It’s raining on the Knolltop this Sunday morning. What a great day to stay inside and bake! Looking through a magazine last evening while Bobby flipped through channels, (boy is that annoying), I found some recipes using pumpkin and lemon. I think I might try the pumpkin lemon pie…I’m not sure how it will turn out, but it’s worth a try. It’s can’t be near as bad as the shaker lemon pie my mom made one time.

It was years ago and Martha Stewart was a new phenomenon on TV. She worked through a recipe for Shaker Lemon Pie and my mom thought it looked good so it must taste just as good. She worked on that pie all afternoon, making sure to follow the recipe just right. It called for so many lemons she thought she might have been reading it wrong. But she forged ahead and when it was all done the pie was beautiful. She brought it to the table with a very accomplished look on her face. We were all looking forward to this new creation and of course we all took a piece. When we began chewing the first bite we all came up with the same bitter look on our faces. It was as if we had all took a big bite of lemon thinking we were all taking a big bite of an apple fritter. We were surprised on both accounts. It tasted like lemon rinds with a whole lot of sugar, which would stand to reason since it had lemon rinds and sugar in it.

Dad and Bobby pushed it aside and quit eating it…my mom and I kept eating it thinking it was going to taste better with the next bite. But to no avail…as good as this pie looked, it tasted awful.

So, now everytime we see or hear of Shaker Lemon Pie, a smile spreads across our faces and we all start to chuckle and begin to reason that mom must have done something wrong or there must be a better recipe out there somewhere.

Well, the coffee is done and church time is approaching!

It’s still overcast here on the Knolltop. The sun peeked out yesterday for a little while and it was a beautiful morning and afternoon before the clouds moved back in.

Today I’ve got to run errands. Usually I like to wait until the weekend to go to town, so the kids can go with me if they want to..it’s more fun to take the kids…it’s lonely grocery shopping by myself. But today, Sarah is the only eligible shopper because the boys all have to work…and not here.

Earlier in the week the neighbor called and said he wanted to reserve JW and Luke for today. They called early because they knew the boys seem to be busy working for someone every weekend and if you don’t call early, they’re gone. Another guy reserved them for the Friday after Thanksgiving…now that’s planning ahead..but this is the same guy that has stopped by at least three different times and couldn’t catch a boy at home.

Then last night, the grain farmer up the road called to reserve Jake for today….which is fine with Jake since he gets to ride on big equipment and talk on the CB. With Sarah babysitting three afternoons during the week and the boys working on the weekends I end up not having to say ‘no’ to everything they want to buy at the store. When they make their own money they can pay for their own silly purchases like airsoft gun BB’s, toy tractors and six packs of raspberry-spearment gum!

It’s been an eventful week…and I’m ready for some slow days. The weather is the same as it’s been the last three mornings here on the Knolltop…cool and cloudy. How many different ways can I say that? Several if I sat and thought about it…I guess.

We had a new arrival last night as we finished up milking. Charlene was born! I’m going to call her Charlie. Charlie is out of one of our show heifers, Knolltop Outside Carolyn and she is out of a great cow family so I’m very excited that she had a heifer.

JW is in a musical this week at school. His first performance was last night and they will put it on again tonight. The play is Once Upon a Mattress and it’s funny. JW is a knight and has a couple of songs to sing in it. He’s very good…yes, I know I’m his mother…but really he is good. Grandma and Gramps came down for it last night and Grandma said he was good too…yeah, I know that doesn’t hold any weight either!

I forgot to mention that I was on Rural Route Radio with my buddy Kyle Bauer and adversary Trent Loos. I was on Tuesday and we talked about healthy states…the north is healthier than the south….yes we discussed all that and I gave my biased opinions without solicitation…but isn’t that was talk radio is? If you want to hear it go to www.KFRM.com and click on Programming and then you’ll see Rural Route Radio…just click and listen.

Today is laundry day…you should see the mess I have of clean laundry that needs to be folded and put away and the dirty laundry that is…..well….dirty. I’ve still got to write my column too…that is my first priority since it was due yesterday. I need coffee…and lots of it!

