WDE

It's WORLD DAIRY EXPO time! No I won't being going... not that when I do go I ever have a good time. I'm much to stressed to enjoy things like this. But someday I hope that I'll be able to enjoy things without worrying about what is going on, on the home front.

At least I can watch the shows LIVE via their web casts. :) So there for it's cheaper than having to be there and I'm not stressed out! I can hardly wait for Saturday night to come. The champ will be crowned for another year. I so wish that I had a cow, or two, maybe three, four... oh heck a whole herd... several strings there... nothing like being greedy is there. OH to dream...

Also we've had our 4th!!!!! heifer in a row. I knew I was missing somebody last night, but I just couldn't find her. So I thought I had over looked her and she was find. Well Bernice... was hiding well and little Bets was found tonight. She has the same personality as her mother... CRAZY. She's alive and well... and today that's all that matters.

Other news... I've started painting the milk barn. All I'll say is... it's going to be BRIGHT! :)

Long Day...

It was just one of those days. A good day (sorta). It went something like this.

Woke up early... ugh... browsed  a bit, got dressed, couldn't find my shoes. Go out... to the barn... all the goats are going NUTS!!! Sparky is nuts, calves are nuts, Kodie is thinking about being nuts. Me... well I have a fit of carnality in the truck getting a cow up who had been MIA for day. After that I do go just a tiny bit nuts, in chasing two horrible buckling who have come of age. That should be a chapter in a book... What they DON'T tell you about buck...

Had breakfast... UL came and we started working on freeing the logging chain from underneath of the bush hog. Don't ask... It finally came, all be it in two pieces! Praise the Lord.

Mom started bushing hogging, I tried to finish mowing, only to run out of gas. Finally did finish mowing the yard, and caught the two horrible bucks and took them to their new home. :) NO I didn't kill them... yes I thought about. NOOOOO not really. Well... if you only knew!

Evening chores... seemed to drag on and ON and ON. One cow calving (heifer BTW), one Crimson going slower than molasses in January and wanting to find her baby (who is in the barn safe and sound and has been for a few days now).

Finally in and ready for bed. Good night all...

Change...

Yes I've changed back grounds again. If I can changes things up I LOVE TO DO IT! At least it's something I can control. There's not much else these days that can be. :)

Finally to have

Our internet working again. It seems as though I have a limit on the amount that they say I'm downloading. In almost 2 years I've never had a problem with this (heck... I never knew there was such a limit). That is until a week ago.

Evidently someone, is hacking into my signal, causing my usage to go out of bounds and for me to basically be locked out of the internet for 24 hours. Oh they say your not... but when it takes 45 minutes for YAHOO to load... well you get my drift. This really ticks my corset strings. So now I'll have to start turning off the router at night (it's happening at around 12-2 AM and of course my FREE time doesn't start until 2-7 EST and I'm CST).

I declare if it isn't one thing it's another. Happy Monday y'all.

Another funny...

To make you laugh!

I look to the hills...

From whence cometh my help...

Tempest here is indeed praying in goat terms. Weaning is hard to deal with when your just an itter baby goat. Who is just a sweet heart... when she's sleeping and not bawling her little head off.

Customer Care...

You know there are some tech people out there who are more than helpful. I've been having problems with our internet service... sometimes it will work, other times not so much. I did EVERYTHING known to man, woman, child, beast ... you name it I tried.

Well this morning I had, had it! I called... bracing myself for the Hello of someone whom I wouldn't be able to understand clearly, who wouldn't really get it, who would wear me slick... It's always the same. The good ole automated attendant, she is always first... is this right... YES! I'm sorry I didn't get that is it yes or no? YES! dag gum it all... I'm sorry I didn't understand, could you repeat that. YES for the millionth time YES YES YES! I'm sorry, wait one moment while I redirect your call. Well praise the lord that what I wanted in the beginning.

