Echoes of Thunder —-Monday, July 23, 2018

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Dayphoto

A big storm rolled in last evening…massive clouds dropping chutes of rain all around us

The thunder and lightning played along the Uncompahgre Plateau

Terry and I sat outside under the carport and letting raindrops fall all around us.

After the fast-moving storm headed beyond us it was time to change the irrigation water one last time before night.

The light tumbling and playing within and on the storm clouds was invigorating.

Coming back in through all the fields of corn, alfalfa and the pinto beans I thought to myself the air feels more like August than July. The heat sits on one (I AM NOT COMPLAINING — I do so love Summer!) the air hot and humid, and a certain stillness which bespeaks of growing and maturing plants.

Later, much later, Boomer and I went for a wee walk about–just to look at that glorious flourishing moon!

Drowning us in light. The clouds tumbling before a high-unseen wind; first covering the moon then not.

Closer to morning I saw the moon peaking light throughout the tops of the tasseled corn.

I think night is just so beautiful. I do.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

The Sky as a Glory —- Thursday, July 20, 2017

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Dayphoto

Yesterday afternoon a slight cooling rain arrived

The air, the moisture…the whole experience was just lovely. I sat outside and watched the shower dampen the earth.

It was bliss.

Later that evening (Wednesday) around 9:30 an electrical storm arrived on the western rim of our world…Lightning flickered and slashed across the Uncompahgre (Un-come-pah-gray…accent on the pah) Plateau. Tiny booms of thunder rolled across the forest and into the canyons.

As time wore on, I thought possibly the hammer of this amazing electric storm would continue across the Plateau missing us.

By 11:30 the Crack of thunder had reached the Roubioux Canyon, which lays right below our mesa.

Sheet lightning split the clouds, while cloud to ground jagged lightning splintered the heaping massive clouds.

Thunder and lightening overwhelmed our part of the earth, causing our great trees to tremble in fear. (Boomer and both cats were so close to me I couldn’t walk. When I went outside to try to take photos they looked at me like I was crazy and stayed inside. 🙂 )

Try as I might I could NOT get a good photo of lightning! The great sheets of shimmering sheet lightning did not turn out very well either. The sky to ground lightning (although very bright and overwhelming) turned into a blur on the photo.

Gradually the thunder, the lightening, and what rain there might have been, moved on…heading toward the east.

Leaving all of us a little breathless.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Dazzled by the Storms—Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Dayphoto

We set the last set of water under the treat of an approaching rain storm

The wind whipped a series of fast moving showers all around us throughout the Uncompahgre (Un-come-pah-gray—accent on the pah) Plateau; along the canyons between us and Grand Junction–the Roubidoux, Esclante, Dominguez Canyons, then soaking the desert separating Delta from Grand Junction.

Stunningly beautiful fast moving rain!

At one point the late sun broke through just long enough to illuminate some of the rain drops south of us to look like a faint rainbow!

I’m not picky. I’ll take anything that looks like a rainbow, even for a few moments in time.

Then as nighttime arrived lightning whipped the Plateau, wind beat our area, and thunder hammered the heavens way over there on the Uncompaghre.

Boomer and both cats came in, to lay as close to me as possible.

Lightening slithered along the canyons and gullies on the Plateau, with distant drumbeats of thunder sounding loud [here]. It must have sounded like the roll call of the end of the world up there on the Uncompahgre.

Although rain seethed around us the skies only sprinkled on us—not even turning the ground to mud…just damp.

This morning we woke to rinsed skies, cooler temperatures, with thick gray clouds hanging in bunches, waiting to mush together at some future point in time.

They say by Friday this flurry of small intense storms will be gone from our area; the heat and sun will return.

These little reprieves from fierce sun and heat are good for the soul. (Just like warm/spring-like days in the middle of winter).

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Unbelievingly Beautiful Vista of Sunday’s Storms—Monday, May 8, 2017

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Dayphoto

Sunday was a day full of wind, threats of rain and stunning beautiful storms

The mountain ranges surrounding us filled with dark and threatening clouds, dumping either snow or rain, creating an endless series of drama

Even on the sawtooth mountain range of the San Juans…the snow-clad peaks etched needle-sharp against the sky received their share of the storms

Silent forks of dazzling light split the sky on the Uncompahgre Plateau and across the desert between Delta and Grand Junction.

