All I can say today is WOW..those little brown cows can stir up more action in one day than Sarah Palin!

Because all they had were numbers for their registered names, they will now be affectionately referred to as Francis and Pat. And they went out for the first time last evening….JW actually had to touch them. They enjoyed their first time outside with the big girls, but kept to themselves. Thinking we would have to chase them around this morning to get them in, we got up early, but after all the Holsteins came into their places, F & P came in together and with less wrangling than the rodeo we had when the arrived on Saturday, we got them in their stalls successfully.

I loved all the comments yesterday, but one of the most profound one was when the confederates of Bobby’s family said it was like Colonel Sanders eating pork. That was about as true as it gets. And Jake feels the same way still today. On Sunday evening when Bobby had to run into the gas station he was in a hurry and told Jake he couldn’t go with him. When Bobby got out of ear shot, Jake curled his lip, squinted his eyes and said disdainfully, “Jersey lover!”

Okay, I’d love to write even more but it will all have to wait until tomorrow, I have a Holstein Association board meeting to head to and a conference call on the way I have to prepare for and I haven’t even showered!

Thanks for all the great comments and isn’t that Russell Gammon a total HOOT?! If I ever get my book written, I’m hiring him for my publicist!

Where do I begin? First of all, let’s get this political stuff out of the way. I’m thrilled that all of you who commented would feel the freedom to share your views. Thank you so much for allowing the rest of us a peek into your lives. And just like my BFF Julie (that’s best friend forever, Julie) has never let me down, she continues with sharing her strong liberalism. I thought time and children would wear her down and bring her to the right side of things…but I see she is still her Father’s daughter…a true Democrat! HA! Like I told her older sisters at Palmerton’s sale on Saturday, George Robb would be proud of his youngest daughter!

But what amazes me is for two friends who have grown up together and shared so much of our lives with each other, we are at opposite ends of the spectrum in our political views and we still care so much for each other. Now that’s what I call reaching across party lines! HA! I love you Julie!

Now for the fun of the day. On Saturday we did something I never thought I’d ever see my husband the Holstein Junkie do….we bought two Jersey’s at the Hapalson dispersal. As we sat there and looked over the cows, it was strange to see Bobby, the pedigree wizard at a loss when it came to knowing any of the pedigrees on these cows. He was so lost he was asking ME what I thought! At the end of the day two fresh cows arrived at the Knolltop and that was the beginning of the end of family harmony. The boys are in an uproar about these brown “goats” in our barn. They can’t believe this is happening and refuse to recognize that two of our stalls are now, half filled Jerseys.

But the real fun was Russell Gammon’s response to the boys reaction. Remember, Russell is the Executive Secretary of Jersey Canada. He offered some wise advice that I just have to share with all of you! He sent the following email to me:

To completely quell the nausea, despair and hurt threatening to overflow in the lives of your two eldest children let me just say that Jersey calves especially in the first three months of their earthly existence are THE ULTIMATE BABE MAGNETS. We are actually convinced that they can whop a basket full of playful puppies or kittens! The dudes should consider this deep in their hearts!
One peep that there are Jersey calves and any of the young frauliens worth knowing will be swarming all over the Knolltop! If that doesn’t do the trick, and it will, tell them these precious words:
A. Suck it up!
B. GET OVER IT!
C. Let it go!
D. Let go and let God!
E. If you can’t beat them thar pesky l’I’ll brown cows, join em!
F. Just be thankful you got a pair before demand is so extreme there are none left available!
G. Y’all have done arrived!
H. Now, yer joy is complete!
I. The cheering for y’all is deafening!
J. It was only done to honour the Palmertons! Although the same family will likely hold a heifer sale someday!
K. It would warm the heart of an elderly man to have a picture of JW and Luker planting great big kisses on the snouts of the new brown ladies!

This is FAR too much fun! As you can see!
Okay I WILL stop-for now!
As I can now say to you: JERSEY ON!
Big cheers! The Rman!!

Is there no end to this Russell mania?

Good Morning from a foggy Knolltop!

Today is the big sale at Palmertons in Fowlerville. They will disperse a herd of cows they’ve milked for I don’t know how many years and I’m sure they have reservations. But next week when Patty can enjoy sleeping in….I think she’ll wonder how she milked cows for so many years!

We’re headed to that sale, Sarah has a volleyball scrimmage, JW has a judging work out at Nugentdale Farms and Jake is at a friends house. So just Luke, Bobby and I will head to the little brown cow sale. And who knows….we may come home with one or two! Yikes!