SNOW! It’s spitting snow here on the Knolltop…we’re just not ready for that yet!

Well the boys made it home last night and we’re glad of it. I can breath a sigh of relief knowing the whole farm isn’t on my shoulders anymore. I can handle the cooking, cleaning, laundry, calf feeding, pen cleaning, milking and writing..but don’t give me all the feeding, cleaning, grinding and manure hauling. I just don’t like having it all fall on me. I think of Mary Lou Topp in Ohio and when her husband died a premature death, the farm responsiblities fell on her and her boys. She took over that farm because her boys wanted to keep farming and together they’ve made it work and have been mighty successful at it. I admire her, especially after a three day stint of being alone but I don’t want that load!

Another lesson to be learned for anyone involved in showing livestock. When Bobby got home last night and began to describe every detail of the show he said in Holly’s class the judge said in his reasons that he really wanted to use her but she wasn’t handling well enough to get any higher in the class.

That is a very valuable lesson to us all….make sure you have a pushbutton animal…she may not be the best cow in the class but if she handles better than another animal you might be up a place or two just because of the handling!

And I will take a vow here and now….that cow will not enter another show ring unless she can virtually show herself!

Better get…chores are waiting!

Well, it’s over….and we did pretty well.

We were all gathered around the computer…me and my mom a little ways down the road was Lori from Knolltop Morgans, Nana in Griffin, GA, Aunt Carole in Flower Mound, TX and Aunt Ginny and Tommy in Joliet, MT. We needed a conference phone line for all the chatting we did while Luke was in the ring with Holly. “Do you see her yet?….yes, she just entered the ring…no, not that one…yes, the big white cow..does Luke have a white shirt on or a blue shirt?….Oh my doesn’t he look grown up…oh my isn’t he cute….Oh my she looks the best I’ve seen her look…Oh my well there’s no doubt about it, if Holly doesn’t win then that judge doesn’t know what he’s doing…..uh…Holly..don’t put your head down….stand still Holly….Oh Luke don’t let her do that….that doggone Holly….I bet she hasn’t acted like that in a month of Sundays….she’s being pulled in…she’s in third…no fourth…no third….well…he’s looking at her…oh my ….she’s in third…that’s good…that’s really good!….well third place…wait…there’s no sound…how are we going to hear the reasons?….does your computer have sound?…no, mine doesn’t either…does’ Lori’s…no her’s doesn’t either…how are we going to hear the reasons?……that stinks…now we won’t hear Lukie’s name being called!

All that was said with seven people calling each other during a class that took about 15 minutes. Can you tell there were seven people who love Luke and think he’s great? Can you tell there were seven women who thought this was probably the biggest event of the decade? Okay…we are pathetic! But this was a big day for Knolltop Farm and all those who care about us here.

Holly left the ring and Bobby milked her out. When that was done they left and are headed home. When I finally talked with Luke he was disappointed. Yes, that was the exact reaction I expected from my competitive second born child. “Third isn’t okay…I wanted to win!”

I’m just happy they are on their way home and I can’t wait to hear all the wonderful things that happened on their trip!

Thanks to all of you who watched and “participated” with me and my family.

I’d better stop and head to the barn…after my coffee!

It’s a breezy cool morning here on the Knolltop. The cows are milked and the kids are off to school. I went over and plugged the tractor in this morning on my way in from chores. The other morning it was a bit hard to start so I thought it might need a little warming up this morning.

I just talked with Bobby, he’s all ready for the show…and it turns out the cows will show first so Holly will be in a little earlier than I expected. She will be in the ring at about 12:30 or 1:oo pm..we’re guessing….if you want to see Holly live and in person…well kind of….go to http://www.livestockexpo.org/index.htm and click on Freedom Hall East Ring, then after a minute or so, it will show up and you can watch too!