Well today my redirected call was to Chris (I think that was his name), he was dare I say it... helpful. He understood me, I halfway understood him. He laughed, I laughed... we had a moment. :) LOL In all seriousness he was helpful. We chatted, he asked if the monsoons had started here yet. Nope... thankfully we don't have those here. He asked why I had the email address I had... I explained... he laughed and told me a story of when he started his own business. Wanting to know if I knew what incense was... and I did! Anyway I guess there was so much smoke from all the incense turn the walls black and his parents wouldn't speak to him for a month and he father beat him! LOL OK so that last part wasn't so funny, but I do declare,  I have never laughed so much... and it was only because he was laughing.

The odd thing about the whole deal was I think he wanted me to ask him for his email address or something. Now I didn't want to hurt his feelings but... well I just don't do that with a person I hardly know. Ya know?

Yesterday

Mondays... they should really be outlawed, don't you think? Lets take a vote! All in favor say I!

Well yesterday was a doozy. It really started out on Sunday... We ran out of feed. Sigh... I'm just not used to having the bin up and having to THINK. I'm still in the "baby bin" and filling it with the tractor mode. So that ended up making Monday start earlier than normal in having to "run" and get bagged feed for the masses so they could at least have full feed that morning. To top things off we had ran out of goat chow and had been feeding the cow ration. I do declare... the bawling of goats when they are hungry can about drive me batty! What does one pray for in that kind of situation? Patience? Lose of hearing for 45 minutes twice a day.... I don't know.

Back to Monday... after going and getting feed, feeding, and other chores. A few house chores... mom and I went to Springfield and looked at stoves again... why is it when you don't have an oven that is the only thing you want to do is bake? Cookies, bread, roast chicken, I could go on... I think me mudder has narrowed it done on what she would like... hasn't she? :)

We did some other shopping came home after the down pour that hit home and started out to evening chores later than I should have. Two cows had calved and the one from before was being a pill. So that took time... time at the time I didn't know that I was needing elsewhere. I have been watching Sparky for over 2 weeks now... I've just had the feeling about her. I never DREAMED that it would end up in a wet and muddy me, being in soaking wet muddy shoes for 6 hours, knowing I couldn't pull the calf, calling Dr.L at 8:30 that night, and ending in a C-section and not getting in until after midnight. Mom, myself, and Dr.L were all glad we got her in the barn and where there were lights to work with even though it was raining and pitch black out. This is by far the short version.

I will say this... it was amazing to watch and help. It almost makes me wish I was a vet myself. I find all that stuff so fascinating anyway. Anyway... Sparky is doing well under the circumstances. Her baby didn't make it. It was a heifer... an 85 pound all jersey beauty. I'm consoling myself in the fact that there was something not right with her neck and that if she had been alive and then died later it would have been hard to handle. Right now I don't take heartache well.

FYI: leave it to goats to make life interesting. They turned off the lights right when Dr L. was getting close to starting the incision on Sparky. It's funny now... not so much last night. :) They were mom's goat last night... no really... Viv and Vash. :)

Sunday (archive) Still...

Well, seeing as I didn't know what the assignment for this week was until yesterday late... and it was raining. Archive pics are the best I can do. :) 

All in a days work...

Clouds had been slowly building all day. A sprinkle here... a few drops there. It's amazing how when your washing machine goes, and the oven in your stove goes (both on the same day BTW) and then the router for your wireless connection goes how things just seem to go haywire.

SO we finally have decided on the washing machine we are getting. It's a Samsung from Sears. GRRRR I tell you what these sales people are soooo frustrating. So I'm going to be writing Sears a letter. I mean, you tell people one price which is the sale price until yesterday, then when you go to get it, well that's not what is was, and the delivery is this much, but will be refunded... then no it's this much and it won't be refunded. On and ON and ON. And do they REALLY need sales people who are only able to sell you a washer or a stove? They are dag gum appliance's people?!?!

We haven't decided on a stove yet. The thought of more sales people just makes me want to crawl in a hole and cover my head. Why can't they just give a straight forward answer?

