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

yesterday….the cows ate, and ate, and ate

and then went and hunkered down for the night.

Fuzzy and I were outside about mid-night last night and it was just starting to snow.  (We had to check out things before we hit the bed…pee, see who else had left a mark…you know…dog stuff).

Mom was a little mad at me, because I took off around that time….Freddy Fox pranced through the yard and then headed into the corn field and well….

Gosh…

Geez…

Well, I just wanted to go play with him.

I came back…I was always planning on coming back.

And YES I heard Mom calling, but I, well, just wasn’t ready.

Fuzzy went back.  He told me he hung with Mom while Mom walked around the farm calling for me.  Then they went back into the house and Fuzzy said he went to bed.

He scratched up his blankets and just settled right in for a long winter’s nap.

Mom came out again around mid-night thirty and called once more — she didn’t have too I was waiting right there by the grill.  WITH A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE!

It didn’t work.

She was very mad at me!  Boy, did I get the lecture: “There are coyotes out there, when I call you, you had better come, blah, blah, blah….”  I sort of stopped listening as I ran into the house and flopped down on my bed.  I was ready for bed.

Then Mom picked up my blanket and flapped it over me.  I don’t think I heard another word, although I knew Mom was still upset, I also knew she was delighted I was home.

When we woke-up this morning the storm was still here, I think the worst is the wind.

Fuzzy and I both agree,

WE ARE READY FOR SPRING!

Boomer

While the excitement died down after a few weeks, Blachly’s widow was left with the pain of her husband’s death and eight sons to raise by herself.

She did other people’s laundry, gave music lessons and worked the family’s small farm with the help of her young children. They were very poor and the youngsters worked so hard to keep the family going, they did not have time for school.

Mrs. Blachly was a cultured woman of unusual experience. She had been raised on five acres of palace grounds given to her father for his medical services to the King of Siam. As a child, she played with the son of Anne, who lived and wrote ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM.

Mrs. Blachly’s early life was one of wealth, beauty and ease in an elegant teakwood home. She went Oberlin College, and, when she decided to marry, had not yet learned the homely skills. She wanted to put off the marriage for six months to learn to cook, but Blachly would not hear of it. He was certain he could teach her all she would need to know. So they were married in 1876. Evidently Blachly’s widow had well learned her lessons in the practical side of living, for this was the woman who showed the strength and determinate to inspire her fatherless brood to acquire college training and live to see them all become well-respected writers and scientists.

Linda

http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

Please do NOT send me horrible emails telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about…I only have my experience and what the expert has told us.

A couple of times Terry was actually stalked by a coyote—probably defending the den, while he was changing water late in the evening……and once the dogs and I were stalked.

We have had coyotes come into the yard….sending in Missey Coyote to lure the dogs out so they can …well…have killing sport with the dogs.

We have had to train the grandchildren not to run around on back of the farm in the late evening…ever!

I never leave dog food or cat food outside, nor do we throw scraps out for the hens, all scraps are in a pan in the hen house.

The dogs do like to sleep outside in the summer and we let them.  We also are very diligent to check on everything and everyone the minute we hear anything out of the ordinary.

The other thing we have here are very stupid people who dump their dogs off, thinking they will find a home on the farm.  Usually what happens is they gather together and form dog packs.  Dog packs are just as bad or maybe worse than coyotes as they love to kill for fun and sport and are NOT in any way afraid of humans since they once lived with humans.

Sometimes the dogs mate with coyotes…then what happens the result is called a cy-dog.  Not a good mix.

We also learned some of the language of the coyotes:

Howling – communication with other coyotes in the area. Also, an announcement that “I am here and this is my area.”

Yelping – a celebration or criticism within a small group of coyotes. Often heard during play among pups or young animals.

Bark – The scientific name for coyotes means “barking dog,” Canis latrans. The bark is thought to be a threat display when a coyote is protecting a den or a kill.

Huffing – is usually used for calling pups without making a great deal of noise.

One way to tell if an attack was by a dog or a coyote is to look at the size of their tracks and the spacing of canine tooth punctures.  Dogs aren’t known for killing sheep or calves for food and dogs are random in how and where they attack.  Coyote tracks have more of an oval shape and seem more compact that a domestic or wild dog tracks.