Of course those of you who think I’m about as silly as I could be about a cow showing at a national show, you are probably thinking I’m out of my tree about all of this…but this is what breeding purebred cattle is all about. You breed for a good one and when you think you have one then you take her to a show and see how she measures up to the other good ones out there and if she wins you’re on the right track, if she stands at the bottom you know what you have to work on and you go home and reevaluate your breeding program. At least that’s what I think it’s about. Of course, here at the Knolltop, we think Holly is beautiful no matter where she stands and when she stands in her stall and we can look at her every day we think we’re blessed as all get out! So when she comes home tomorrow with whatever color ribbon, she will still be our Holly that we enjoy feeding and milking and showing. (But a purple ribbon would be nice!)

Okay, now I have to head back out to the barn to clean gutters, sweep, feed a little more, clean the heifer pens and feed some hay to the outside heifers before I come in and wash dishes and do laundry…boy I wish the maid was coming today.

It’s been a perfect Sunday here on the Knolltop.

Since we had to set our clocks back last night I don’t have a clue what time it really is anymore. When I went to bed, I just left my clock alone and turned the alarm on and got up when it went off and milked the cows when I thought I was supposed to. I hate the time change… I want it to just stay the same all the time.

We were able to get to church…on time….and then afterwards, because a third of us were not here, we stopped and had brunch at Bob Evans and then did a little shopping at TSC…Jake bought a tractor….and then came home to a nice quiet nap! That constitutes a perfect Sunday…church then dinner out then a nap!

JW worked for the neighbor all day today and got home just in time to milk with me.

The report from down south was different. I recieved this email from Russell, I just had to share it with you. Remember, he’s in Louisville at the show and it sounds like they are having a whale of a time down there….but here is what he sent…remember– read this with humor in mind….he’s a jokster!

“I ran into Luke and his buddy this evening…..he was not wearing the new hat (the Jersey Canada Hat that Russell brought to us) but said that Bubba was! There are some of us who are mildly concerned about young people of that age being that drunk but one good thing is that while your smoking under pressure trait has been passed on at least it is “only marijuana” and not “real cigarettes” and thus there are no health issues! We also pacified ourselves that the valium the boys are popping like candy MIGHT be able to counteract the alcohol that was being downed like it was koolaid! Other than that it is very quiet and boring and I have to get over to see the Red Hot one although I hear tell she is on the bottle too! So, yes, all is going well down south! Cheers! Russell”

I’m not sure…but I think he was trying to alarm me….but to no avail, I busted out with laughter instead…where does he come up with this stuff?

Tomorrow is the big show…I can’t wait!

It’s been a perfect Sunday here on the Knolltop.

Since we had to set our clocks back last night I don’t have a clue what time it really is anymore. When I went to bed, I just left my clock alone and turned the alarm on and got up when it went off and milked the cows when I thought I was supposed to. I hate the time change… I want it to just stay the same all the time.

We were able to get to church…on time….and then afterwards, because a third of us were not here, we stopped and had brunch at Bob Evans and then did a little shopping at TSC…Jake bought a tractor….and then came home to a nice quiet nap! That constitutes a perfect Sunday…church then dinner out then a nap!

JW worked for the neighbor all day today and got home just in time to milk with me.

The report from down south was different. I recieved this email from Russell, I just had to share it with you. Remember, he’s in Louisville at the show and it sounds like they are having a whale of a time down there….but here is what he sent…remember– read this with humor in mind….he’s a jokster!

“I ran into Luke and his buddy this evening…..he was not wearing the new hat (the Jersey Canada Hat that Russell brought to us) but said that Bubba was! There are some of us who are mildly concerned about young people of that age being that drunk but one good thing is that while your smoking under pressure trait has been passed on at least it is “only marijuana” and not “real cigarettes” and thus there are no health issues! We also pacified ourselves that the valium the boys are popping like candy MIGHT be able to counteract the alcohol that was being downed like it was koolaid! Other than that it is very quiet and boring and I have to get over to see the Red Hot one although I hear tell she is on the bottle too! So, yes, all is going well down south! Cheers! Russell”

I’m not sure…but I think he was trying to alarm me….but to no avail, I busted out with laughter instead…where does he come up with this stuff?

Tomorrow is the big show…I can’t wait!