And to top off the week, the router went out. *sighing and shaking my head* So I started off by going and buying the stuff (note: I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm winging) install the first STUFF Friday night and have INTERNET again. YEE HAW!!! Next morning (yesterday) I go about setting up the desktop for wireless. The short version is... 7 tech support guys later, all of whom I could not understand and ditto with them. They FINALLY said that the adapter wasn't working right.! Praise the LORD! I had only spent 8 hours off and on... being hung up on, had my named missed spelled 7 times, given my phone number 7 times, told them the problem 7 times, and lost what is left of my noodle and no not 7 times... :) The funny thing is... when I set up the old router with the new router and adapter... it worked. There are just some things it's best to not to try and figure out. If you would try it would just give you a headache... trust me.

Otherwise yesterday went fairly well. UL came and put the tires on the trailer, fed Vashtie (moms not so little white goat) and bomb pop... she loves them!, did evening chores with it starting to sprinkle even more and ended them by loading a new baby calf in the truck.

SHE kicked, pooped on my (it was the sticky stuff that just oozes down ones leg) ON the bright side, it was raining and I found an old paper towel in the truck to wipe my leg off with. :) However I did manage to get it in my shoe, and all over my clothes. Finished by feeding the calves their evening bottles outside in the rain. Getting wet and cold. Put at least Polly... :) is in the barn and warm.

Generations

Mother and daughter! :) it's a GIRL from a line that only has one or two heifers in their lifetime.

Grandmother of the bity baby girl!

A little blurry but hey! :)

Random Things...

Wishing there was more milk in the tank...

Poll: News media's credibility...

Go here and read the story. Funny that people don't seem to believe the media much anymore. I haven't for awhile now.

Cows...

I've come to decision that:

A. Cows are at times not the brightest crayons in the box. For instance... cows who are HEAVY with calf should NOT be running the whole length of 22 acres. It's a long 22. Maybe our cows are just nutz... It's a good possibility. FYI  Cows can run faster than a tractor in rabbit 1st gear. Just thought you would like to know that.

B. Cows can try the patience of any call person. Like when they stand right in front of a gate that you need to get thru. So you just stand there screaming like a raving manic and they just look at you "WHAT doooo you want." ARGH!!! I'm sooo glad cows can't talk.

C. Little cows (aka calves) are just like their mothers. If their mother is a loud and bawling sweetheart (note this is not what I was thinking but oh well) their baby will be the same why...

Cows... can't live with 'em can't live without 'em.

Gone...gone...

Without even a good bye, so long, see ya later... Our milk hauler for the last... forever... quit and is now one of the few, the proud, the cream of the crop... He's dairying... *shaking my head* What is the man thinking!?! yes I know he was tired of trucking milk from here, there and yon. But is it any reason to just up and quit?! No I say, NO.

This is of course purely selfish on my part and I know it. I've just known J. since... well forever in milking terms. He was hauling our milk when his boys were just little fellers and the girls weren't much more than babies. Now there is a grand-daughter and the babies are in high school. The time has flown by at such a speed it's just amazing. Now he is dairying with his dad and brother I believe. 20 heifers... and a dream that has taken 20 years to reach. Deep down I'm happy for him, really I am. I'm just sad for me. Who is going to keep me up to-date with what's going on with the co-op, The Milkweed, all the good stuff.

I'll be OK, really I will... as long and they don't get some new guy to haul our milk. OH heaven help us if we have to break in a new guy, which always leads to another new guy. Milk haulers seem to go in pairs... Why is this?

So farewell J., maybe I'll have to break down and go to the annual meeting next Spring (eww.... that will mean getting off the farm and around other hard headed farmers... it might just take me the next 7 months to gear up for this). So I can catch up on how the girls did in up coming Fall show's. They have some fantastic Guernsey's! 

A smile...

This picture makes me smile. Little Annaliese when she was indeed little (OK smaller than she is now). Today we found out we will lose the cow we have tried our best to save. Thankfully a vet came, ON a holiday and was kind. We've done our best and that is all we can do. All anyone can do. She will be missed... but since I believe in bovine heaven she'll be welcomed by those dear girls who've gone on before. If I don't stop here I'll start to cry SO on to a happy note.

We've had a new calf and it's a heifer! She is about 2 days old now, her mouth does not close until after she has been fed. And then it's the sticky,slimy little nose mouth combo trying to go up and down the back of ones leg, making the calmest person on the planet go nutz!