Damage Problems–In the western United States, coyotes are the main predator of domestic sheep, causing significant losses in select areas. They can also prey upon goats, calves, hogs, poultry and watermelons. Coyotes will also kill domestic dogs and house cats. They most often kill larger prey by biting the throat, causing death by suffocation. Coyotes frequently adjust their grip on the prey’s neck, leaving multiple bite marks.

Coyotes may attack fleeing animals from the rear, biting the legs or tail to slow them down. Coyotes typically begin feeding behind the ribs, often eating the stomach of nursing animals. The nose and hindquarters are typically eaten on calves. Coyotes have been known to attack cows in labor, feeding on both the emerging calf and mother.

We have other known predators here…if you ever walk in Confluence Park you will see that we have Mountain lions that move through the area, signs are everywhere informing you of what to do and how to protect yourself if you cross paths with one.  We have fox…lots of fox, but they don’t harm cattle.  Randomly a bear will wander in, but that is random.

Some of you live in places that have other predators, animals we have never had here or if we did are now gone–like the wolf.

I’m sure you are tired of this subject so this is my last post on on predators for a while.  I hope you have found it educational, which is what is intended to be.

Once more, thanks ever so much for stopping by.

Linda

Cows are domesticated animals…they are people animals.  Many people think that cows are stupid and dumb.  I’ve had people tell me that cows are the stupidest animal on earth.  This usually is said by people who have only seen a cow in a pasture or read about a cow somewhere, some place, at some time.

Cows are not stupid, nor are they dumb.

They are herding animals, therefore they think like a herd…band together, gather together, play together and protect each other.  Cattle are very similar to Buffalo Bison.  I have never heard anyone say a Buffalo is stupid and dumb, but they will say cattle are.

Beats me why.

Anyway…cows will band together if there is a perceived danger to each other or their calves…they group together in a huge group with the calves in the middle.  When we had that horrible fire last spring all the cows gathered together and pushed the babies into the middle and walked to the furthest point away from the fire and stayed there until THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT.

Doesn’t seem very dumb to me.

As the babies are born the new moms collect and stay in a group chatting and discussing all the new cute baby things that the calves do.  As the babies mature, one or two cows will stay with the calves (the babysitter cows) while the others graze, they then take turns with  watching the youngsters.

Danger from coyotes come when a cow is in labor and/or as the calve emerges and/or if a young mother has a new calf and tells it to stay in a unprotected area while she wanders off.  Just like some women, these cows are very poor mothers putting their own needs first before the needs of the calf.

Just like women, cows do not LIKE to go into labor and have their baby with a bunch of prying eyes. The majority of the time a cow will have her calf as the edge of the herd, but there are always some that want to go to a hidden spot for a little more privacy.

When the calves are first born the mothers will lick the mucus off of the calf’s body until it is clean. This encourages the calf to attempt to stand and go find the udder. From that day forth they (the cows) watch out for the calves, let them suckle every 2 to 3 hours, babysit them, and teach them where to go, what to eat, and that the person looking after them is someone to be respected, and what a predator is.

Cows also communicate with their calves (and each other and sometimes to us humans) whenever they get separated by certain moos and loud calls.  This voice recognition is established at birth.

Cows protect their calves by using their heads, feet and chests to crush and stomp on a predator that threatens their calves or them.  They are HUGE animals weighting many, many pounds…they will even take on a human, if they perceive the human might be a threat to them or their calf or the herd.

Now just what I know for sure, …… what we have had happen to us/our ranching friends and other farmers in our area …. AND NO —- FEEDING THE COYOTES WILL NOT STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING!!! – Coyotes are known to attack cows in labor, feeding on both the emerging calf and possibly the mother.  IF the cow is not close enough for the herd to help protect her.

As to the other question of where do the cows stay for protection — we have lots of areas that are sheltered and protected by trees, bushes, and shrubs, areas the cows adore sleeping in.  It was one of the reason’s Terry and I were so upset with the fire…many of those areas were destroyed in the fire.

This year the cows are sleeping around the equipment area…which is another very protected place on our property.

Our storm blew in and blew out rapidly last night, most of the snow was dumped in the mountains which is perfect!

Linda

Also, the coyotes were extremely busy…I could hear them in every direction.  I would much prefer NOT hearing the coyotes.  One reason they are so energetic is this is calving season…nothing tastes as good as a tiny, new born calf.  And we are surround with calving cows in every direction.

The rancher has brought up seventy spring’n heifers to calve out on our place.  Every day the dogs and I (if we walk-the cat) go out and check to see how many are ‘with calf’.