Good Friday Morning!

It’s a cool, cloudy Knolltop and boy do I like it.

I spent last evening in Camden, my home away from home….where the Farmers’ Advance is based and where I had my first editor’s job. Anyway, I was at Luke’s game and boy was it a good one. Luke played several positions and did a great job. He played quarterback part of the time and carried the ball…the announcer called it a quarterback keeper….who knows? But anyway, he would keep the ball and run instead of throwing it or giving it to someone else to run it. And then he threw it for a touchdown in the last quarter. I was so proud of him! I know, I know..that’s a big newsflash!

He was happy with the way he played and they won…18-0. The announcer for the game also worked at the Farmers’ Advance as a salesman. Rick Clark is retired now but really should pick up a new career as a sports commentator…he’s so good! Of course he said hi to Bobby and I over the microphone and announced during the game that Luke Hart out there on the field playing so well was Bobby and Melissa Hart’s son. That was a bit embarrassing…especially since right after that, Luke got an off side’s penalty called him!

Tonight is a home varsity game and JW and Bobby will run the chains and Luke will march in the band…which he is dreading. I’ve still got to make some salsa today, run some errands, I just wrote my column…yes about the attributes of lipstick and the heifers are waiting for their baths.

I just got my email fixed…it wasn’t sending any emails out. So all week I’ve been sending emails out and no one has gotten them! Technology is so wonderful…..!

And thanks for those who posted comments about Sarah Palin…but there are still some who are holding out on me….let me hear what you think!

Okay, it’s time to get into politics…..I want your opinion on Sarah Palin and her debut last night. I don’t care what side you’ll vote for, I want your honest thoughts on Sarah and her speech.

I stayed up last night just to watch it. I know, I’m a bit of a political junkie….I have a few friends who I email back and forth and we discuss politics in one or two sentences….it’s fun to speculate and listen to the spin doctors. Today I will pay for staying up past my bedtime, but I really wanted to hear her speech for myself and not just bits and pieces of it. I have to say, the lipstick joke was great. She nailed it right on the head with that one….I don’t think there is a mom worth while who couldn’t relate to that comment. And I think that’s what I like best about her….she relates to me in areas where no man whether black or white, old, young, handsome, ugly, conservative, liberal…..could ever come close to relating.

Today is writing day and I’m formulating a column all about lipstick….we’ll see if it sticks or not! HA!

Then Luke has a football game tonight…I”m looking forward to that. But now it’s time to head back out and work with the show string!

It seemed like a good first day of school as they kids dribbled in from their activities. First JW and Jake came home at the regular time and they had full reports of how their day went. Then Sarah showed up in the barn from volleyball practice and she gave a good report, the only thing she could complain about was her locker is so far away from her classes….keep in mind there are 500 kids in this school……K-12.

When Luke got home from football practice an hour after Sarah I called him on my cell from the barn and he said he wasn’t feeling well…..too hot at football was my guess. But he said his day went well too. He’s happy because his BFF Brad, (don’t tell him I used that term!) is in almost every class.

I had a busy day at home. I ran the hedge trimmers back to the rental shop…I hate bushes that need to be shaped and trimmed! And then back home to wash the show string and back in the house for dishes, laundry and a quick nap. Then it was back to the feed store and Walmart for a couple of school necessities. Then it was pork burgers on the grill for dinner and out for chores. After chores I worked with our summer yearlings then Bobby and I delivered a bull calf to Mr. Kyser’s farm. That was a fruitful visit…I brought home one of their muskmelons…boy do they grow good melons!

I popped the popcorn and Bobby and I sat at the table filling out forms, signing papers, visiting with whatever kid came to the kitchen table while munching on popcorn.

Today I’ve got to get to my garden…the tomatoes are calling…I can here them from here!

It was a busy weekend here on the Knolltop, mostly because of the tractor show in Waldron yesterday. Luke and I took our tractors down on Saturday night. He pulled me with his tractor for two reasons. One, his tractor is faster than mine and it saves on gas! It took us an hour and 25 minutes to drive down there and what a nice evening it was to travel at 18 miles per hour.

Yesterday we were in the parade and had a great time. There were a boatload of tractors in that parade….and really there was a boatload of everything in that parade! Then we watched the antique tractor pulls all afternoon until it was time for Big Daddy and me to milk. We didn’t get to watch Luke pull, but he said he didn’t do very well anyway. As competitive as Luke is in every other part of his life when it comes to pulling his tractor, I think he just likes to participate.

