Made Me Smile

While trying my best to organize my photos on my hard-drive.  (I so flounder at this endeavor!)  I stumbled on a couple of pictures that made me smile.  Chuckled a bit too.

Just thought I would share.

If I remember correctly, it was towards the end of July.  It. was. really. hot.  Like over 100 with unmentionable heat indexes.

Summer days with long evening shadows.

A local farmer in the area who sells sweet corn, said I could glean his field for the "second ears".

Little guy and I headed out in the morning, but not early enough.  It was already hot.

With 5 gallons buckets and empty feed sacks, we picked and lugged the bounty out of field and to the truck bed.

We sported our wide brim hats.

The corn was shucked in the shade and then schlepped in the house to be "put up".

A few of the nicer sized ears were saved back for supper.

The bags of corn ready for the freezer.

Then the clean up process started.  What came in the house must go back out.

The remains from the process.  Best chicken treats around.

At this point, I remember wondering where Little Guy went.  I went in search and this is what I found.  

Fast asleep in his little tent set up in the yard.  He was pure tuckered out.

It was a good day, and I had forgotten it until stumbling on the photos.  

The recalled  memory will make the corn taste even sweeter for the rest of season.

It's the Butt Time of Year

Lined up for Butt inspection

The calendar makes it official.  Calving season has started.

It is the time of year to become infatuated with Butts.

It's all about trying to figure out who will calf when.  To be around just in case help is needed.

Butts.  Butts.  and more Butts.  Morning, noon, night and sometimes midnight.  Butts.

Here's the typical Butt check procedure.

Different angle for a different Butt view

As the Butts are observed, the same questions are asked:

Does it wobble with the walk?

Is walking possible?

Anything strange seeping out of the Butt?

Does the bag look tight?

Has the Butt changed since last inspection?

Most of those in our maternity ward do not mind the Butt observation drill.  It is just tolerated. For them it is the normal daily routine. 

Who is behind me?  Oh it's just the human Butt observant,....again

Butt sometimes (get the Butt humor?), there is a cow who likes to keep her Butt to herself.

If I stand in the corner by myself, maybe no one will try to look at my Butt

Butt that strategy does not work (ha ha again).  The Butt check has to happen.

Oh my 42, from the front you look like a swollen tick!

Okay 42, no hiding your Butt.  Let's see ya.

Can't a girl just be left just be left alone?

The swollen tick walks!

Butt check complete until next time.  

No red flags.  No sounding alarms.  All Butts checked out "okay".  

Final verdict?  All cows still pregnant and will calf when they are darn good and ready.  With or without a Butt check.

Butt regardless, Butt checks will continue, because we have to ask the same questions.  

We think we can predict when labor will begin.

Butt we know it can't be done.  Butt we can't help it.  We are infatuated with BUTTS.

Beautiful Cold Evening Drive

Not sure what happened (other than my organizational skills - the lack of - showing through), but just found this story in my draft folder.  I already thought it was spinning out into cyber abyss.  It is a couple of weeks old, but I will share anyway.   At that time we were in the thralls of the second polar vortex of the season.

Sunday the temperatures dropped again.

We made the conscience choice of being cold weather pansies.  After doing the bare minimum required outside, we stayed inside.  All.  Day.

As the sun started its descent, cabin fever struck.  We climbed into the truck and went for a little drive "around the block". 

Our "block" is 9 miles of hilly, curvy gravel road.

Evening cruises around our beat usually have interesting sites.

Definition of interesting:  our fanatic outdoor interest

Sunday was no exception.

Canada geese taking off from a corn stalk field

.

Sunset beginning

Changing hues

Beautiful Finale

Thankful to live where we live.

Fleeting Signs of Spring

Nothing beats the first smell of spring dirt wafting through the air; the tug of mud under one's boots; the chorus of birds feeling the strength of the morning sun; the birth of youngsters both domestic and wild.

First steps of the season with the pull of mud on my heels.

A few days ago we experienced these signs of spring.  They were fleeting, but oh so nice! 

In this short window of time, we were lucky to have our first calf of the season.

We were also fortunate to arrive home from work just in time to watch the birth.  No matter how many times one sees such an event, one cannot help at marvel in the perfection of it all.  

The instinct to mother.  

The inherent desire to live.

Come on little one.  Time to meet the world.

That's it. Open your eyes.

Lift your head.

Say "hello" to the world.

Things were a little rocky in the beginning for our first baby of the year.  Fortunately we have winning nurse combo which includes a big sister and little brother.  Together they do remarkable work.

Heat of a woodstove, a bottle of warm milk and tender hands, equals,......... a very happy baby

Dry, warm and ready to find mom.

As quickly as the temperatures climbed, the thermometer has again descended back to winter.

Birds are silent with the returning cold.  Instead morning finds them quiet, huddled in shelter and fluffed for warmth.

Hey you in the window with the camera and the hot cup of coffee.  You forgot to fill the bird feeder.

But the days are getting longer.  The sun stronger each day. The lilacs are becoming thick with buds.  

Spring is on the way.  

I saw it.

It visited the other day.

Country Humor

Some flying fun in our cycle of snow

Our humor around here is brash.

I contribute this to our attempt at a simple existence.  You know, growing and eating things around ya'.

Some may think we take eat local movement to an uber level, but we do not.  We are simply just striving to be a little more self sufficient.

In reality the whole self sufficient thing just follows cycles.  In our simple world it means:

• Mushrooms and wild turkey in the spring 
• Fresh strawberries in spring and frozen strawberries in February
• Putting up hay in the sweltering July sun and feeding it in a polar vortex
• Scrounging for empty canning jars in October and struggling to find storage space for empty canning jars in March

What happened at the vet is Little Guy's effort at compartmentalizing the cycles to which he is exposed.

Several bull calves went to vet the other day.  In our cow-calf management we choose not use hormone implants.  We castrate bull calves making them steers.  We do not do this at their birth, but rather wait until they are older.  This gives them testosterone to help them grow - naturally not artificially.

Here is the process:

Cut and pull by the vet.

A brief bawl of ouch by the calf.

A quick toss of the removed rocky mountain oysters.

When I snapped this photo Little Guy was standing beside me.  He was taking in the scene and trying to place the event somewhere in his brain to make sense of it.  Picture him squirming from one foot to the other with his hands in his pockets.  

In this moment he asked the vet a question:

"Do those grow back?"

 There was quite a long conversation between Little Guy and the vet.

 Little guy listened intensely. He learned a new piece of a cycle.

All of us grown ups stifled our giggles caused our brash country humor.

I will cherish this memory.  Perhaps I will share it someday. Like at his wedding during the toast? 

Attempt at Hoity-Toity Valentines

Let's start this off with a confession.

I stink at small details.  Give me a big brush and I can go to town towards a goal.  The bigger the brush, the higher the perspective, the better.  Call me the big picture gal who is always flying at 50,000 feet.

This is why I stink at things like Valentines Day.  Valentines is about minute details which are not my niche.

Due to the incessant winter, school was cancelled on Valentines 2014.  Little guy was so dishearten about not having his class party.  He was down right mopey.

Rescue mom instinct kicked in.

The plan:  a hoity-toity meal under candle light.

I lucked out.  A beef roast with potatoes and carrots was simmering in the crock pot.  Add a fresh salad and a dessert.  Hoity-toity and simple as pie.

And what for a dessert?  Something simple and elegant and just make a statement with the presentation.

My thought:   an effortless parfait.  Layer a little pudding, fruit, and granola in a wine glass.  Easy and quick.

Flying at my usual 50,000 feet, I missed a few details.  I had no pudding or granola on hand. The fruit was all frozen.

On behalf of Valentines Day, I overcame the devilish details.

An hour and half later, here's the "easy-peasy" completed dessert.

Not too bad.  I have to admit feeling pretty super mom.

So what if I had to wash the wine glasses first due to dust from no use?  So what if the candle holder hunt took me numerous catch-all places in the house?

So what if the kitchen looked like this?

The behind the scene look at a  valiant attempt at hoity-toity. 

I will not share with you the sauce pan with scorched homemade pudding soaking in the sink or the kitchen floor covered with corn starch from the explosion of opening the new box.

But I will share with you Little Guy's comment:

  Mom, I do not like all the stuff on my pudding.  I like plain better.

And this is why I tend to cook things in one big pot while flying at 50,000 feet.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines. 

Trip to the Vet

Had to make a trip to the vet the other day because of the 2012 drought.

Huh?  What you say?

The thing about raising your own calves - things are delayed. .

Something messes up and you have to wait a year for reconciliation.

Because of the high temperatures in summer 2012 we had several cows that did not become pregnant during the normal breeding season.  These cows are called "open".

When temperatures soar over 100 F (like they did in the summer of 2012) cows would rather not get their groove on.  No groovin', no calvin'.

So we had choices:
*don't expose them to the bull any longer and keep them to breed back the next year so all your cows calf during the same season,
*sell them,
*or expose them to the bull and get a calf, but during a different season than the others.

So we left the bull with the cows longer than normal back in 2012.  This way we could at least get a calf in 2013.

But not a spring born calf but a fall calf.

Hence we had calves born in September 2013.

Straying from topic.  Vet trip.  Drought 2012.

So here we are in February 2014, and these fall calves are still with their mommas all because of the summer of 2012. Follow me?

Anyway it is time for the young hon-yaks to get doctored.

There weren't many head to work, so we decided to take them to the vet.

Here they are loaded in the trailer.

Here are their mommas looking on with concern.

Where are you taking my baby?

Momma!

At the vet, getting the calves to run down the chute requires everyone's assistance.

Doc doing his magic.

Calf not liking the magic.  

Don't worry guy.  You'll be home with your momma in just short while.

We're home!

Oh momma, you cannot believe what happened!

Mommas always make things better.

Enjoy the time with your mommas.  In just a few weeks you are getting weaned,  so get your motherly lovin' while you can.