So far there are 11 new babies- with one set of twins.

By the end of the month, there should be seventy new Momma’s.

I keep thinking we might get cows again, but always the answer is no.  So for a short time of the year I get to enjoy these girls.  They are really rather tame for range cows, allowing us to move through the herd (on the four-wheelers), not running away.  If I am walking, they allow the dogs and I to skirt the edges as long as the dogs are right with me.

Linda

Mom said that we had to go because Fuzzy needed to get his fur cleaned up from the surgery.

So we went…

It wasn’t bad.  Fuzzy and I actually enjoyed it!

Then when we got home Mom, Fuzzy and I went for a walk.

We saw lots of birds again-

Ring necked doves,

Our chickens,

A tree full of blackbirds

A hawk,

Sammy the cat

went with us…

First me, then Mom,

then Fuzzy and then Sam.

It was great!

But, I must admit I stayed really close to Mom,

because…

You see…

Hum……….

THERE WERE BABIES OUT THERE!!!

We saw two babies!  Now every day there will be more and more!

Pretty Cool, isn’t it!?

Boomer

Simpson was part owner of Simpson and Corbin’s hardware.  He had married in Decatur, Texas, and brought his wife, Mary Ann, to settle in Delta in 1888. After Simpson’s action in defending the town, he was commended for his courage and quick thinking by several civic organizations. Unfortunately, the incident drew attention from the remaining relatives of the slain bank robbers.

For years after the robbery attempt, the hardware dealer received frequent threats on his life. Simpson was understandably jumpy and Mrs. Simpson suffered a nervous collapse soon after her husband’s courageous defense of the town bank. She recovered somewhat before the birth of her daughter, Mary Agnes, but the tension proved too much for her, and she died while the child was still quite young. Many believed her passing was caused largely by the worry and fear the treats on her husbands’ life produced.

Simpson eventually moved to California.

Linda

http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

The dogs didn’t want to stay in the house this morning, leaving around 5 :00 to hang outside and do dog things.  I have asked them to come in a couple of times, but they just aren’t interested.

Today I head down to the Museum and Historical Society to work on transcribing one man’s many journals about his life.  I’m on book three, there are 120 pages to each book.

He is one of the original settlers to our area, settling on Ash Mesa, which wasn’t named that when he applied for his homestead acres.  It was so named after he applied — the mesa is named after him.  His last name of Ash.

I am at the part where he and the other settlers of the mesa are starting to dig the Ironstone Canal to bring water to the mesa.  (The Ironstone Canal is also the canal that brings water to our farm on California Mesa.)

Our sunrise this morning was outstanding!

It does have a hint of spring in the air….I do believe the dogs are on to something!

Linda

 It left some pretty nice wet snow, which was gone by noon.

The cows came out to eat after the snow left and the air warmed up.  They were still eating around ten at night so I figured we might be having more stormy weather today.

There was nothing happening before light, but I saw the cows heading back into the corn field…appearing as ghostly shadows until it lighted up enough you could see them

Now this morning (as I write this) big fat lazy snowflakes are drifting down out of the heavens, taking their time leaving the clouds and softly landing on the earth.  It’s cold, but it as to be cold to have snow.

I always watch the cows, they know…trying to fill up before they have to hunker down and wait a storm out.

I worked at the animal shelter yesterday.  Some of the things people do to animals just amazes me…and I really would like to choke out the people……….GRRRRRRRRRRRr

Four dogs were brought in from a Real Estate woman, who had gone to a foreclosed house to make sure everything would be ready for a showing that afternoon…inside she found the foreclosed on families three bird type dogs (I think Brittany Spaniels)  and the little tiny bit of fluff poodle.  They had been left in the house by the family in the hopes that the animals would leave huge messes for someone to find.  Of course there was no food or water (all the water and electricity had been turned off…this was a foreclosure).

The dogs were just stunned and hungry and extremely thirsty.  One of the bird dogs got adopted yesterday, which was good.  But the others have to wait.

The things people do to animals, just makes me sick.

These people are known and will be prosecuted for animal cruelty, which will take time, but it is something.  In the meantime I hope just the right families will come looking for wonderful sweet animals that need love.  The shelter has lots to chose from.

Linda

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

Sigh!

BUT Mom has started walking out on the place this week and WE GET TO GO WITH HER!!!!

Sure is fun!

I try….really I do…I, hum, try to stay with Mom and Fuzzy…BUT

THEREISSOMUCHTOSMELLANDDOOUTTHEREITISREALLYHARD!

