The last load went out Thursday morning.

I was going to do a Sunday Stills, but really couldn’t find what I was looking for— although, this is not a frame of nature it is a frame of a fond good-bye.

Linda

The snow is gone and the mud is thick, we headed up early so the mud wouldn’t be a problem, you can’t go late because late would be would be way early morning and none of us would like to travel up there in the dark.

Boom and I saw lots of stuff…the bees were out.  It warmed up enough they wanted to see if there was anything to eat and to do some house cleaning.  We didn’t hang with them too long.

We checked out lots of smells…

raccoon, skunk, and a couple of badger dens.  I think the badgers must still be sleeping.  Boom left his mark everywhere.  I tried to match him, but I just couldn’t keep up with that young bladder.

“Hey, Boom!” I yelled.  “There are skunk smells over here!”

“Wow! Really!  Wait just minute I’ll be there!

We sniffed around quite a bit, then decided that maybe we had better NOT follow the skunk smell.  It was pretty fresh so we knew we could find it and where it is holed up for the winter.

“Er Fuzz?”

“Yeah?’

Maybe we better not go any further…the last time I found a skunk Mom made me  get three baths and to sleep outside for several days.  And that was spring.  It’s still pretty cold to sleep outside and I don’t think either one of us really wants a bath, let alone three baths.”

“Good idea, Boomer!  Let’s head on over to the Fox den and see if Freddy the Fox is still sleeping in there.  He might be gone because Evan has been hauling some of the wood over to his house for his fireplace.”

“Cool, Sure! “

“Come on let’s go!”

So off we went. The pile was a little slimmer, but not much. We sniffed around for some time.  Mom was way over on the cactus hill (that’s what Boomer and I call it, because it has lots of cactus and you have to be careful where you run).  We could see her so we knew she was alright.

Suddenly I got a strange sensation, sort of like a creepy feeling…the hairs on the back of my neck picked up …. I cut my eyes both ways and then put my nose to the wind.

Boomer was busy sniffing in the hole and all around the wood…

“Yep, Evan’s been here.  Oh, yes, and so have Mom and Dad….humm, I think they took about a cord of wood…

“Boomer!”  I whispered.

“Boomer!”  I said a little louder “something strange is happening!”

“Yeah,” he whispered back…”there are two coyotes standing right over there looking at us.”

“HUH?!?!”  (This getting old is not good; I used to have really sharp eyesight and keen hearing).

“They are?”  I asked.  “What are they doing?”

“Well, hum, they look sort of hungry and they are heading our way”

(to be continued………)

Fuzzy

Located about a quarter of a mile southeast of Lazear on the North Fork River, the Silver Springs Trout Farm is potentially one of the finest developments in the county, according to men who have been connected with the fish hatchery industry for many years.

The business was established by Royden Girling in 1947. Operator of the trout farm since last fall is Charles Corey, who with his brother, Bob, built the Silver Springs Trout No. 1 Hatchery in Montrose, Colorado, in 1949.

Silver springs trout thrive on a special ground liver fish food formula, developed by the Corey brothers. The food is fed in pellet form, some of which floats on top of the water and others that sink to various levels.

The farm supplies fish to state hatcheries, resorts, restaurants and markets in wholesale quantities and in addition maintain a fee-fishing lake for the benefit of the public. The lake covers four acres and in February contained 70,000 trout. Included were four-year-olds that weighed eight pounds.

Next to the lake, there are two retainers for fingerlings.

Located close to the retainers is a hatchery where there were 200,000 fry last February. Water is supplied by a spring that winds a course from Grand Mesa to the trout farm and is piped into the hatchery house.

Preparing for the next year’s fishing demand; the hatchery is putting in 150,000 more fish this month. All year around, the water temperature never varies from 58 degrees-considered and ideal. In cold weather an aurora of steam rises from the hatchery house.

The word ‘fish’ can be used singularly or plurally—-where Corey says it, it’s plural. He casually talks about the 1,200,000 fish handled last year by the Montrose and Lazear places. Supplying a ton of fish a week for six consecutive weeks to a Colorado Springs resort is all part of his job.

Transporting live fish requires special equipment and the trout farm truck has oxygen tanks on the side to insure safe deliveries.

Corey’s enthusiasm for raising fish dates back to his boyhood days-he raised his first finny friends in barrels in his backyard.

He knows how a boy feels when he catches a ‘whopper’ so he donated the ‘big ones’ (Four pounds and over) to the Hotchkiss fishing pond and the Delta swimming pool for the annual Huck Finn Day celebrations.

As far as the trout in the Grand Mesa lakes are concerned, Corey says there are some monster fish there that no on will ever catch-they will probably die of old age. He says he won’t hazard a guess as to how big a trout will grow but remembers when he was about 10 years old he found the carcass of a fish that measured longer than he himself was tall. He estimated that it must have weighed 25 pounds or more.

