Moving On—Sunday, March 15, 2015

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Dayphoto

The cows are starting to move out…Mr. Davis took the Mom’s who still have not had their babies on down to another pasture. Monday the older calves and Moms will go—- by the end of week we will be cow-less.

Then today right after lunch the little grand girls and Mom-Mom leave for Craig, Colorado.

I’ve had a really nice weekend, Mom-Mom helped my oldest daughter and myself with our volunteer job… Walking the dogs at the CAWS Rescue Center in Delta, Colorado.

BUT!!!!

Next weekend is our son-in-law in Grand Junction, Colorado’s birthday. Our whole family (including the Craig family) will be going to a birthday bash at their house on Sunday. So I get to have everyone home again.

The cows I will have to visit with next February! 🙂

Tomorrow farming (for us) starts full-time!

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

One–February 22, 2015

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Dayphoto

There is a new little critter on the farm! I don’t know if its a male or female, but to me it doesn’t matter. We saw this darling little calf yesterday.

Since we are in the middle of a arctic blast, cold winds and snow flurries (it will leave out of here by Tuesday) there will probably be several more.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Front Row Seat—Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Dayphoto

I really am not understanding this crazy warm weather we are having…70* yesterday with a wind out of the west.

Terry and I finished working on the fence around the place–it would not do to have cows moving beyond our farm, into someone else’s place or out on the road.

I also worked upstairs getting ready for company. Our kids and grandchildren are coming from Craig on Friday; they have a three day school break.

Plus it’s Tallin’s 7th Birthday! Tally wanted to come to Grammy’s and Grandpa’s for her birthday–‘because that is where we always celebrate our birthdays’ she said.

You know that has her Grandpa and I very pleased!

But back to this incredible light from the sky lately…one night we were surround in rose, then last night a golden light filtered through the wind driven clouds.

We loaded a trailer of hay as the sun started setting…during a break I rushed around taking photos to share with you. Rose to Gold sure is amazing.

We are concerned about this extremely warm weather we are having for February, it feels more like the second week in March. The skies (though) are showing colors of summer. There really isn’t anything we can do about it; just sit back and enjoy and trust that good will come for all.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

47 Years Today—Sunday, December 21, 2014

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Dayphoto

Today Terry and I were married 47 years ago!

Terry was working at Holly Sugar at the time. He was on the day shift with a long lay-over before he started grave yard; he was also working at Coors Elevator on the opposite shift with only 8 hours in-between to sleep.

I was going to college in Grand Junction and it was the end of the semester. We decided that now was the best time to get married.

What a thing to do to my parents and Terry’s parents…four days before Christmas! Geez, I think of that now a think what a rat-race we must have made for them.

After the wedding we headed to Alamosa, Colorado where Coors had another plant/elevator and a job opening. Terry was seriously thinking of applying for the job. We thought first we had better see what the country looked like, the housing market, and winter’s over there.

IT WAS COLD! Terribly cold. Icicles hung from the roof to the ground, snow was as deep as my knees.

Back home we decided that Delta was home and we would take our chances here.

As time moved on we purchased his grandparents’ farm from the estate, gradually acquired farming equipment and gradually adding four children to our family.

Our chances have turned out good—-Terry worked for Delta Montrose Electric Association for 37 years and farmed. I retired from the Delta- Montrose Technical College and helped him with the farm.

Here we are last spring when Terry turned 70. Much the same and then not at all. I’m sure the grandchildren look at us and think OLD, and maybe our children do also. Who knows. I just remember watching my parents age thinking every year how lucky I was to have them. I lost my Dad at 71 and Momma passed at 70 …they were just months apart in leaving us.

Now I think how lucky Terry and I are to be healthy and actively still farming; still doing all those things we have always done.

47 years! A true gift in time!

Your friends on a Western Colorado Farm

Terry and Linda

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone—Thursday, November 26, 2014

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Dayphoto

Wishing each and everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. For those who do not celebrate the American Thanksgiving, I wish for you a day of Thanks for the blessings and gift of another day, another year, another joy.

Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Very Strange Harvest —Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Dayphoto

Yesterday there were 40 trucks in line to unload their corn. The wait was long, long, long. Most of the trucks are semi’s with belly dumps so it goes fast ONCE they get there.

BUT….the corn harvest has turned out to be another one of those terribly hard to ‘dry down the corn’ years. Everyone is struggling and frustrated. The joke is we will be doing corn in January —OH! LET US HOPE NOT!

A field will test dry then as they get to different area, within the SAME field, the moisture content zooms up and the harvest has to stop.

So we do what we can, then wait until the moisture drops and start all over again. Terry is out checking all the fields now…a sample here and a sample there…at the end of the field, in the middle of the field, in a random spot. You sure don’t want to combine wet corn, have it turned down at the elevator and then lose the whole load because it molds. We could get the drying granaries ready, but Terry much prefers to haul straight the elevator. Keeps the crop costs down (electricity to run the big dryer) and we don’t have to load the bins, then get back in and unload them. Unloading a grain bin is TONS of work—we’ve reached an age where back breaking work is something we don’t want to do anymore.

Yes we use a auger to get the corn out of the bin, but you still have to get inside and scoop out the last of of the corn.