Dull rumbles of thunder boomed in the canyons and hollows of the deserts beyond our farm. Sheet lightening shimmered far, far away threatening to come closer and closer to us.

Although the sky was a stunning crystal blue between the storms; the lightening would light up the plateau like an X Ray.

The air was filled with particles of dirt when the mighty gusts of wind pushed through

The storms raced here and there; composed of energy, and full of sounds echoing through out the sky and the earth

It was actually very beautiful.

We changed the water in both of the corn fields in the rippling, storm-filled spring skies…all of us driven here and there by the wind…shifting to hold ourselves upright and still set and move water.

It was exhilarating, to say the least.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Storms —Thursday, July 9, 2015

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Dayphoto

All day the clouds shifted here and there. Sometimes dropping rain, moving on, gathering again, lashing out

thunder, lighting, wind… the violence of each passing storm was exhilarating!

The earth, our crops, even myself sighed with relief. Later in the night, well, actually early, early in the morning, the skies cleared and the stars came out.

We woke to a beautiful morning. Fresh, clean, clear…a feeling of lightness in air!

Your rejuvenated friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Guest Post and a Rainbow for Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

Last night our skies were black as velvet! The rain flowing down upon us creating a frosty feeling to the air. I watched the lightening and thunder play and dance along the plateau as I fell asleep only to be waked two hours later with the same flashes of brilliance right over our farm.

The lightening was huge running large and small jagged lines from cloud to earth- the thunder cracked at exactly the same moment! The effect was awe inspiring and very intimidating. After I finish posting this I must run down to the kid’s house an check everything is okay. I’m stalling—for if a tree branch has fallen it means work…and it’s way too wet to work right now. (Although Terry is out wading through mud and mud puddles and slick ditch banks to change the water—the water never stops until harvest…ever.)

The crows are back…fall is in the air here–I can even see the leaves starting to change color here.

This morning I saw a very faint rainbow…very faint but it was still nice to see.

Some time ago I posted that cows were able to take care of coyotes and tried to explain how.

Sara from My Favorite Sheep blogspot….sent me an email about cows running off a bear: It’s pretty stunning I’ve posted it below.

Off now to go see if we have any lightening damage.

Your farm friend,

Linda

Oregon cows and a black bear…don’t mess with Mama!

A couple of evenings ago, an Eastern Oregon rancher went out to check his beef herd.

He saw a very strange sight — and was able to photograph an unusual battle between

a black bear and some brave cows. The bear began to attack a cow and then the herd

came to her aid. One cow in particular got especially aggressive and head-butted the

bear right off its feet. Then, two cows sandwiched the bear between their heads. After

that, the bear decided to flee and limped back into the woods.

The blonde and white Simmental cow we know as I-12 went right for him.
She is a very good cow, a very attentive mother and about 12 years old.

She’s in her prime and knows that bears are bad news.

Little does the bear know what is coming.

She tried her best to mash him into the ground. Man, that has to have hurt the bear!

Nothing like a mad cow to give you a hard time.

There are a couple of photos where the bear is biting I-12’s leg and clawing her face,

but she is not giving up. Her stiff tail shows how agitated she is. Wayne said all the

cows were bawling, the bear was squealing and the calves were running around with

their tails in the air.

And here comes some help. This bear is about to know what real trouble is!

When you have two females pissed at you, real trouble has arrived!
A younger cow, R-55, an Angus-Cross cow, age 7, is helping her out as best she can.
It is an incredible photo to see two cows at once trying to crush the bear.
Watch That hoof land home!

I looked up the calving records of both cows who are so aggressive in these photos

and they are both good, calm cows around us, and have given us no troubles

whatsoever. I’ll have to add in my notes that they have a very distinct dislike of bears.
Man, that’s a lot of weight bearing (pun intended), down on the bear like mashing a

lump of butter! It’s a wonder the bear could even move after all the mauling he received.