Mom walks LOTS slower than I do…I mean, heck, I can be clear to the end of the field and BACK by the time she and Fuzzy get just a little ways into the field.

But to be fair, I think Mom walks with Fuzzy so Fuzzy doesn’t get lonely.

I really should also

BUT THERE IS SURE SO MUCH TO SMELL OUT THERE ————————–

We walked over to the equipment hillside, where Fuzzy scared up Robby the Rabbit.  Fuzzy and Robby ran every which where, until Robby got tired and hid in the roller.  Fuzzy barked at me to join him, but I was over with Mom looking at the old junk which really is homes for the mice.

The mice were not as interesting as the Robby the Rabbit but I was just too far away to be part of the fun.  By the time I got there, Robby was tired and sitting in the roller just watching us.

Phooey.

We sat on the hillside and looked at the canyons of the Esclante and Dominguez for a short while….then we all moved over to the little pasture and Mom told us if it were night we could see all the cars coming across the desert from Grand Junction to Delta, but of course it wasn’t night so we couldn’t see the traffic.

Mom assured us it was there.

I headed down to the cattails, but Mom and Fuzzy didn’t they headed over to the little alfalfa field, Mom said half the place was good enough to walk for now.

The cows have made a path in the same spot in the field and in the dirt ditch that they have for over 40 years…Mom says it’s the shortest distance to where ever they are going.

Every time Dad sees the flattened out ditch (just in that one spot) he threatens to lay pipe there and cover it up. But he never does, he just gets out the ditcher in the spring and makes a new ditch.

I think he just likes to talk about the path, he really doesn’t care!

On the way back I joined Mom and Fuzzy, I really needed to be close to Mom because…..

My hurry had sort of vanished!

Because….

Well….

WE

HAD

TO

GO

THROUGH

THE

COWS!!!!!!

I’m really afraid of the cows!

I’ll bark at them if they get too close to the electric fence around the yard, but I don’t want to do more than that.

WHY?!?!?!

Those girls will CHASE YOU!!!

THAT’S WHY!!!

I had them chase me when I first got here, that sort of thrill I didn’t need again in my life!

Mom has to make me go in front of her, but I only go one step in front of her foot…

Mom and Fuzzy laughed at me, but I didn’t care.

As soon as we got through the herd of 70 pregnant females —- you think about that…

SEVENTY

(70)

PREGNANT

FEMALES

I ran right to the house!

Whew!

I enjoyed the walk, I sure did.  But getting through all those cows is best!

Boomer

This happened not long ago when Dawn Gerber contacted me about William and Eliza Womack.  Delightfully she also had some wonderful photos and a written memory of Eliza’s about that time.

So with Dawn’s permission I am posting here Eliza Womack’s Memories of her life: (Thank you, Dawn!)

A PIONEER STORY

        As narrated by Mrs. Eliza Womack, Delta, Colorado.

                  To Minnie Lee Womack ( Cole )

              Written by Minnie Lee Womack ( Cole )

                          April 9, 1938

                               ***

For a number of years my husband and myself and our eight children had lived in Texas, near a little village Dodd City.

Raising Cotton was my business and with the help of the children we managed to save a little money.  Corn and cotton prices were so low that we decided to go west.

We had about two hundred head of cattle, so in August, 1888, my husband and I and our eldest son James Womack went over into Indian Territory, planning to cut and put up a large quantity of hay, feed it to our cattle through the winter, and have them in good condition to make the trip.  We left the two youngest children at home, as we thought it was too hard a trip for children so small.  We planned to be away only about a week or two.

Taking a ferry boat at Dennison, Texas, we reached the Indian Territory, erected a cabin to live in during the winter, but after a long rainy period we decided to return home and wait for better weather.  Our cabin was located in a bayou of the Red River.  It looked threatening, but we decided to ferry across.  As we three and our three mules boarded the ferry a veritable torrent struck the boat, bearing huge trees which had been uprooted by the flood, proved menacing.

About midway across the stream the ferry headed straight for a large tree, and the ferryman being unable to control the boat, could do nothing but let it go.  When it struck, the boat was capsized and I found myself clinging to the side of the boat, nearly strangling.  They rescued me before I had lost consciousness, and I was dragged to safety.  The mules swam to shore, and the wagon box floated to and island. So we recovered out bedding and provisions.

