It’s that time of year……fall cleaning of the ditch.
Mud builds up coating the sides and the bottom of the cement ditches.
So instead of shoveling. Terry built this cool little water shovel.
The water pushes the shovel along, the mud runs lose in front of the shovel; all we have to do is watch and make sure the shovel doesn’t get lodged on the side.
Then when we are done, there is a breezy ride at the end of a perfect September day.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
(Stolen from Pinterest)
Out wandering around in the yard
My attention was drawn to a little honeybee
Loading herself down with pollen! Buzzing loudly like she was delighted and happy to be alive!
We should all experience such joy!
From my heart to your world,
Linda
I was zipping back toward home when I spied out of the tail of my eye a most unusual rock…one I had driven by many, many times, but didn’t notice until just then
Turning back around, and getting off the four-wheeler (telling Boomer to stay)
I saw it was a gift from the gods to me—
A little heart-shaped rock. I picked it up. Gave a silent thanks to earth and the rock; brought it home where it now resides in my garden.
Then later on, as I was picking up the garden hose in preparation for mowing the lawn…I saw a Rainbow!
A huge delight!
Yesterday
while Terry and I were working on the gated pipe—-gated pipe has a tendency to work itself apart
I saw
Another heart-shaped rock
and
ANOTHER ONE!
Three in two days!
WOW!
But that wasn’t all the gifts bestowed on me (or anyone who might be around)
There in the sky…just as the sun was starting to set
We saw a sundog. In three-days-time, a cool down will arrive.
Magnificent Gifts! Perfect in every way!
From my world to your heart!
Linda
Single notes, following one by one—
Everyday things are happening… moving soft-footed throughout time, from daylight into nighttime shadows
The bird migrations are in full movement now…less and less attend my hummingbird feeders, most of the spring and summer birds have left; leaving only the Barn Swallows. I dread the day when they rise up in a body of one, dancing all together in the sky…then…gone—leaving behind a stillness a lack of chatter, and a loss, of their busy swooping as they feed.
Our oldest daughter sent to me these two stunning photos she took at her work in Grand Junction, Colorado
In the pause of utter stillness after the storm…Rainbows.
The air is cooling now…everything is starting to beat with single notes; the song of Autumn in the air.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Not long now. One more irrigation then we stop the water.
The leaves are still showing green. We need them to turn yellow. And then fall off. It’s just a matter of days, maybe two weeks at the most.
Almost time….Almost!
Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm
Linda
One of the pleasures of summer (to me) are watching the Swallows. I allow them to build on the house or barns or wherever they want to build.
They are a lot of fun swooping for insects over the yard and farm, chasing flies and moths and mosquitoes with high dives and sharp turns…truly eating on the fly!
These little birds arrive in spring…rather the middle of spring, their long forked tails and silvery wings and orange throats are unmistakable. Throughout the day we hear their jubilant twittering-warbling, bzzzz,click-click sounds as they court each other and care for their young.
I like to look out the windows as one nest that is, well, RIGHT there. If they could they would dive-boom me, but they can’t! I’m inside…tee hee!
Then comes the day I dread…the call that goes out to all of the swallows in our area….”It is time! Hurry! Gather together! Come quickly, in singles or pairs, come all ye families; the seasons are changing, winter, that time of woe, will soon fall upon the land.”
That is when we see the electric lines starting to fill with little birds, first just a few, then gradually more and more…they swoop down upon the pinto bean field, flying over the yard, then back to sit on the electric line.
Gradually, gradually over two or three days the line grows fuller and fuller as the swallows gather from near and far. Their sounds a deafening chorus. Then one day the longing for Spring and Summer becomes too much; they lift off in a loud swoosh heading toward Central and South America.
This year I missed the huge take off; I wanted to be home for the leaving! I wanted to wave GOOD-BYE! I wanted to holler loud and clear—
“You’ll Come Back NOW…You Hear?”
The song of the swallow has fallen into silence.
We will have a few flocks of Swallows arrive off and on for a little while—Swallows moving from areas further north of us. until those brief visits are over. I will enjoy their stops for rest and for food. Then wave them on with a Good-bye and welcome to return.
Your friend,
Linda