Today was the first day of school and typically the only one who was really happy about returning was Sarah. She was ready to get back and see her friends. The boys would be happy to never darken the doors of another school as long as they live. Although I think deep down inside, they wanted to see their buddies too.

Over the weekend, my computer crashed….which means I lost everything…..all my writing….all my emails….all my email addresses……everything! So I want all of you to email me so I can start collecting addresses again. Just send me a quick email, so I can save your info.

Nana, Carole and Joann…this is for you especially, if you have any of my past columns that I’ve sent you….please send them back to me so at least I have those. Send everyone of them that you’ve kept, please and thank you bunches!

Now I’m headed out to work with the show string now that the clan is gone!

One more thing… please continue to pray for the lady in Kansas, she’s had bad days and good days, but isn’t improving like they thought she would. I will update you when I get them…but as of this morning she was a little better, but not as good as they’d hoped. Keep praying please!

Okay, now I’m convinced that I need to start a prayer blog…in all my spare time, that’s what I’ll do!

All you prayer warriors out there must have prayed up a storm because I just got an update on the Kansas lady and apparently she’s had a 100% turn around. This morning she is back to her old self, demanding as ever and she doesn’t even remember yesterday. So thanks to your prayers, God’s grace and modern medicine….this 90 something wonder woman is doing splendidly!

Keep praying for the other lady with back trouble. She will see a doctor today to see what the next step is.

In the mean time, I’ve been out with the kids working with the show string, I’m a complete mess and ready for a nap. We were up late last night going to a football game and then out for ice cream with some friends. WE have no business gallivanting around like until 11 pm!

The real excitement began when we got home and Jake came running downstairs screaming about the bat flying around in his bedroom! I crept upstairs, shut their bedroom door and had everybody camp out downstairs. Except JW, he was asleep during the excitement.

The funny part was when I woke up to make the coffee and Jake was laying on the floor beside my bed and when I stepped over him to open the door he jerked up and said, “Where are you going?” Feeling like I was in a western with a gun held to my back, I said, “I’m just going to make the coffee.” He handed me the Lacrosse racquet that he’d been sleeping with and said, “Here, take this, you might need it and don’t forget to shut the door behind you!”

When I came back he asked, from underneath his covers, if I had seen the bat and I confessed that I hadn’t seen a thing. He promptly shut the door behind me and fell back asleep. After the coffee and a little news, we went to the barn and left Jake and his Lacrosse racquet in charge.

As of this minute the bat is still in the bedroom…..I’m going to send JW up to get it, he has the best track record of killing bats. The other night I was awakened from a deep sleep to hear cheers….he had just killed the first bat that came to bother us in the middle of the night. Yes, as you might have guessed, we affectionately refer to JW as batman!

Okay, while I realize this is a farm blog and I should start my own prayer blog…..you all are really good a praying….so I have a couple more requests that need your attention.

One lady in Kansas in ICU with pnemonia complications needs prayer. She was doing fine, but then went downhill, she’s quite elderly.

And another lady in Michigan with back trouble who is going to see a doctor tomorrow about an on going condition.

Please pray for these two ladies. And as I’m updated, I’ll update YOU!

It was a beautiful evening for the opening football game last night. It’s too bad the ending of the game wasn’t as beautiful for our team as the weather. Luke’s team lost 31-0. What’s worse is his team is mainly made up of Freshmen who were undefeated as 8th graders last year. So these boys were a bit disillusioned when they walked off the field wondering to themselves, “What happened?”

Luke played fullback and tight end and then the third quarter he was the quarterback. He said his ankle felt fine…of course under 18 layers of tape….it couldn’t move! JW was the go to guy for me. Bobby left the barn early to work the chains for the game and JW stayed home and finished up chores so I could get to the game on time. It’s so nice to have an extra hand so I don’t have to miss out.

The kids are out working with their heifers, Luke has gone to bale hay and JW went school shopping. Today is a writing day……that’s why I’m not out helping Jake and Sarah with their heifers. Sarah has one less to work with today because Sandy, her 4-H project that was to become a cow any day now….became a cow yesterday when she delivered a bull calf. I sure was glad it was a bull since it came just four days before September 1st! Sandy is doing find….and looks good but will have a few days off from the show string workout.