Good morning from a kind of foggy Knolltop.

Yesterday I heard the best sound ever, my lawnmower running! Although it hasn’t cut a blade of grass yet, it runs!

Monday I went to JW’s Region II FFA camp where they installed new officers and he is no longer the president. They had a National FFA officer there and she was awesome. If you want to read a little more about her, go to my Dairy Agenda Today blog. I think I’d better write a column about her too…she’s terrific!

Anyway, I have pictures, just haven’t downloaded them only my computer yet…too busy writing other stuff. And I just realized Sunday is mothers day and I should’ve dedicated my column this week to moms…shoot!

Well, I’ve got more writing for today on the schedule, after I head out to the barn to finish up chores. I’m getting the showing bug…sizing up the heifers, deciding which ones need to go to the show and how we need to get working with them! The neighbor, Lori of Knolltop Morgans just got two heifers for her kids and so now we’re getting excited about the summer shows!

Well, I’d better get out to that barn!

It’s another beautiful morning here on the Knolltop and promises to be a great day!

The boys split their double header last night with Waldron. They did well, both of them hit well and Luke had two throw outs.

Yesterday we got another batch of prom pictures, but I won’t put them up, they are basically the same as the last two days posts. What I can’t figure out is this: The envelope came in the mail, it was red and you could feel it had pictures in it. I picked it out of the mail and said, “Oh! More pictures!” I handed it to Bobby and he promptly opened it and then looked at who it was addressed to. It was not addressed to us! But to JW. Bobby froze in his tracks feeling extremely guilty he immediately put them back in the envelope and put them in a safe place for JW. Of course, we didn’t feel guilty enough not to look at them first, but no one else knows that!

Bobby assured me he would explain it to JW and that JW wouldn’t get mad at him, knowing full well, if it had been me to open the mail, I would be in big trouble! And sure enough, Bobby explained the mistake to JW and it was all good. Until he found out I was the one to hand the mail to Bobby to open…all of a sudden it was all my fault! I have a new nick name…Eve.

WHATEVER!

Again, I ask you….I went through 45 hours of labor for this?????

JW has more on a zip drive that Hillary’s mom, Suzanne, gave him but he wouldn’t let me have it until he looked at it first! And to think I went through 36 hours of labor for that kid!

While we were in Battle Creek at Sarah’s Volleyball tournament, JW was at Kimball Camp getting ready for FFA Leadership Camp. When he got done with that, he drove up to Hillary’s house and got ready for the big evening. My parents arrived at their home, along with all the other parents of the kids who were there for the pre prom photo shoot. Picture after picture after picture was taken of all these beautiful kids. Then they were off to dinner and the prom.

While we were finishing up chores on Sunday morning JW pulled in to give us a quick update before he headed back to Kimball Camp for the Region II FFA Camp. He stayed overnight at my parents house since it is only a few minutes from Hillary’s house.

He told us he had a great time with Hillary, but his favorite part was roasting marshmellows at the bon fire at Hillary’s house afterward. So typical for a boy!

He left for camp and a few hours later called to say, “Could you get somebody to milk for you tonight, I need you guys over here for dinner tonight…all the officers are honoring their parents at the dinner.” Oh, great JW! Thanks for letting us know in a timely manner!

So while Luke, Sarah, Jake and I did chores Bobby went to the dinner and collected my rose! I was glad to let him go, he never gets to attend FFA events. Bobby said it was very nice, but that JW was the only one with one parent…all the rest had both parents in attendance. While I’m bummed I missed out, I think that’s remarkable in this day and age!

JW will be home this afternoon and Jake starts Little League practice today, he’s more than excited!

And that’s the weekend in a nutshell! When I get another picture of the prom….I’ll post it.

Happy May Day from the Knolltop! It’s sunny and warming up nicely for the first day of May.

Prom update: JW has the flowers ordered and his shoes purchased. I don’t think I’ve ever purchased shoes like he did. He would find a pair he liked and then take a picture with his phone and send it to his date…she would give the thumbs up or down. I guess they did this for awhile. But the funny thing was, he found a pair, purchased them and then sent the picture…..I think he’s beginning to clue in.

The boys have a baseball game in Litchfield tonight….should be a good one. I think they should win.

I’ve got a bunch of writing to do but I’d really rather be outside working in my yard. Today is the first sunny day that the wind hasn’t blown your head off! I’d like to get some spraying done and then burn some brush…we’ll see. If I keep my nose to the grindstone then maybe I’ll get outside!

Good Morning from a cool but kind of sunny Knolltop!

Well, I know now that one person enjoys my weather report in the opening sentence. A long time friend of my family back in Fowlerville, Don Hibbard appreciates my weather opening. His wife Lou sent along a nice email letting me know they read the blogs and that Don especially likes the weather report. I emailed the Hibbards back and said I just can’t seem to start writing without giving a weather report. Actually, I think that’s why I have a hard time getting my other blog started, I don’t mention the weather.

Anyway, last evening we headed to Adrian for the boys baseball game and they won! Luke went three for three in hitting and JW had a couple of good hits…one was right on the line! They were on fire. It was a great game. And yes, we passed the bus on our way home and Luke was picking the rocks out of his hair!

Sunday morning the skidsteer blew up. And I have to say at 4:30 am, Bobby called Matt Blonde, the sales person we do business with at Wells Equipment and within five minutes he called back and within an hour and a half we had a new(different) skidsteer to use. Now that is service! They called yesterday to tell us what the problem was with our skidsteer and the good news is…it’s under warranty!!!!! There is nothing better for a dairy farmer right now than hearing those words, “It’s covered under the warranty.”

Time to head back out to the barn for more chores and I think I’ll do some raking today…the yard is in a shambles!

Good Tuesday Morning from the rainy Knolltop! It’s supposed to clear off today so that we can have a baseball game!

Speaking of baseball, I wrote a silly post on my Dairy Agenda Today blog, but I’ve got to share it here just in case there are those of you who refuse to head to that site or you don’t have time for one more click! I understand fully and completely!

Anyway, Luke was out in the barn with me as I was milking. He was sitting on a bucket of dirty towels talking about his day when I noticed him picking at his scalp. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was picking the rocks out of his hair! Of course I ran over to see what in heaven’s name he was talking about and I saw there was grit and gravel in his hair, along with shavings and a little straw chaff, (he had been playing basketball in the haymow).

He said on the bus ride home from baseball games he spends his time picking the rocks out of his hair. Apparently when he flips his mask off it falls into the dirt at home plate and gets grit and gravel in it. Then he picks it up, shakes it out and puts it back on his head. If you think about how many bad pitches get by him or how many plays at home plate there are, that’s a lot of flips into the dirt, shake-outs and put-back-ons!

I guess I need to search for some industrial strength shampoo….maybe Orvus would be a good idea!