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  • No coffee yet

    I haven’t had my second cup of coffee yet this morning…so sorry if this post sounds lathargic.

    We are still getting rain this morning. It stopped yesterday but now we are getting more! I ventured into my garden yesterday only to find the coons and lack of rain has kept me from getting much of my sweetcorn. Looks like I’ll have to find some to freeze somewhere else. But I have found someone who will butcher my chickens when they are ready. While standing in line at the feed store I approached the Amish lady in front of me, knowing full well they would have someone in their clan who butchered chickens for profit. And sure enough I struck gold…her sister does it! She told me just where she lived so in the end of September, I will be heading south of Hillsdale with my big, fat, chickens!

    Maylene is still carrying on out in the barn. Her calf is gone, but like I suspected she has adopted Marnie, the calf next to hers, as her own….Oh, I wished she’d get over it!

    Big Daddy needs the computer…better get to my coffee anyway…more later!

  • No coffee yet

    I haven’t had my second cup of coffee yet this morning…so sorry if this post sounds lathargic.

    We are still getting rain this morning. It stopped yesterday but now we are getting more! I ventured into my garden yesterday only to find the coons and lack of rain has kept me from getting much of my sweetcorn. Looks like I’ll have to find some to freeze somewhere else. But I have found someone who will butcher my chickens when they are ready. While standing in line at the feed store I approached the Amish lady in front of me, knowing full well they would have someone in their clan who butchered chickens for profit. And sure enough I struck gold…her sister does it! She told me just where she lived so in the end of September, I will be heading south of Hillsdale with my big, fat, chickens!

    Maylene is still carrying on out in the barn. Her calf is gone, but like I suspected she has adopted Marnie, the calf next to hers, as her own….Oh, I wished she’d get over it!

    Big Daddy needs the computer…better get to my coffee anyway…more later!

  • The rain has left us humid

    We had a great rain yesterday and it was so badly needed that I just can’t bring myself to complain outloud about the humidity it has left behind. But I tell you what…when it’s this humid, everything in the barn is wet and sticky…including the cows. My overalls seem to collect the moisture and add weight my load. But I’m not complaining…..:)

    I will complain about Maylene. She is one of our former 4-H projects who just delivered her second calf yesterday morning. This time she had a bull and she has a very strong affection for her little boy. Her stall is on the end, by where the calves are kept and she can keep an eye on Mitch (Sarah and her girlfriend named him) the whole time she’s in the barn. She hasn’t stopped bellering yet! We can hardly talk while we milk because of her big mouth! Mitch will be headed to the stock yards today, so hopefully that will put an end to her noise…unless she adopts one of the heifers nearby….:(

    We had a fatality last night among our meat chickens. One dollar down the drain! JW decided he needed to take meat chickens to the fair this year…so last week ten little chicks arrived and are in our back room. He only needs 2 for the fair, but I wanted some for my freezer so I told him I would provide the feed, he had to provide all the care. I guess chicken husbandry isn’t one of his strong points because under his care, one died. And you know it was one of his!

    Well, I’d better get to work while it’s semi-cool.

  • The rain has left us humid

    We had a great rain yesterday and it was so badly needed that I just can’t bring myself to complain outloud about the humidity it has left behind. But I tell you what…when it’s this humid, everything in the barn is wet and sticky…including the cows. My overalls seem to collect the moisture and add weight my load. But I’m not complaining…..:)

    I will complain about Maylene. She is one of our former 4-H projects who just delivered her second calf yesterday morning. This time she had a bull and she has a very strong affection for her little boy. Her stall is on the end, by where the calves are kept and she can keep an eye on Mitch (Sarah and her girlfriend named him) the whole time she’s in the barn. She hasn’t stopped bellering yet! We can hardly talk while we milk because of her big mouth! Mitch will be headed to the stock yards today, so hopefully that will put an end to her noise…unless she adopts one of the heifers nearby….:(

    We had a fatality last night among our meat chickens. One dollar down the drain! JW decided he needed to take meat chickens to the fair this year…so last week ten little chicks arrived and are in our back room. He only needs 2 for the fair, but I wanted some for my freezer so I told him I would provide the feed, he had to provide all the care. I guess chicken husbandry isn’t one of his strong points because under his care, one died. And you know it was one of his!

    Well, I’d better get to work while it’s semi-cool.

  • Heritage Day 2007

    Yesterday was a beautiful day for a celebration and that’s what we did in town was celebrate our heritage with a parade, flea market, tractor pulls, outhouse races, tractor races and Bossie Bingo.

    The streets were blocked off in our little town, well, just the main part of one street, and we had a grand time visiting with friends and neighbors. Our 4-H group had a bake sale, but competing with four other bake sales didn’t prove profitable. We made a little money…but we had more fun visiting and eating our profits.