Later we returned to the Indian Territory and remained until the following spring, when on April 1, 1889, a party of twenty men, women, and children, including Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Cole, their five boys ( Nal, John, Ed, Rob, and Sam ).  Also English Cole a nephew of Mr. J. E. Cole, their three daughters, now Mrs. Maggie Milton, Ethel Thomas, and Mrs. May Monroe.

Morris King and Wife (my sister), and their son Ernest King, my husband W. A. Womack and I, and seven of our children Jim, Henry, and Will Womack, (Minnie now Mrs. Nal Cole), Mrs. Vada Hepworth, Mrs. Lydia Wilcox, and Mrs. Winnie Darling.  They were children then, their ages ranging from two and a half to sixteen years.  Started a long trek to the “Land of Milk and Honey”, perhaps Colorado, perhaps the great Northwest.

The elder folks and small children rode in the wagons, and the larger boys rode horse back and drove the three hundred and ten head of cattle.  There were three covered wagons, one being hauled by ox team, and a fourth wagon in which were placed the calves which made their advent in to the world while we were on the journey.

We traveled first through the Choctaw Territory, then into the Chickasaw Territory, and from there into Kiowa Territory.  We had the entire route planned, but just before we left the Kiowa Territory, a white man came to our camp and advised us to changed our plans and go through the Comanche territory, assuring us that it was the safest way and that we would be safe from the attacks of Indians.  So we traveled that way instead of our planned route.

That night we camped on the prettiest creek I ever saw.  The boys drove the cattle onto a little hill somewhat like Garnet Mesa over here, and tried to bed them down.  This process was always interesting, for the boys would ride all around the cattle, singing and whistling, till they were all bedded down.

While they were doing this they noticed an Indian who kept riding back and forth above the cattle.  Then English Cole came riding to the wagon and said: ” Give me the gun, there’s and Indian up there and I’m going to shoot him.” And I said: ” You won’t do any such thing.  Don’t shoot at any Indian’s, because they would scalp every one of us. “

Next morning we prepared to leave.  The boys started the cattle ahead of the wagons and we went over a little hill.  At this creek, and when we got to the other side, the Comanche Indian’s came pouring in there and ran into our herd and shot one down.  And before all the skin was off it, they had eaten that cow up, blood raw!  At the crack of the gun the Indian’s pouring in from every direction.  They actually ate the entrails!  I had heard of that before, but now I saw it with my own eyes.  An Indian child would hold the end of the intestine in his teeth and an older Indian would skin off the outside from the dung, and then cut off small pieces and feed it to the Indian child.

The Indians refused to let us go, so that night the men placed the wagons in a circle and stood their guns up against them.  We camped right at the end of the wagon.  We had a big tent, too.  We had plenty of everything, meat and food of all kinds, and we milked the cows and had a big wooden churn in which we made butter as we went along.

While we were waiting, the squaws rode around the wagons and raised the wagon covers to see what we had in the wagons, and they took a ham and other articles of food, but we didn’t dare do a thing to prevent them.

I have no idea how many Indians there were in the neighborhood, but fifteen or twenty remained around the wagons constantly and we didn’t dare cook a thing during the day, for we couldn’t possibly have fed them all.  The boys tended the cattle all day, and night, and at midnight we dug a small hole in the ground and made coffee and cooked meat and eggs.  Then we had the boys come in one or two at a time and eat.

Then my husband (Mr. W. A. Womack) and J. E. Cole went and hunted up Chief Quanah of the Comanche’s, and when they reached his headquarters, there was that white man who had advised us to come that way!  He had deliberately trapped us!

When they found the chief he said: “Me rich, but my boys’ hungry.  Give the boys two cattle in the morning and they won’t bother you. “

Well, we gave them the two cows and we were so glad to escape that we didn’t wait to see whether they ate them blood raw, or not.  Remember, we had been detained there all day and night.  We got away as rapidly as we could, and all along the way for a mile and half or two miles, we saw Indian’s sitting along the roads with their guns across their knees.  It looked as though they were just waiting for a sign, to make an attack, but their chief wouldn’t let them do anything.

Soon after that, we stopped one night to camp, and the boys herded the cattle and got them bedded down just above us.  Well, the Indian’s, they came down and shook sacks and things and frightened the cows.  We had gone to bed, and here came those cattle roaring down toward us in a stampede, if they had hit us, they would have killed every one of us.  Then the boys got their horses and bedded the cattle down, and these Indians tried to scare them again, but the five boys wouldn’t let them.

