Sunday, March 24, 2013….March Leaves Like a Lion

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Dayphoto

We were up at 2:30 on Saturday morning to take Evan to the airport to go see Joylene in Canada.

Everything went really good for him until he got to Denver …then he was grounded until 8 that evening…

Snow storm…big one…that is already on it’s way to the rest of the country.

Terry’s sister and her husband live in Greeley and sent us over a photo of just what the snow looked like there…18″.

It didn’t snow here, but we did have the wind…frigid, face freezing wind and lots of it– 40 m.p.h. gusts with 25 m.p.h. sustained winds.

Today we are frozen…more like January and February instead of late March. I guess March is leaving like a lion…not long now until April.

I’m looking forward to April. This is a little robin, poor things they really look cold this morning.

Our wood is down to four logs so this afternoon we are heading to the upper end to cut wood from the downed trees, this time last year we were not worrying about heat except in the early morning.

Each year is decidedly different one never really knows what will happen.

I saw a headline on the internet saying this the winter that doesn’t leave.

Fits!

Linda

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Dayphoto

The big nasty cold storm blew itself away last night and left us with a sunny (:)) day. The dogs went out as soon as the sun came up…they were ready.

Looking around I saw green

Everywhere

Little bits starting up

and the promise of tulips not far off!

JOY! JOY! JOY!

Linda

Wednesday, February 27, 2012

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Dayphoto

I’ve been up since 4 in the morning, I just couldn’t sleep. I think I felt the earth shift last night.

The shift was very subtle…about 3 in the morning, actually. A tiny, tiny, tiny tilt back towards the sun, leaving this colder place (in the scheme of things) until sometime next winter.

The shift was very subtle, still I woke with a start…it felt like something a little bit more was happening…a little more sunshine, a little more warmth…maybe I was dreaming, but it felt …well — Good!

I pulled all of the curtains, put wood on the fire and settled down to look to the east.

The sun started lighting the sky around 6:21 in the morning, with the sunrise happening at 6:48–it was cold…11* and the earth still crusted with snow. If I looked to the west I could see the cows and their calves making the trek from the corrals around Misty’s house and the other bunch of cows walking over the hill from the equipment area…a new day was beginning.

The sun will set tonight at 6:02 giving us 11 hours and 15 minutes of daylight (if my figures are right!

I didn’t even remember to get my camera. I just sat and enjoyed and became part of this minute shift.

These little Coots were having a great time at Confluence Park Sunday…someone has tossed them some ‘lunch’.

Thank you to everyone who commented and is sending Magic Thoughts for wet mountain snow in March…you are all the best!!

If it doesn’t snow we will just do with the hand we are given and make the best of it.

Hope really does spring eternal doesn’t it?

Thank each of you so much,

Linda

Maybe This Time

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Dayphoto

We are in the middle of another winter storm…high winds, blowing snow and winter advisory over the Gunnison Mountain Range.

Terry and about 4 other neighbors were talking yesterday evening about the snow on the Gunnison Mountain Range…this is where we get our water.

The whole conversation was dismal, to put it lightly.

One of the neighbors is the Vice-President of the Uncompahgre Water Users (our irrigation water) and he said things are looking very bad in the water department. The snow pack is 77% of normal, but the snow is a very dry snow, with very little water.

The Water Users were going to turn the water on the middle of April, but now they aren’t….they are going to wait until the first day of May, hoping to have water for the heat of the season…July and August.

Now, no one knows what to do….everyone is looking at planting a maximum of 60% of their farm ground, but…can they? The sweet corn farmers and the onion guys need to have the seed in the ground in April, wet and ready to sprout by the third week of April to have a crop. With this late water start it is looking like the crop for Olathe Sweet Sweet Corn and Mountain Sweet Sweet Corn is going to be very slim…if at all.

Pinto Beans don’t have to be planted as early and can be harvested early, but they do need lots of water…the pinto bean guys are wondering if they should even try since they can’t afford to have the water shot just as the pods begin to swell.

Corn for corn bread, chicken feed and cow feed takes a long growing season and needs to be in the ground, watered up before the first of May…

Lets hope this storm is being very good to us and lots of WET snow is falling on the Gunnison Mountains…magic thoughts from all you, please!

Food is going to be sparse this year from our part of Colorado it seems, unless the Gunnison Mountains can get lots and lots of WET snow.

Thanks,

Linda

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Dayphoto

We had another winter storm come in, complete with wind and drifting snow…I guess I really should expect it since IT IS FEBRUARY!