    After the bake sale, we moved over to Bossie Bingo and waited for the heifer…supplied by us… to make a cow pie on a square. The local FFA chapter sold squares and whatever square she plopped in was the winning square.

    While waiting for her, we had a picnic lunch with my parents under some pine trees. It was a wonderful day for a picnic. When Lucy the heifer finally named a winner, we took her home and came back in to watch the antique tractor pulls. I watched atop an Oliver Super 88 Diesel that had just been repainted by our neighbor who is crazy about Olivers and is a craftsman with a sandblaster and tractor paint. He is also our resident mechanic…we just love him. We watched til we had to come home to milk cows.

    Unfortunately we all came home in one vehicle because none of our tractors made it up to the tractor show. JW was at a judging workout and couldn’t take his up….the chicken chaser was missing a part and couldn’t go up….and Luke’s, the one that had spent the day working in the hayfield the day before…just quit and refused to go! Needless to say that was a huge disappointment to all of us. But we managed to enjoy the day dispite our tractor grief.

    Today it has been raining most of the day! We’re so thankful for that! It’s been a great day for napping and that’s what I just got done doing!

    Now I’ve got to go fry up some Green Fried Tomatoes for Sunday dinner..more later.

  • Heritage Day 2007

    Yesterday was a beautiful day for a celebration and that’s what we did in town was celebrate our heritage with a parade, flea market, tractor pulls, outhouse races, tractor races and Bossie Bingo.

    The streets were blocked off in our little town, well, just the main part of one street, and we had a grand time visiting with friends and neighbors. Our 4-H group had a bake sale, but competing with four other bake sales didn’t prove profitable. We made a little money…but we had more fun visiting and eating our profits.

    After the bake sale, we moved over to Bossie Bingo and waited for the heifer…supplied by us… to make a cow pie on a square. The local FFA chapter sold squares and whatever square she plopped in was the winning square.

    While waiting for her, we had a picnic lunch with my parents under some pine trees. It was a wonderful day for a picnic. When Lucy the heifer finally named a winner, we took her home and came back in to watch the antique tractor pulls. I watched atop an Oliver Super 88 Diesel that had just been repainted by our neighbor who is crazy about Olivers and is a craftsman with a sandblaster and tractor paint. He is also our resident mechanic…we just love him. We watched til we had to come home to milk cows.

    Unfortunately we all came home in one vehicle because none of our tractors made it up to the tractor show. JW was at a judging workout and couldn’t take his up….the chicken chaser was missing a part and couldn’t go up….and Luke’s, the one that had spent the day working in the hayfield the day before…just quit and refused to go! Needless to say that was a huge disappointment to all of us. But we managed to enjoy the day dispite our tractor grief.

    Today it has been raining most of the day! We’re so thankful for that! It’s been a great day for napping and that’s what I just got done doing!

    Now I’ve got to go fry up some Green Fried Tomatoes for Sunday dinner..more later.

  • Girl Power realized on the farm

    As I said in the post below we had a chaotic day baling. But I have to make an announcement….The only granddaughter in the whole family, my side and Big Daddy’s side has now mastered driving the tractor and baler! I know my father will be proud to think his only granddaughter has stepped up to the plate and like the farm girl he raised, Sarah has taken on a responsibility and did it with ease.

    You see, growing up as the youngest of four with two boys ahead of me, tractor driving for me wasn’t realized as quickly as the boys. I had to basically wait my turn and my teacher…my brother…was meticules on how I did it. For instance, I couldn’t listen to the radio, it would disturb my concentration. At the time I thought he was a little controlling, but now I realize he was totally right. As I got older and the oldest boy got an off the farm job or the boys had to mow the hay away…most of the tractor driving for hay baling landed on me. Which was fine…you know the tanning potential on a open top tractor is stupendous!

    Anyway…anyone who has driven a tractor and baler knows the inner turmoil it induces. Which row should I go down…am I going to fast….am I going to slow….if I stop now, they’ll fall off the wagon….I can’t do that hill the whole load will fall down….what is he saying…..oh he’s really mad now…..oh no, I missed that little bit of hay….which row did he say….this row or that one…I sure wish he wasn’t so picky about what row to go down….we’ll get them all for heavens sake!….I’m so hot and thirsty!

    You can see the pressure is immense! So yesterday while I was driving the baler Luke was loading and Sarah was supposed to be helping but he clearly didn’t need it. So she came up on the tractor with me. I looked at her and said, “You want to drive the tractor?” She said an absolute “NO!” We went back and forth, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no…and finally she said, “You’re going to make me cry mom!” And that was all it took, I put her on the seat and told her what to do and said I wouldn’t leave her, I’d be right here for her.

    She let the clutch out slow and easy…first gear, how bad can she pop the clutch? And we were off. She didn’t cry, she didn’t panic, she didn’t swerve, she just took over… looking back and forth from the baler to the front tire and before long she was smiling with confidence.