Then we came right on through and we weren’t bothered again.  We reached the Red River and as there was no ford there, we left the boys, their horses and the cattle there while driving the wagons up the river thirty miles to a ford, and returning on the other side.  There we met the boys, who with the aid of a black and white Shepherd dog “Old Dan “, had got the cattle across.  Dan was a wonderful dog!  They would cut out about twenty cows and they would say: “Dan, take them across! “, and he would swim across and come right back and take another twenty, continuing until they had all been taken over.  We brought old Dan all the way and kept him until he died of old age.

Sometimes when we camped, there was no wood of other fuel anywhere around, so we would dig holes in the ground, make a fire in it, and cook with cow chips.

In one of the wagons we carried a barrel of water for cooking, depending on streams along the way for stock water. But on one stretch the cattle had no water for three days.  They were nearly exhausted, when suddenly we came over a hill, and when those cattle scented the water in a nearby stream, they broke into a mad run down to the stream, where they drank their fill.

At one time we also ran out of cooking and drinking water, but the men dug down a few feet in the bed of a sandy creek and got enough water to last until we could get more.

The first place we reached in Colorado was Trinidad.  There we met a man named Ralph Barnard, who assured us that Colorado had no grass and that the whole place was adobe hills, so we decided we had better sell all our cattle except a few, so we sold him all but twenty four head, divided equally between J. E. Cole and my husband (W. A. Womack ).  This man paid us the pitiful sum of $8.00 a head for cattle my husband had paid $30.00 a head for.  In the bunch was one of oxen with horns measuring seven and a half feet from tip to tip.  We afterwards learned that these horns, mounted, sold for a thousand dollars.

From there we went to Del Norte where J. E. Cole had planned to locate, but not caring for that part of the country, came along with the others to Delta.  When we camped at Cimarron one night, one of J. E. Cole’s teams, running along the railroad track, was killed by narrow gauge train.

Arriving in Delta, we found nothing of interest, so spent the summer on Grand Mesa, then my husband (W. A. Womack ) purchased a farm about four miles from where Eckert stands now. With it, he obtained water rights from the lakes above, and he and five other men (Jeff Reed, Chris Jacques, Dick Forrest, Harry Bull and Frank Brown) formed a company and secured control of the lake waters.

Little did we suspect what a price we should pay for that investment, for on July 14, 1901, Frank Mahoney, a half breed Indian, shot and killed my husband (W. A. Womack).  This was done at the insistence of William Radcliff, and Englishman who had purchased property there and had boating and fishing rights.  He had also erected a hotel near the place where the present Alexander Lake Hotel stands.  There were also a fish hatchery and other buildings, and Radcliff had planned to commercialize the lakes, but became angry when the ranchers below drew on the water.

It had been planned to kill the other five stockholders, as well as my husband (W. A. Womack), but other events followed in quick succession and there were no further sacrifices.

A few days after my husband’s death, a party of men went to Radcliff’s property and burned to the ground everything he owned, he left at once.

This action almost caused international complications, since Radcliff was and English subject, and in order to appease England, the U. S. Federal Government paid England $25,000.00.  But neither paid one cent for the brutal murder of one of Delta County’s hardy pioneers, a fine citizen, a kind and loving husband and father.

I have made my home here nearly half a century and have seen many changes in and about Delta.  Six if my children are living and can visit me often.

The trip from Indian Territory to Delta required four months, while today, with improved roads and rapid transportation facilities, one could go that distance in three days.

However, in order to save the cattle and ourselves, we did not rush, traveling from six to ten miles a day, and always resting on Sunday.  We lost none of the cattle aside from what we gave the Indian’s.

I personally drove a team all the way and feel that I know, from the hardships endured, the true meaning of the word.

What that means is he brings up his “very first time to ever have a calf” cow.  He likes to feed them out on lush farm leavings; corn stalks, bean straw, dormant alfalfa and of course all the abundant weeds we have this year because we sold our cows.

You can see by the photo we are all still in the waiting mode…no babies yet.  I always LOVE have the little babies popping out all over.  I don’t think it will be long now, maybe two weeks ….?

I’m off to do my typing at the Historical Society/Museum here is about an hour.  My project this week is to enter into a data base the Naturalization-Petition and Record of Acceptance for Citizenship of people who have moved to our county.