We’ll be watching I-12 over the next few days to see if she needs Treatment for infection.
I don’t know how willingly she’ll come to the corrals for treatment, but she might not have

a choice. And stay away you won’t be so lucky next time!

Lucky to be able to move at all.

Finally, the bear decided to vacate the area. We thought he’d be dead for sure,
but there was no sign of him the next day.

We’ll have to keep an eye out for eagles in the trees or flocks of ravens flying up. We’re

sure he’s got some broken ribs out of the deal at the very least. Wayne couldn’t believe

his eyes when he witnessed this ruckus. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime photography event.

Amazing!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Dayphoto

A late summer storm crashed all around us last night around mid-night. The lightening held all three kinds…sheet, cloud to cloud, and cloud to earth. The cloud to earth ones are always, ALWAYS the dangerous ones. The dogs don’t mind the lightening it’s the loud booming thunder that sends them under my bed. Fuzzy has taught Boomer to be afraid, be VERY afraid of thunder. Not a good thing. Boomer didn’t ‘know’ he was supposed to act goofy when the thunder sounded until he figured it out from Fuzzy.

The field corn, aka: pick’n corn, feed corn, maize, is getting riper by the day.

I’m still feeding the bees, although I moved their plate away, away from the hummingbird feeders

I like it much better. As you can see the yellow jackets have also found the sugar water

These tables we aren’t using anymore because the bees where to thick in the Russian Sage anyway. A win-win for all of us involved!

Just for fun…here is the west side of our place looking toward the canyons and Highway 50 to Grand Junction.

Your western Colorado friend,

Linda

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Thunder

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Dayphoto

It’s raining here!

Lots!

Some much so Fuzzy and I have decided we don’t like it

You want to know why

THUNDER!

Thunder is terrible!

I didn’t used to be afraid but NOW I AM!!!

First you see a HUGE FLASH LIGHT

And then the SKY GETS REALLY LOUD

Like a GUN going off!

We have to hang with MOM all the TIME

Because it is just so SCARY!

Boomer and Fuzzy

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Storms

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Dayphoto

It’s been raining here—lots! Big dark clouds, full of wet stuff, lots of lightning and THUNDER!

BOOM!

CRASH!

CRACK!

Fuzzy is having a very hard time, not because of the rain, or the clouds or even the lightning, but because of the thunder!!!

(Dad had to turn on the water for 24 hours to soak up a piece of hard soil. Dad worked several days on opening up a new field for next spring.)

That’s a big rain storm coming our WAY!!!!

Most of the time we are in the house with Mom, because Fuzzy turns into this shivering, nervous, wreck of a dog!

Sort of amazes me. That loud noise doesn’t bother me at all.

But if Mom isn’t home and the thunder comes crashing around us Fuzzy always runs off into the corn field.

He says he feels safe in there.

I don’t know why—it’s still wet, and loud, but we are surrounded with the corn. Fuzzy says that helps.

Now if DAD is home and Mom isn’t Dad doesn’t let us come in a hover with him until the rain is over. Dad says he really doesn’t like a hot, panting dog crowding up on him when he is trying to do bookwork, or something important (like watching TV). So he tells us to go into the garage!

We don’t, you know, we head to the corn field!

We sit out there until Mom comes home and we hear the four-wheeler start up and she comes to look for us. She has to go to ALL the corn fields as we don’t always go to the same one all the time.

After a while ( we don’t come out right away, Fuzzy wants to be SURE the thunder gods have passed before we venture out of the safe corn field) we come out and head home.

Mom tells us to stop doing that, if Fuzzy was to have a heart attack out in farm some where she wouldn’t know where to find him. She says PLEASE GO INTO THE BARN!!!

But, of course we don’t.

Mom is always really glad to see us and we are always glad to see MOM! Dad is okay to see also, but we know with Mom there is a big warm old blanket to dry us off and we GET TO GO INTO THE HOUSE until Dad says: “Okay, that’s enough panting the storm is over you dogs need to go outside!”

Which we do! (Mom always takes us out with a really nice dog cookie and lots of hugs and petting).