    We loaded up the wagons, and brought them back to unload and while I milked the cows, she continued to drive the baler. I was so impressed! When we sat down to eat dinner last night at 9 pm…which is way late for us….she chirped, “You know, I never thought I say this, but I really like driving that tractor.”

    Any farmer who has raised a farmgirl knows, there is nothing like a girl’s help. They don’t but heads with you, they just do as they are told. They don’t come up with different ideas, they just do as they are told. They don’t quit on you, they just keep going. You gotta admit…farmgirls are special!

  • Girl Power realized on the farm

    As I said in the post below we had a chaotic day baling. But I have to make an announcement….The only granddaughter in the whole family, my side and Big Daddy’s side has now mastered driving the tractor and baler! I know my father will be proud to think his only granddaughter has stepped up to the plate and like the farm girl he raised, Sarah has taken on a responsibility and did it with ease.

    You see, growing up as the youngest of four with two boys ahead of me, tractor driving for me wasn’t realized as quickly as the boys. I had to basically wait my turn and my teacher…my brother…was meticules on how I did it. For instance, I couldn’t listen to the radio, it would disturb my concentration. At the time I thought he was a little controlling, but now I realize he was totally right. As I got older and the oldest boy got an off the farm job or the boys had to mow the hay away…most of the tractor driving for hay baling landed on me. Which was fine…you know the tanning potential on a open top tractor is stupendous!

    Anyway…anyone who has driven a tractor and baler knows the inner turmoil it induces. Which row should I go down…am I going to fast….am I going to slow….if I stop now, they’ll fall off the wagon….I can’t do that hill the whole load will fall down….what is he saying…..oh he’s really mad now…..oh no, I missed that little bit of hay….which row did he say….this row or that one…I sure wish he wasn’t so picky about what row to go down….we’ll get them all for heavens sake!….I’m so hot and thirsty!

    You can see the pressure is immense! So yesterday while I was driving the baler Luke was loading and Sarah was supposed to be helping but he clearly didn’t need it. So she came up on the tractor with me. I looked at her and said, “You want to drive the tractor?” She said an absolute “NO!” We went back and forth, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no…and finally she said, “You’re going to make me cry mom!” And that was all it took, I put her on the seat and told her what to do and said I wouldn’t leave her, I’d be right here for her.

    She let the clutch out slow and easy…first gear, how bad can she pop the clutch? And we were off. She didn’t cry, she didn’t panic, she didn’t swerve, she just took over… looking back and forth from the baler to the front tire and before long she was smiling with confidence.

    We loaded up the wagons, and brought them back to unload and while I milked the cows, she continued to drive the baler. I was so impressed! When we sat down to eat dinner last night at 9 pm…which is way late for us….she chirped, “You know, I never thought I say this, but I really like driving that tractor.”

    Any farmer who has raised a farmgirl knows, there is nothing like a girl’s help. They don’t but heads with you, they just do as they are told. They don’t come up with different ideas, they just do as they are told. They don’t quit on you, they just keep going. You gotta admit…farmgirls are special!

  • Too much testosterone

    A family of boys is a great thing…until they let the testosterone take over.

    Baling yesterday turned out to be quite a revelation for me. When we start a task..usually Big Daddy lays out a plan, gives everyone a job and then we all march to that drumbeat. But yesterday when the baling began everyone just skattered and started doing what they thought they should do. Let’s just say that didn’t work.

    Two people went to the field…two people hopped on tractors and no one knew what the other one was going to do. It was a communication failure. This all ended up in chaotic yelling. Then I thought I needed to step in and lighten things up a bit. But I got infected with the attitude bug and stomped off.

    So when the day ended, the cows were milked, they hay was baled and put away and a couple of things were realized. 1. Boys are great, but when they all think they have a plan and it’s the best plan and everybody else better do that plan…it’s a bad plan. And number 2. Girls are sometimes the best help on the farm…..explained in the next post.

  • Too much testosterone

    A family of boys is a great thing…until they let the testosterone take over.

    Baling yesterday turned out to be quite a revelation for me. When we start a task..usually Big Daddy lays out a plan, gives everyone a job and then we all march to that drumbeat. But yesterday when the baling began everyone just skattered and started doing what they thought they should do. Let’s just say that didn’t work.

    Two people went to the field…two people hopped on tractors and no one knew what the other one was going to do. It was a communication failure. This all ended up in chaotic yelling. Then I thought I needed to step in and lighten things up a bit. But I got infected with the attitude bug and stomped off.

    So when the day ended, the cows were milked, they hay was baled and put away and a couple of things were realized. 1. Boys are great, but when they all think they have a plan and it’s the best plan and everybody else better do that plan…it’s a bad plan. And number 2. Girls are sometimes the best help on the farm…..explained in the next post.