The whole experience of reading the records is absorbing…I have to remember that I NEED to get these name entered into the data base

Here is just an idea of a couple of people:

John Peterson, Railroad Section Foreman, born August 3, 1884, in Leoutorrion, Greece.  Mr. Peterson left Greece, March 20, 1901, and arrived in New York City.  When he migrated to Delta he was not married.  He received his citizenship September 20, 1915.

Olie Peterson, was born March 11, 1871 in Mimomolo, Sweden.  He emigrated to New York City on July 20, 1888 on the ship Germane, of the White Star Line.  He was married in Markvilla, Sweden to Slima Johnsen.  The whole family migrated to Leadville, Colorado.  Silma died in Leadville.  There are two children: Anna Oliva born May 1897 and Clara born April 1899.  Olie received his citizenship September 7, 1907.

I might have the town’s names not spelled correctly the handwriting is extremely hard to figure out.  The town doesn’t go into the data base, just the country.  If you ask for a copy of the record you will get a photo copy of the whole record…there is ever so much more on the record than I’ve just given you, AND you will get to figure out the town’s spelling.

Linda

Yesterday was a good day… which is good, if I can have a good week, then I’ll know I have this licked.

Anyway, enough of me.

It was warmer yesterday, so the dogs and I went for a short walk.  It was warm enough that as I sat on the point of a hill I could feel the sun warming my shoulders, which was heavenly.

On the way back I stopped at the old grainery.  Terry wanted to tear this down, but I want to keep it.  We have only two buildings left of the original farmstead (outside of our house); the tractor shed (build out of adobe dirt) and this old grainery.

This spring (soon, any day now) Terry is going to move it up from behind the barn and the haystacks and put it next to my gardens by the corrals.  After that I’m not sure what I want to do with it — potting shed, play house, whatever I want.

Today is Tuesday, February, 5, 2013…the sunrises at 7:15 in the morning and is setting at 5:38 in the evening.  A month ago on January 5th the sun was coming up at 7:31 and setting at 5:04.  The days are growing longer -January 9 hours and 34 minutes and today- 10 hours and 23 minutes.  More sunlight…which is a true joy to me.

I haven’t seen the old dog for some time now.  I might drive around the farm neighborhood  now that I’m feeling up to it, and see if I can see the dog in someone’s yard.  If not… I wait, but I will also know that the possibility of the dog taking a path to the other side just might have occurred–one of those sad parts of life.

Once more thank you all for your kind thoughts,

Linda

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

Today people understand that we dogs are important to help out on the farm and the ranch.

I was raised to be a help on the ranch.  For five years I lived with a wonderful old man, we were great friends and partners.  Then one day he passed on over the rainbow road and his kids didn’t want me.  They took me out to the country and dumped me out on the road.

I waited for days and days and days right at the spot they dumped me out.  Mom and Misty would try and try and try to get me to come to them, but I waited to have my people come pick me back up.

Finally I got too hungry…I was a bone, when Misty and Mom came out with ROAST BEEF…I couldn’t turn it down.

So now I’m a farm dog.

I love being a farm dog.  I still get to help out with the cows (not as many as I used to, and no horses, but that is okay.)

I still help haul hay and load hay, I help irrigate, and I go everywhere with Mom.

Now we have Boomer.

My best buddy in the whole wide world!

Boomer was a complete and total house dog.  He isn’t any more; he’s a farm dog also!

So I told you all of this to tell you… I’ve feeling really good!  My stitches are out….my scar is healing nicely and my fur is coming back!

We have another dog hanging around.  Mom is really worried about this dog…it is old, and thin, and very afraid of people.  This dog is wearing a collar so Mom is trying to catch the dog to see if she can find the people who own the dog —neighbor ???  dumped off???

And help the dog.

Boomer and I always ALERT Mom when the dog is on the property.  We sure hope to help this dog out.

I think this really old dog would love to be a Farm DOG!!!!

Fuzzy

The Delta House today is an assisted living home.

Linda

I’m entering a year’s worth of Obituaries in the data base for future reference. Last Wednesday was really interesting, while I was there a gentleman came in wanting to know something about a relative who ‘supposedly’ lived in Delta in 1902.

The curator gave me the task of helping solve this little mystery, which was very easy to do through the census.  On-line we also found a couple of people who are related to the same person, but the coolest part of all…….

The elusive man on the census had several borders-people who were renting rooms from him at the time of the census.  Mr. Wetzel, the curator, knew immediately where the man’s business was located — it wasn’t the El-Dina, a boarding house still in use today, but none other than the Delta House!   Delta’s First Hotel!  (I will post some photos tomorrow on both blogs.)