Some of the farmers, around here, started plowing…now they have a mess. Plowed up ground is like a huge sponge, then when it drys out (finally) it is just as hard and brittle as a dried out sponge.

Water is still an issue, although the snow pack should have grew some with the last several storms —- the last we heard snow pack was 77% of normal. Still a ways to go to normal, but much improved.

Usually the water is turned on the last week of March, but not this year — they will turn it on the third week in April and then at only 50% of your allotment. Of course, you still pay for the 100% you are entitled too. Our water bill is higher than our taxes, go figure.

As I am writing this the sun is starting to break through the clouds, always a good feeling.

I hope you enjoy your Sunday.

Linda

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Dayphoto

A lovely storm cloud rolled in last night, I just had to take photos of it while I was hauling in firewood…

the setting sun made the coming storm a delight to see.

This morning it starting sifting big fluffy flakes down for a short time, leaving us with just a skiff of snow.

The whole experience has been really lovely and the best part is the snow is wet.

However, as I write this it has a melted…giving the earth a nice drink.

Have a good Sunday Everyone!

Linda

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Dayphoto

It’s cloudy, grey and chilly again here today.

I’ve been sick.

Well, actually I got sick the week before Christmas and seem to not be able to get well. I have a good day here and there, but nothing that lasts.

I’m taking the day off…resting by the fire.

I hope this finds all of you well.

COME ON SPRING!

Linda

Winter Rain

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Dayphoto

We are having the oddest weather for January. Weather more along the line of July. An unusual warm air mass has funneled itself up from the Gulf of Mexico, giving us RAIN.

Friday we were rather warm with heavy fog, the weatherman was calling an inversion. But we never cooled down to below zero, instead we stayed warm…22* all that day, into the night, and even into the next morning.

Visibility was very poor.

Then the weather people started telling us about the odd weather pattern we were now in.

Fog is beautiful.

We see very little fog here. As a child I was always fascinated that (for us, here in the high mountain desert) when we have fog it is really a cloud sitting down and surrounding us. Living in a cloud made me feel rather ethereal—light, airy, not earth-bound. It still does.

Then it started to rain…a very wet drizzle, you could walk in it for thirty minutes before getting soaked, but very steady. On and on it rained, all day, all evening, all night, until about 4 in the morning. Then it stopped. But the heavy fog didn’t leave.

Visibility, as I write this is 1/4 of mile. We are surrounded in cloud. It isn’t raining …. yet.

But it could start.

It might snow! The water guys are saying that it is snowing in the San Juan’s and up at Gunnison. That is good news. I hope it dumps FEET of very wet snow! 🙂

For FEET of snow I can enjoy living in a Cloud! 🙂 🙂

Linda

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Dayphoto

It’s snowing here today.

Last night, I remembered that I hadn’t taken my 4 o’clock photo yet. I usually take it on Wednesday afternoon, but for some reason it slipped my mind.

Our days are growing longer, instead of 9 hours and 30 minutes long, we have reached new lengths of 9 hours and 42 minutes.

We are still cold. Although, three days ago we warmed up to above freezing for about two hours, I did the happy feet dance the whole time.

Our day was darkening down when I got outside, the snow clouds just starting to blow in over the Plateau. Our storms usually come out of eastern Utah, crossing the Uncompahgre, then moving on past us toward the North Fork of Delta county. From there I don’t know where the storms go.

Randomly and very rarely (right where we live) a big storm will roll into Montrose from the Durango area, blow itself around to the Plateau and then land on us. The storms from the San Juan area can lose steam at Montrose and never make it clear on down here to our Mesa.

Even rarer is the storm that comes in from Gunnison, spins onto Montrose, then to us. Usually those storms (the ones from Gunnison head into Peach Valley and the Black Canyon area, then into the town proper of Delta).

I watch the sky a lot……as if you can’t tell. The sky and the weather are major interest and concerns when you farm and have animals that live outside.

But besides those things—I just plain enjoy the magic of the heavens and how they swirl and play upon the land.

Linda

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Dayphoto

We warmed up yesterday just for about thirty minutes…then it dropped rapidly and we froze back up.

But for that short length of time the snow on the carport started to melt and drip off.

(You can see the two tiny drops against the background of the metal building, I hope)

I tried really hard to get a photo or two of the delightful melt, but they didn’t turn out very well…:)

Oh, well…short lived, but very enjoyed.

I hope your Sunday goes pleasantly for everyone. Fuzzy goes in for his operation Thursday morning. I am concerned that I’m doing the right thing…I sure hope so.

Linda