Anyway…life goes on. The other house is done, until the furnace is put in; now we will need to look for a renter. But that process won’t start until we get the furnace in. It will be nice to find just the right person who would like to live in the country, take care of a lawn, and maybe enjoy an animal or two in the corrals…our daughter and family had goats.

Today I’m still setting up Christmas…I’m thinking the tree…it’s fake so I can set it up anytime and enjoy the lights. (It’s the lights I love). (Or I’ll be helping Terry…we will see)

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,

Linda

A Rainbow Sky—Sunday, October 5, 2014

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Dayphoto

When the storms started to leave our area the sun was underway to waking up the world on the opposite side of us. The clouds had become ragged and sparse in the West allowing the sun to break free and shine wonderfully upon the land. The East still held the massively dark storm clouds, although they were moving on toward the mountains and the people who lived and worked and played among them.

I was upstairs putting my daily paperwork into a pile and getting ready to turn off the computer when I saw a very faint rainbow filling the east and southern part of our sky! (Close to Olathe)

What a joy I thought to myself! Gazing out the window I watched it fade to nothing. Turning off the computer I headed downstairs.

Wait!!! What do I see around the Eckert, Cedaredge area?

WOW! I grabbed my camera and headed out the front door to stand on the top step

What an amazing splash of color!

It was filling the whole basin with brilliant light! You can even see some little puffs of clouds captured within the prism ray of sunlight!

I stayed an watched until it faded. What a pleasure to be able to experience the wonder of sunlight on droplets of water!

Today is Sunday. Today we stop and rest, only doing those things that are necessary. Tomorrow we will be back to working on the other house and picking back-up the dropped tasks of the week. The fields are starting to dry enough the dogs and I will be able to go out and start gathering in the siphon tubes, the plastic dams, and the metal tin dams. The corn is still green, but if the storms stay away it will continue to dry down taking all the moisture out of the stalks, leaves, and the little seeds. Once it is dry enough we will begin the last harvest (for us) of the season.

Your friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

Summer’s Gifts—Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Dayphoto

It is cold here this morning. 49*…a light jacket was in order to change the irrigation water.

As a gift to me I was sent several photos of those beautiful little flying jewels of summer. Kagedog lives in Cedaredge, Colorado and is a regular visitor to our little blog. She knows how much I enjoy the Hummingbirds so sent to me some very nice photos. She also gave me permission to share them with you. 🙂

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

We still have lots of Hummingbirds here. I don’t know if they are the regulars or if they are moving through. This morning they were fluffed way up as they drank from the feeders. Although, it is cool in the mornings the days still warm up nicely, as much as 89*.

I hope your Tuesday is a good one. It’s time to put the bean puller on and finish work on the combine. We are still waiting for the alfalfa to turn into hay. Hope the rains stay away for a least two or more weeks!

Your friend on a western Colorado Farm,

Linda

So Far So Good and a Guest Post—Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Dayphoto

The sleep-over part of the sleep-over went well. After lots and lots of running and playing.

Linky and her BFF, Ellie, practiced their archery off and on all afternoon and evening—everyone settled down around 10:00 p.m. (I know that’s late, but it is the last week of Summer, and they are at Grammy’s and heck…why not ?! 🙂 )

By mid-night we heard not a sound. I crept slowly upstairs to see what might be going on…playing on IPads…? Sleeping?

Sleeping.The pinto beans are on their last water of the season. The pods are getting dry, which means the beans have reached their full size. This last water will help the beans finish filling out.

Then we wait until all the leaves dry up. Once that happens it will be time…pinto bean harvest will begin.

My Guest today is Red Door Coop. She sent me a double rainbow which occurred in July! Alli is also from Colorado, but she lives on ‘the other side of the mountains’…the eastern slope of Colorado. Drop over and give her a comment, if you have time!

Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm

Linda

A Photo Gift of Rainbow — Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Dayphoto

It is raining here!

Joyful drops of cooling moisture!

Our humidity finally swelled enough to allow the sullen clouds and the leaden sky to burst forth with a steady drizzle of rain! (WITHOUT WIND!)

All of God’s Creatures are rejoicing. The little birds are sitting on bare branches taking a shower…fluffing their wings, spreading the cleansing drops of water through their feathers with their beaks and feet all with loud and joyful songs of delight. It seems even little birds love to sing at the top of their lungs in the shower!

Terry and I are also enjoying these life-giving drops of rain— the hay is up and stacked, with the load of hay to haul to the Delta Elevator protected under the carport. (Thanks be to everyone who sent magic thoughts, prayers, and crossed their fingers for dry weather for us!)

Although, irrigation DOES NOT STOP (the rain is not really soaking into the ground just creating a damp top to the soil) we do not mind walking along a slippery ditch banks to change the water. The delight of a heat-decreasing summer shower is a gift!

Today is Tuesday! It is the day I like to post one of the many photo gifts of rainbows from one of my readers.

Vadarae (Va-da-rae) don’t you just love that name! Vadarae sent me a lovely double rainbow she took on her trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota in May. Look at the raindrops on the car window…it so fits the weather we are having today!

Thank-you, Cotton Lady for adding to this special day full of soft, gentle, air-cleansing and refreshing rain!

Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm,

Linda

P.S. Please remember if you have a wonderful rainbow or even a great photo you would like to share with my readers I will be very glad to post it for you. I post them on Tuesday. And I ALWAYS give you credit for sharing with us!