumn. I loved that song!
I still do. I sing the words, to myself silently, remembering those days, as we made our way past the orchard to our grandparents house, where we would all sit outside on the big front porch and enjoy the last of the good weather.
From my world to your heart,
Linda
I love the light…first light of the daybreak…when things of the dark go to sleep and those of the day start their rustle and bustle
This time of year the air is sharp and chill,
but warms through the day, until a nice and toasty heat is radiating off the land
By nightfall, the things of the farm pause and draw breath, slowing for the long rest.
Brilliant evening light filters through every crack and crevice
The plants pause first, then the animals and birds slow, stopping their frantic search for food; if you are still and just listen you can hear the earth itself draw a slow and peaceful breath.
There are many, many names for God. The reason being; one small word is not enough to describe love.
As always your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Thankfully the pinto beans are at the Beanery (this is the name of the elevator that cleans and stores the pinto beans in our area—the Olathe Producers is another elevator which does the same thing).
At the elevator the pinto beans will be cleaned and sorted and culled…any broken (splits), discolored beans, and green pintos will be sifted into the proper pile to be sold.
Green pinto beans will be thrown away along with any chaff or weeds or weed seeds. The discolored beans has a very small market for animal feed….cows love pinto beans. The splits will go to a factory to be made into smashed canned pinto beans ready for your taco.
The other pinto beans…the really nice ones will be sold at market value for whole pinto beans to be used however the buyer wishes. The whole pinto bean market is what a farmer strives for…that is where the most money is to be made—right now the market is extremely volatile/unstable. Terry will talk with the owner of the Beanery sometime today to see if they can sell the beans for us and for what price.
Then Terry will decide if we hold them for a spell or sell. Mostly he likes to sell because a truly fresh pinto bean is liked by most people. If you have ever eaten a truly fresh pinto bean you will be stunned at the difference in the cook time, the flavor and the size of the bean.
There isn’t pay check until the beans are sold!
Oh, for the record….I’ve been asked several times if we take subsidies for farming.
NO! NEVER! Neither did my parents or grandparents and neither has Terry’s Dad or grandfather. If we can’t pay our own way we don’t do it. That is why we both worked in town…and why we have old equipment…if you can’t afford it you don’t need it…has always been the mantra on our farm.
ENOUGH of that ….since Terry got Linkin a new compound bow, we thought it would fun to take Tally shopping. She wanted a “REAL COWGIRL HAT”. Not a fake one made of plastic.
Off we went to the Davis Clothing Company where she picked out a black hat…no pink one for her, Thank you Very much! It was really nice to shop at the Davis Clothing Company, Rena, Mr. Davis’ daughter, let Tally try on several different colors—then she steamed the hat so it was the perfect COWGIRL shape, and took her to the special three-way-mirrors so Tally could see which one was just right for her. The experience was very nice.
Later, at home, Tallin wanted to practice with Terry’s longbow and her ONE arrow, of course wearing the COWGIRL hat! What a hoot!
Well, the two big harvests are out of the way (the hay and the pinto beans), and the irrigation is about done— now we wait until the end of October or later for the harvest of the field corn. A little break in the farming before the next big round of hard work.
All is good and right with the world!
Your friend on a farm
Linda
More flash flooding is predicted for our part of Western Colorado.
Although, we are NOT getting what the Boulder, Colorado Springs, Longmont, and Greeley area are having. (They are in the Corridor of our State) Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in those flood damaged areas. 😦
Our rain puddles are starting to grow slime
Even the trees are showing signs of moss
We are so wet it is hard to find a spot to walk without sinking up to your ankles.
An old-timer called this the ‘100-year rain’.
This morning we had some scattering of blue skies
Just seeing the blue made me happy.
Last night there was also a break in the clouds
The sunlight was outstanding! It caught the rim of Black Canyon. You can’t see the other mountains behind Black Canyon because the clouds have them covered.
The sunlight also produced a rainbow
Rainbows always make me think of hope.
According to the weather channel today is the last horrible day of torrential rain, then the slow moving storm will move on…which means it will move toward the east possibly hitting Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and/or parts of Texas, it just depends on the the jet stream. I sure hope you don’t get the floods, but lots of really nice ground soaking rain. 🙂
I hope your Sunday turns out well my friends,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 