The relative was the second owner of the Delta House.

It’s little victories like this that make history, research, and helping others out ever so much fun.

My 4 O’clock photos show that for a small amount of time we had clearing skies and shafts of sunshine then the next storm rolled in out of Utah.

It’s snowing all around us today, but NO WIND!  I can handle cold (it is 10* right now) if the wind isn’t blowing.

Almost to February the count down is completing!

Linda

I have a light on the chickens, which they really seem to enjoy.  Often times (when it is cold like this) I check on them and they are laying or sitting in the heat of light. Sort of like a wood stove for us!

The days are longer now, which helps, the hens have started laying eggs again–they are thinking spring also.

Our cat (which only goes outside if I make her and then I get clawed before I can put her down) has a great toy with the humidifier.

She can spend hours and hours just watching the little plastic fish floating on top of the water.

Silly cat…no catnip for her…just a humidifier!

Linda

For a really short while yesterday the clouds broke and sun came out.  A great cry of joy went up from the cows and the chickens and the cats and the dogs.  Everyone was in a frolicking kind of mood.

Terry and I quickly grabbed all our trash and headed out to the dump.  We only make the run if we absolutely have too.  We were at the absolutely spot…if we didn’t go then I was going to have to go by more trash barrels, which I didn’t want to do as we really do have enough of trash barrels now.

There really isn’t anything really interesting at the dump, but we did get to see the rubber grinder at work grinding up all the tires.  I don’t know what happens to that huge pile of ground up rubber but I’m sure they have figured out some way to recycle it or they wouldn’t be doing it.

As we were there the fog settled back down. After we got home the rain started again.  No complains on the moisture.  It is just very odd this type of rain this time of year.

Three more days until February….I’m into the count down!

Linda

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

I’m ready!!!

Those things itch!  My back paw fits right where they are and it feeeeeeeeeeeeels so good.  Then Mom grabs my back leg and tells me to stop, “can’t do it right now, ole boy”, she says.  And pets me until I forget I had the itchys.

My tumor was right behind my shoulder blade and had grown into the shoulder blade area which is why I was having so much trouble walking.

But not anymore!

Every day we go for a walk and I made it clear around half the place yesterday.  Who says old dogs need to be put out to pasture?!

Mom, Dad, Boomer and I were looking at all the really early spring work (or is it late winter work?) Dad and Mom want to get done before the farming season starts.

Boomer and I were looking for anything of interest!

We saw lots of birds.  Some Mom was able to get a photo of but mostly she didn’t.

Boomer had to run off to the upper end and over to the back 40 (I sure would have liked to go) and we all heard him YELP.  He hollered at me the rabbits were hopping about, but I just couldn’t do it this time.  Next time I told him, not today.  You give chase for both of us!

And he did.

We were up there a long, long time.  When we started back home the cows were heading up to sleeping draw to spend the night.  They were early because a storm was coming in and they wanted to bed down before it hit.

I was glad to get back home too…that bedding down idea sounded really good.

Boomer said he would take a nap with me; that’s what buddies are for.

Well, anyway Mom and I are off to get the stitches out!  Everything is looking up.

Fuzzy

Here is the West Ways Court in 1946

The following is a couple of photos of the same court today.

Complete with the very same neon sign (and now very collectible  if American Pickers is right)

Pretty cool!

Linda

The river in town is pretty much open, my theory is because of all the birds living in it, but the river close to us is another story altogether.

The water flows over the top of the ice, freezes, and the next day repeats the process until we have this–

Our weather is still hanging in the January thaw, which is nice.  But from what the weather people are saying snow is coming in on Saturday.  Let’s hope for lots and lots of snow in the mountains.

There is only 18″ of snow around the Taylor Lake Reservoir, which when melts equals 3″ of water.

Not good!

We need FEET of snow up there, not inches.  All the farmers in the area are talking real concern, cutting back on acreage, and on the purchase of seeds.  Some are not even ordering seed until they know something in March.  A huge risk that all the seeds will be sold out.  Because of the huge drought in the seed producing areas only a limited amount of seeds made it to market.

Scary times for those of us who are involved in agriculture.  And if you eat, you are also involved.

Well, off to do my work for the day.  This is the day I go to the museum and help out for a few hours.

Have a good Wednesday!

See you tomorrow,

Linda