But, back before the wet and blustery weather rolled in
I went for a ride-about
I wanted to get a good photo of the hawk(s) who live on our land
Sigh!
I guess I didn’t make it.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
While out-and-about
I saw a coyote (from a distance) hanging out where the swather had been sitting and where the squirrels were playing.
He/she was sporting the Summer-fur look.
POUNCE!
A quick dash off.
Sigh!
I drove the four-wheeler over to the spot, to save the rest of the surry of squirrels, at least for a short while.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
A darling little bunny dashed in front of us as we were irrigating
I’ve seen bunnies dashing this way and that in the warming sunshine
Most of the time in the Upper End.
This is amazing because this is also the coyotes’ favorite place to hunt.
Oftentimes in the green-dappled light (I put up a camera to see where the coyotes have been hanging out.)
I see little squirrels…I like to think they are Stanley
And Stewart.
The hawks hunt the land.
In reality, all is peaceful and calm and just perfect.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
As you know I love to feed the little wild creatures
fun little snacks they would never ever get
unless someone goes to the grocery store and buys them.
Usually,
it goes down like this —Stanely or Stewart or someone
from the Vacuum Cleaner family shows up—Cute little furry rodents with darling little faces
Sometimes, but not always, the Quail get there and can snarf up the remaining bits leaving a clean plate for everyone else.
But yesterday, the little chipmunk made it up there before everyone else. He/she stood and his/her mouth flew open as is to say: WOW!
It was a perfect treat for Chipmunk and a perfect treat for me!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
As the mist left the land
Boomer and I took squirrel food and birdseed over to the equipment area
To feed the little critters
For life ‘on the land’ can be a tad harsh in the winter.
After spreading out the treats we (Boomer and I) waited. First, the little chipmunk to show up.
While the chipmunk ran home to deposit the great find. Natures’ vacuum cleaner arrived! 🙂
Leaving nothing behind
Nothing.
I couldn’t put any more out for two reasons: I had not brought enough. And if I came out to scatter more— the birds wouldn’t come back.
Instead, I would get a repeat of the squirrel. 🙂
Darn it.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Some of my photos
Deserve their very own post
They are so full of beauty
Drama
And
Poetry.
I just had to give them their own space!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Chapter Six
While Mom and Dad were out in the second hayfield
trying to beat the
rainstorm heading our way—
I decided
to let myself out of the house
When out of nowhere
LOKI showed up!
“Hey, Boomer! Let’s go do something!”
Oh, my goodness, I thought to myself, Loki-Ta-Moki—Mindy Cat better hide
“HIDE MINDY!” I bayed
As soon as I bayed Loki decided to go FIND Mindy….
Ears up, tail wagging…
paws in FAST MOTION…Loki took off right to Mindy’s favorite spot to hang out.
Whew…No Mindy.
“Hey, Lok! Slow down. Let’s check for news and see what has been happening around here.”
I put my nose to the ground and started sniffing—
“Squirrel, Loki, Mom’s squirrel she has been feeding, came through.”
‘O! Lok—SKUNK!!! We’ve got to be careful. Either one of us gets sprayed it’s sleeping in the shed tonight.”
Loki just bounced around, running here there and everywhere.
“Just give me the good stuff, Boomer, something that runs fast and will get away from me. Ya know. I don’t want to catch anything…I just want to CHASE! Like RUN FAST!
Humm, I muttered –“Oh, Loki!–-FOX!”
“FOX!?” Loki stopped his prancing and dancing around. “WHERE? WHERE!” Tell me, Boomer…POINT THE WAY!”
“Huh, I think he headed to the Upper End, Loki.”
“UPPER END! SEE YA, BOOMER!”
Loki yelled as he sped around the junk pile
Geez, I wonder if I got that dog lost. Man, will the little kids be upset!
Sigh.
Oh, well…time for a nap.
**************************************************************************************************
Later that day…
just around evening I heard lots of chatter and the patter of feet.
Out the door, I went.
There was Kya, Black Dog, and LOKI!
Loki said he had a blast at the Upper End. He didn’t see the fox or anything really…he just ran and ran and ran.
I led the way to the Back Door,
Where we all milled around until Mom came out with treats for ALL OF US!!
YAY!
Then Mom and I walked with my sister, all the dogs, and my little human niece, Tally, half-way back to the other side of the farm, where they were staying for the summer.
I sometimes get to thinking this blog is rather repetitious
I seem to only write about the sky, the plants on the farm
My yard
Irrigating…morning, noon, night
Animals which move around in the night
And the day
The worker bee of the farm...the whole farm runs on this one person, you do understand
Sometimes I liven things up a tad
OR a daytime sighting of a typically nocturn fox
Oh, Yes, I forgot we do have the returning deer
And the joyful visit of grandchildren and granddogs
And that sweet little beagle
And that very independent cat.
Not only the work of spring, summer, and fall, the work of winter
I suppose it may be repetitious
It is our life…
Shared with you on this wee little space in time
a miracle on our tiny spot of Earth and Sky
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
These little kids, (teenagers, really)
Are Mom (Gambol Quail)
and Dad’s last of the summer’s bevy, (or flock). And they look like they are all boys!
They LOVE to see me head over with my sack of black oil sunflower seeds, waiting patiently for me to appear, ride up…then fluttering off to sit in the old tree while I spread out all the seeds.
I love feeding them, our farm is full of wildlife, for I believe a farm without wildlife is empty land.
While there I looked down, where I had walked many, many times and saw
Shining there in the tracks on the road was a HEART!
What a dazzling find!
Moving on, from feeding my wild creatures, I went down to see Shannon’s goats, horses Black Beauty
I found another Heart!
Wonderful, gentle gifts to warm my soul!
From my world to your heart,
Linda
Mom and I went out on the farm to see what we could see:
(From Pinterest)
First off, we saw lots of tracks—Bird feet
Shadows of grasses
Shadows of the weeds
Shadows of corn
Some birds, but they were flying,
not walking
We have lots and lots of Quail…masses of them, like a bazillion or so. (It’s really fun to run up to them and make them scatter; some fly, some run, some hide. Ever so much fun!)
We saw TWO snake skins.
One was SUPER big. Mom said she was glad she didn’t see the snake, the skin was bad enough.
We saw Stanley
Fox feet tracks,
I wonder if it was Kit?
Raccoons, they are here, there, and everywhere
Mom saw a busy bug
in the flower weeds
I sniffed here there and everywhere
Mom and I had lots and lots and lots of fun!
Boomer Beaglie Brown (BAY, HOWL, HAWOOOOOO)
Life on a Colorado Farm 