Corey’s job keeps him busy during the day and at odd hours of the night. Last spring’s flood caused him concern when the state fish hatchery lost fish, but the Silver Springs Trout Farm suffered no damages.

In general, men’s hobbies have little relation to the manner in which they make their livelihoods—Corey’s hobby is fishing, and he also likes to hunt. He is an expert rifleman and is fond of horses too—he owns four quarter horses.

Corey and his wife live beside the lake, within walking distance of the hatchery house. Spring water is piped into their house and is used for watering a newly-seeded lawn. The Corey’s are planning to ‘pretty up’ the scene with flowers and shade trees.

Corey is one of the few lucky men who can make a good living by pursuing his favorite hobby.

Delta County Independent

May 1958

Linda

http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

We now have mud on mud on mud.

Tomorrow we haul the last of our cows to market.  So this morning was spent getting everything ready before it warms up enough for the mud to thaw.

I do think we are going to have a early spring.

Linda

Days later I have it back.

(I had withdrawal pains.  It was horrible)

Although, I had set up some posts in advance I couldn’t respond to any comments.  I hope to get caught up today and tomorrow now that my third arm is back!  :)

The weather has been strange…we went from this

 (a gradual melt)

to this

In one day.  Mostly because it started to rain.

Mud season.  Mud season in January, not February.

Then this blew in last night and is still here

A fuzzy photo because I used my cell phone

A very chill wind is also blowing.  It’s the wind that is always the problem.  The temperature might be a toasty 22*, but the wind can drop it right down to 12* in a second.

That is what we are experiencing…brrrrrr!

Anyway, I’m ever so glad my computer is back and I can stay in contact will all my friends!

Linda

At least they are birds

Linda

Then the temperatures dropped back down to around 28-30*.  Cold enough Boomer and I stayed inside most of the time.

Mom said she was getting cabin fever so we all had to go outside.

Darn it.

I like just lying around and sleeping by the fire.

Boomer sleeps right next to the fire, but I don’t.  I sleep on the back porch where it’s cool enough I don’t start panting and Mom makes me go outside to cool down.  For the record, if Boomer starts panting he has to go outside also.

Anyhoo, Mom was feeling house bound so we all took off for a ride on the open fields.  I ride with Mom.  It’s hard to jump up anymore, but Mom lifts me up and away we go.

Boomer loves to run, so he gets to run.

Everything was ever so much fun!

When we got back, Dad had company.  The neighbor down the road had ridden his four-wheeler over and his dog, Pepper came with him.

I hope Dad doesn’t see what Pepper did…Pepper will get really yelled at.

This is Boomer, Dad won’t yell at Pepper, because Pepper isn’t his dog, but Dad will NOT be happy, let me tell you.  Then we dogs will get a real talking too about NOT PEEING ON THE SAME SPOT!

Sure is hard to not add our smell to Pepper’s we try really hard to wait until Dad leaves and goes someplace else and can’t see us.

I guess you know what happened when Dad when in the house.

Heheheh

Fuzzy and Boomer

The 1896 Courthouse as it appeared in 1903 follows completion of the separate jail (far left building) and the steam-heat building (between the jail and main building).

Jim

Museum Director / Curator and Newsletter Editor

Jim Wetzel (970) 874-8721

deltamuseum@aol.com

Linda

http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

The chores for the day were easy since the cows didn’t like the weather and came in to huddle in the warming shed, all we had to do was go out and throw some hay in the manger.

All four of my hens decided that they really don’t like being outside unless the Mom/Rooster is present so they didn’t even ask to go out.  Actually they haven’t been wanting to go out much since the attack.

Which reminds me, the hen that was attacked is doing good.  I just have to wait for her feather to grow back in…as damaging as the attack was I am wondering if the feathers will grow back.  The other hens are not pecking on her (chickens can be so mean).  I keep lots of fresh stuff for them to peck on and a peck block so I’m hoping they will not get bored and find the bald hen interesting.

Cow prices are holding firm at a good price so we will be hauling the rest of our cows to market the end of this month.  Sure seems sad to me, but Terry is tired of working with the fences, which means the cows will have to go.  In my secret heart-of-hearts I am hoping he will miss them and we will get more.  I wouldn’t even mind some bottle babies.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Today has arrived with lots of sun and very cold temps, which will hold until Wednesday when another snow storm is to come in.  Typical of January.  The December snow was looking rather tired, if I say so myself.

Hope this finds everyone well.

Linda

Here are a few from around our place…even the tractor shed complete with the old standing lamp, Terry is saving to work on sometime.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda