Good News... HA!

WARNING... This post contains sarcasm in high concentrations. Do NOT read if you are a fan of DFA (Dairy Farmers of America). I wouldn't want to add to your stress levels :) However I am glad you'll be getting some of your hard earned money back.

OK Let me first say that a. if you know me very well you know my dislike of DFA b. if you didn't know... well now you do, c. Hoard's at times ranks right up there with DFA in my book.

The other day I was brave enough to look at the futures of milk on the Hoard's website (actually I linked off their site to the CMT because I can never remember how to get there myself.) So since it had been a while since I had read their blog I popped over there. WHY do I ever think I'm going to read anything that will uplift me there?! I would really like to know.

There was a post about DFA.... *cue sarcasm* That wonderful, dairy farmer owned and ran co-op... *cough, gag, cough* *rolling of the eyes* They are going to give back 9.5 million dollars to their co-op members, isn't that big of them?! They catch is... you had to have been producing milk From Jan -Jun of this year to get your money. To bad for those producers who had to sell out before that. You won't be getting your share.

Now this begs to be questioned. IF DFA is really ran by it's members... *rolling eyes again* why weren't they being given this money all along? And just where did all this money come from? After all in a co-op aren't the profits supposed to go BACK to it's members anyway?

Well this has been in my craw for several days now, just rolling around getting ground into fine little particles... I was letting it go. Moving FORWARD... not looking to the past... That was until today.

Our inspector came for a water sample. So we were chit chatting...He told me he had just heard the good news right from a DFA field man's mouth that milk prices are going up! $3 whole dollars by the end of the year!!! OH GOODY GOODY GOODY... ARGH He say well by then you'll be able to pay your feed bill. To which I said... Wouldn't that be nice. Then me and my big mouth... that and a laps in memory preceded to tell him about DFA and the giving back of money and just where did it come from.

Sigh... He got a WEE bit defencive over DFA and told me that maybe they just put it back for something else and decided to give it to the farmers now. WELL land a Goshin!!! didn't those producers need it days, weeks, MONTHS ago? ARGH!!!!! That's when I remembered he used to be a DFA Field man... SO I shut up and commented on his new car... it was very pretty.

OK so this is what I've been thinking... How is it that this DFA field man knows for certain how milk is going to rise in price? It's well known that DFA along with KRAFT will stab farmers in the back and have for YEARS. They manipulate the prices so they can make a profit. When are we farmers going to wake up and smell the sour milk?! Our co-ops lobby against us, our government doesn't get it and won't go enforce the laws on the books. We are importing more than we are producing, butter imports are up 129% over this time last year, and farmers are having to make some hard choices... all because someone in a high rise office needed to make a profit. A person who probably wouldn't know a bull from a cow. You should just be glad I didn't say what I wanted to there... A person who will just get THEIR milk in the store! Excuse me but where do think the milk comes from to get to that store?!?!?!?

Don't you just love it when someone asks you how much that one gives... pointing to your bull. :) God bless those who don't know... I'm sure I've been there on other things.

Sunday Stills... Toys...

Mr. Harvey Flatbush proving that just about anything can become a kitty cat toy...

Toys for"big boys"

Wouldn't we all love to play with this equipment. And to think... that wonderful backhoe is in our yard again... blast it all though... they didn't leave the keys!!! How's a girl supposed to have weekend fun with no keys for the backhoe? :)

Happy Sunday Stills all!

I'm not one...

to follow things political very closely. I know... I should, but in all honesty I'm too stressed out right now to really care. HOWEVER! This caught my eye. See I came across it from one of the blogs I follow I thought I would take a gander.

Now I have never been for a federal health care system. So it peaked my interest right off...You need to go HERE and look at all what is IN this health care bill. I'll give ya a sneak peak.

Pg 58HC Bill - Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a National ID Healthcard will b issued!

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control.

PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Indiv. will b automat.enrolled in Medicaid. No choice

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng 2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc

Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Govt will reduce physician svcs 4 Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected

Have a good one... I'm off...

Songs...

Do you ever forget a song... hear it on the radio and remember just how much you liked it only to forget it when you told yourself that you were going to remember so you could add it to your play list?! So have I...

And in my quest for THAT song I found others that were forgotten. I know your just aching to know which one...

Elvira - The Oakridge Boys. OHH how I loved this song as a little girl... Really I just liked the Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow part. :) lol

Achy Breaky Heart... don't ask me why... but DON'T Tell my heart my achy breaky heart!!!!

Or how about Goodbye Earl... I never was a fan of The Dixie Chicks but that song was a hoot and so was the video! Mary Anne and Wanda were the best of friends
All through their high school days

Maybe a song that made you cry... ok ME cry... Don't take the girl... by Tim McGraw that song always made me tear up.

Rockin' Robin... all I ever listened to growing up was 50's and 60's music... or Love Potion no.9 ... Good Vibrations... I could go on... but I'm going to add some more songs to the ever growing list. :)

Rain drops on Roses...

and whiskers on kittens... bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens... brown paper packages tied up with string... These are a few of my favorite things... When the milk price bites and the milk weights sting... I simply remember my favorite things... and then... well to be honest I feel just as bad! LOL :)

But it has been raining here... and it's cool with hardly any humidity to speak of... so very odd for the middle of July. It's green out! I'm not complaining... I just think it's odd is all.

On days like today I would normally be reading, sewing (but I don't have working lights in that room SO), or something constructive. Mom is out bush hogging since the rain has stopped for the time being... me I'm here. Typing away... not doing a blessed constructive thing. Between being treated like a criminal for having to give the gas company a counter check to watching an up lifting *sarcastic over tones* msnbc video on dairy farming my afternoon, well it's just been ducky... sigh...

Things to be thankful for... rain in July, making it through one day without crying (OK so the days not over with... I'm trying to be positive), little goats, baby calves yet to be born, Bernice the odd little chicken... who loves dwarf fuchsia blossoms, pink jasmine, chasing little song birds, flying to the oddest places then tetters back and forth just for the fun of it... One last thing... that we are one day closer to better days. Yet again being positive.

It's Monday... again...

The week is starting over... and every day we are getting closer to cows calving... I hope. ALL right that is it! I've had it... if I do NOT find a fly swatter, or buy one soon I'm going to scream! Yes I've lost the super duper one I bought over a week ago.

Don't you just hate it when your trying to be thought provoking in the morning, and flies are dive bombing your head. And there you set, aimlessly swatting at your head, the air, keyboard and screen?! This year if it's not the ants it's the flies. ARGH!!!!! There are days I do enjoy the thought of winter... when the flies are at there worst is one of them. All other times I'm just trying to enjoy the nice days, I'm not looking forward to winter this year... not that I ever do, this year is different.

On tap for today... for me... top stitch two tops, a dress, clear off table to cut another dress or two, maybe a a skirt and a few more chore tops for Krissie... BREAK!!! :) Mom will be whacking down weeds in West Pasture, and I'm not sure what the other two crew members will be up to.

Time...

Where does it seem to go? Here and there and yon... I wish I could remember what happens with the time. Mostly it just seems to fade in and out. What with the daily chores and goings on's. I've decided that my life is just blah... BLAH BLAH BLAH... And some person out there would say... well change it, or it's your choice... sigh sigh sigh...

Why is it people always have an answer when they don't know how you feel or the whole situation. It's just not that easy to change yourself over night. Oh well on to brighter things. I am just fighting the ho hums and the whys.

Farm wise... tractor is up and running again!!! Three cheers!!! Moved the dry cows,heifers, and steers to the bottom and grass. Scarlett and Dinner (one steer who will be going in a freeze near us this Fall) Honestly that steer is about the DUMBEST animal... at least in the steered male form. Anyway Scarlett and Dinner are with the bulls in Rocky Top pasture, milk cows are on the 14 (named for it being a 14 acre field... Aren't we utterly creative around this joint?!) and West pasture... yes it's our westerly boarding field. Mom will begin bush hogging (HINT HINT HINT) there tomorrow I think... so we can then move bull over there, heifers to RT, and the milk cows will go down to the 22...

A storm blew up on Thursday, dumping rain and bring high winds. Thankfully no tornado's or hail came with it. Let me tell ya... it was looking a little iffy for a while. Yes I was out watching it and taking a few pictures. The corn is well... we are hoping it will go ahead and make while growing horizontally. We'll see... it seems there are those around here who are worried with the green beans... well when there are tons to pick, snub, snap, wash, pack, salt, lid, and can... I'll just keep quite. :)

Friday... ummm Uncle Larry came to get the fuel lines back on Aggie so we could be back in business.

Saturday I went and got diesel and literally a few groceries. Came home and sewed a little on a couple of chore tops... mom bush hogged, me ma got goat feed and went with UL in picking some rotting hay that we are going to put in some awfully deep ruts down the lane going to and past the 22.

Sunday... I'm typing the blog post... what more can I do?!

A look back...

While I was doing some looking around today for the price of a gallon of milk in 1973 (since that is what our CURRENT milk price at the farm gate is... the same then and now) I found some interesting things.

For this little web trip (not a field trip really) I'll use my birthday :) Since it's all about me anyway. Right? RIGHT? I'm glad we are all agreed... on with the trip!

I found this. Here is what I found out about the day I was born.

I am 12,087 days old. I am 209,088 hours old as of today's date.

I was born 0.1 day after a full moon... explains alot!

Robert Munsch was an author born on my birthday in 1945. He wrote Love You Forever ( a children s book)

Gas was $0.60 a gal. A loaf of bread was $0.30. Milk was $1.42 a gallon. Avg Income was $16,870.00. Min. Wage was $2.30. Price of a car was $5,418.00. A house cost $48,000.00. A stamp was $0.13.

Popular song was (one of many) Play that Funky Music by WildCherries and M*A*S*H was a popular TV show.

"Rocky" was the biggest money maker of 1976 at $117,235,147.00.

John Wayne died on my birthday in 1979.

My name means "Princess"

And this is what I got when I "googled" my first name. Who knew!

OK Two other interesting sites and their stats:

1973

Economy
President: Richard M. Nixon
Vice President: Spiro T. Agnew

Population: 211,908,788
Life expectancy: 71.4 years

Dow-Jones
High: 1051
Low: 788

Federal spending: $245.71 billion
Federal debt: $466.3 billion
Inflation: 7.6%
Consumer Price Index: 44.4
Unemployment: 5.6%

Prices
Cost of a new home: $35,500.00
Cost of a new car: $
Median Household Income: $10,512.00
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.08
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $0.39
Cost of a dozen eggs: $0.78
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $1.31

1999 (the closest I could get on this site to 2009 prices...)

Economy
President: Bill Clinton
Vice President: Al Gore

Dow-Jones
High: 11,750
Low: 9,181

Federal spending: $1716.95 billion
Federal debt: $5978.5 billion
Unemployment: 4.5%
Inflation: 2.1%

Prices
Cost of a new home: $195,800.00
Cost of a new car: $
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.33 (as of 1/10/99)
Median Household Income: $39,973.00
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $1.17
Cost of a dozen eggs: $1.08
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $3.32

If anyone knows where I can find this info let me know...

Never Dull...

I really think that at some point I would like a dull and uneventful life. But then what do I know? Things seemed to be going fairly calm and normal yesterday, until about 4:45 yesterday afternoon.

Got a call from mom who is trying to finish up the bottom's bush hogging. Aggie had sprung a fuel leak... my cue to go get the gates open so she wouldn't have to stop. And would hopefully get get back up to the house. Thankfully she did make it with not much fuel to spare. And of course this means a trip (praying) to the parts store that's with in an hours drive and not their store that is over almost 2 hours or more from here and that is taking all the short cuts. Sigh... Why is it... or does it seem things only break down after the stores close for the evening?

In other breaking news... rain on the horizon again today. Hot and humid... July in Missouri... forecast high on Sat... 82? I'll believe that one when I see it.

I have a question... I've not totally read the entire article BUT I still have a question. IF the world total (I'm sure this excludes dairy) food supply is so low, why are prices still so cheap? Did you know that China produces half of the worlds pork? Off the subject in a way... but why does DFA a dairyman run co-op (LAUGHING, LAUGHING, LAUGHING) have 12 licenses to import products? Why would they want to lower their price (I know why they do but that's besides the point). Some days I just don't get it.

A new blog...

Good morning... I'm trying to be positive here. Anyway I wanted to announce that my dear mother has started to blog! It's about time is all I can say. Anyway here is the link: Cackleberry Corner

In Wonder

This is a much newer Newsboys song...

Newsboys...

It's been 12 years since this came out... where does the time go??? BTW I know the lyrics by heart... :)

Mark Lowery

Favorite Tombstone clip!!!

Yippe for YOUTUBE!!!! :)

Hold your Peace (Piece)

OH so funny!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-7SUz0c79c

Hall of shame...

I got this off of a email list I'm on. enjoy!!!

Cheese and dips...... go to www.themilkweed.com , click on Hall of Shame and
look at the avalanche of unique products that previously contained US dairy
products.... that now contain MPC produced by Fonterra in new Zealand,
Australia and CHINA....imported by a subsiduary of DFA...and also Kraft
foods and others.

Take a look at Fontera in wikipedia. Look at the Sanlu scandal involving
infant death .Tell me if their dairy supply is safe? Look at Fontera website
they are selling milk...in the US also.

The solution is very simple.... to all these milk pricing problems that have
been like a roller coaster ride for decades.

Are we all ready to quit bitching or do someting about it.... before the
entire US dairy industry goes broke?

The solution is simple....but will our dairy leaders and US dairyman have
the courage... to do it?

Ron
www.flatnessintl.

com

Rain Relief

We have finally gotten some much needed rain. Things were beginning to look a little blah... :) Not much went on yesterday or today.

A neighbors steer has come a calling however. I didn't think that the water gate between us and our northern most neighboring neighbor was fixed. BUT according to this kid that came about the steer he it is... now to find where this black, demaled (thank goodness for that), bovine got over here at.

To make things clear... it's not our neighbors steer but his neighbor. Which I suppose is ours also, in a round about way. Anyway I'm' going to try and pen him up with help I hope tonight and they can come tomorrow and pick him up...

It's so nice to have a neighbor that doesn't want to bother us with penning him up... make me want to just pen him up and take him home. Alas our trailer is a few tires short of a trip. When we have money again that's the first thing I'm going to do... besides going to Sonic before Happy Hour to get a Cherry Lime aid :) I'm getting tires for that trailer. I dare sent hope for a new trailer. But it would be nice...

Super Fly Swatter...

It's no secret that around a dairy farm your going to have flies... those pesky, flying, biting, annoying creatures that I have YET to think of a good reason that the Lord created them. So far I've been trapping, spraying, and swatting them.

I've even worn a couple of fly swatters out. SO it was time to buy a super duper, industrial strength,... OH how about PROFESSIONAL grade tee hee... after all I am a professional right? Of what I don't know. Any who... I bought a new fly swatter today... it's made of leather and with a good wire handle. And let me tell you... it's a hum dinger!

To sum it up... SPLAT!!!!!! *thinking of wickedly laughing... to tired for more than that*

Night all... Or GOOD MORNING BARN YARD!!!! Whichever comes first... the Moon or the Sun...

Yes it's been a few days...

You know how it is... I think it's the blogging funk... or maybe being busy, bad Internet connection (off and on), stressed, tired, you all know the drill.

So I'll catch up in this post:

Sat. 4th of July... decided to make a cake from SCRATCH (what was I thinking) I not only decided to make 1 cake... as NOT to waste the egg yolks I did 2! #1 cake was a Princess cake... cake #2 a Golden Cake. I should have KNOWN things would not go well when...I couldn't find the eggs that were RIGHT in front of my face. Then we had no butter in, no flour, no pecans, no milk... could I find the cream of tarter? NOOOOO ... in the midst of all of this the goats came calling and began to eat the bargin roses I bought. Started in on the cake... and the mixer flings (or womits) junk from the inner most recesses of it into the butter... ARGH had to throw that out and start again... long day short... got the cakes made... finally, the ice cream wouldn't freeze, the chicken was a little on the done side... and well it was a day. Would make the Princess cake again... not the the other...

Sunday... a day OH rest... in all honesty I can't remember what happened other than I watched The Waltons... I've been getting the series along. It's clean and good... it's so nice not to have to watch a so with horrible language, nude people, rude and vulgar people, reality shows... 150 some odd channels and I'm buying things to watch... something is WRONG with this picture.

Monday dawning warmer but chilly also, lost our best milking doe to something... 3 vets three different thoughts of whats wrong. Also had another kid who wasn't feeling well. So I took her to the vets office. They seem to think she had the beginnings of pneumonia, I'll spare you the part of her screaming for 5 miles... thankfully I still have my hearing. :) She seems to be doing very well. Got in a new batch of feed, auger jammed up on "BABY" thankfully B came out and got it going again. Some how an electric fence post insulator got in the feed. Oh the joys of farming...

Tuesday...odd little day was had by all. Mom bush hogged some... I went to town twice, watched Deadliest Catch, it always good to know others have troubles. Worked on pulsators... until 10:30 PM so we can milk this AM. Pray that the one old one keeps working until better times.

Today... well today is wide open. I need to be sewing... there are alot of things I need to be doing... we'll see what happens...

Sunday Stills... Wildflowers...

To tired, to much cake, ice cream, grilled chicken, potato salad, corn, cucumbers... OHH so good... An odd little day was had by all here. I think I'll enjoy a good night rest... I hope.

Happy 4th!!!!

Busy days...

Where did yesterday go? And where did the memory of it also flee too? Sheesh... Today was a drippy kind of day... I helped mom mow the yard today... in a heavy sprinkle... About the time my shorts, hair, shirt were wet, and glasses were in need of windshield wipers. I called it quits... There was only one large part left to do and she is doing it now... :)

On farming fronts... we had plumbing problems in the barn today... THANK GOODNESS the inspector didn't show!!! Milkers and pipe line didn't get washed until late afternoon... Also the bulk tank. Today was pick up day. Everything else is A OK... goats are screaming, cows are meandering, Scout is chasing the neighbors 4-wheelers, chickens are being chickens... how ever that is.

Personally I went to Springfield today to the chiropractor... I finally got out 45 minutes after getting there. Just long enough to make me late getting to the vets office in Bolivar. OH well, seeing as I was late I stopped off at the Goodwill store... at least it will be a cheap place to get some chore clothes. And they had a few crock pots. I'm wanting to try and reduce fresh tomato juice into sauce using the low setting, for canning... :) Yes C., P., JK #1 and #2, and anyone else I do have a brain... sometimes I just forget it. :)

In other news... got home and friend of ours were here!!! :) IT WAS ABOUT time!!! :) It's been a long time since we've seen them. The next time shouldn't be a couple of years... :)

Well I'm off...

Thursday Travels

It's time once again for our travels throughout blog land! :)

Our first destination is Northview Diary. I so enjoy this blog and have done so for almost 2 years... wow where does the time fly? Of course she and her family dairy... what could be better? :) From this loverly spot on the blog map we'll jump to:

Gizzards & Calf Fries .... YOU MUST go here and look at the adorable pics she has posted of some of the darn cutest beef calves I've seen in a coons age! From here we will jet off to:

Malfunction Junction ... the name just begged for looking in on. It feel like home... except the horses... :) lol off to:

No So Usual ... a place when I have more time I would like to look around a little more.

Signing off and back to the sewing sweat shop... or a day so far in review post... maybe both... Who knows with me...