I hope everyone has an enjoyable holiday. I'm going to try and make cheese, maybe. Or maybe fudge. Or neither. WHO KNOWS! :)

Kodiak...

This is Kodie. This is Kodie being active. This is on a good day. :)

This is Kodie's foot and mine. Note they are the same size. We both have a 9.5 W shoe I guess... :)

Strange facts...

I like odd pieces of knowledge. Why... maybe because I'm odd. Yes I know it! Actually I'm a one of a kind. :)

Anyway:

Archaeologists excavated a fully equipped soap factory in the ruins of Pompeii, the Roman resort town destroyed by a volcano in 79 B.C.

In 1996, the average American spent $360.00 in Wal-Mart. That's more than the average person in Mozambique earns in three years.

In October of 1983, when Anheuser-Busch brought a Cleveland florist to court for using the Budweiser slogan "This Bud's for you" Federal Judge Ann Aldrich ruled in favor of the florist, claiming that it would be absurd for anyone to confuse flowers with beer.

The United States produces more than one billion gallons of ice cream, ice milk, sherbet, and water ice every year.

Armed robbers hit 7-Eleven stores more often than any other chain in the United States.

Derry Church, Pennsylvania, the home of Hershey's Foods, was renamed Hershey in 1906.

A slight delay... and the answer is...

Due to  an unforeseen wrong move of which made my back start to hurt like the dickens, yesterdays answer is late.

The answer is this or the best that I can find without having to sit here and type out the whole thing...

A while ago, at the West Point Academy's Jewish Chapel, there was a display about Hyam Salomon and the Revolutionary War. He died penniless, having used all his resources to aid the newly formed and poorly supplied American Continental Army.

This is a wonderful story sent to me by a lawyer friend that shares my interest in history. I hope you will find it of interest to you:

General Washington's financial advisor and assistant was a Jewish man by the name of Hyam Salomon. During the cold winter months at Valley Forge when American soldiers were freezing and running out of food, it was Hyam who marshaled all the Jews in America and Europe to provide money in relief aid to these stranded American troops and turned the course of history. Without this help, Washington's Continental Army, and the fate of the American Colonies would have perished before they could have defeated the British.

If you take a one dollar bill out of your pocket and look at the back at the Eagle, the stars above the Eagle's head are in the six point Star of David to honor Jews. If you turn the Eagle upside down you will see a configuration in the likeness of a Menorah....both at the insistence of George Washington who said we should never forget the Jewish people and what they have done in the interest of America.

Of course there are those who don't believe this. However the truth of the matter is without the help of Mr. Salomon and other Jews we won't not have a country.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone would ask Mr. Obama  if he know the answer. And also ask just how many Muslims have donated money that wasn't asked to be repaid in the defense of our country. AND NO I'm not against Muslims as a whole. Like with any man made religion and I do mean RELIGION there are those who are fanatic's.

Why is there a...

Star of David on the dollar bill? Can anyone answer this question?

I'll post the answer tomorrow... Prize? Well... it will be the satisfaction of knowing that you know! HA!

Warm Toes

As I sit here typing away, a fluffy not fat dog is warming my toes. Yup that's him up there. Isn't he a sweetie? Yes he is. Ranger and I have the same speed some days, the same don't touch me attitude some days, and the same I'm really in need of some LOVE here... some days. If I were a dog I would probably be him... in female form of course.

Well I made a cake today... I found the recipe off of a blog of follow from time to time. It looks promising. And I only made one change. It call for a white cake mix. First of do you know how much cake mixes are these days?! 1.99 here... sheesh... I remember when they were .50 or 75. Sheesh... SO I used a yellow one we had and that was needing to be used up. After all it was called a Heavenly Cake and the streets of Heaven are paved in Gold after all... that's my reasoning for using a "golden" cake mix. :) I'll let you know how it taste. I will say this...1. you can test the cake for being done and 2. it's takes longer than 42 minutes. More like over an hour.

On the milk front... Cheese is down again. I wish someone would tell me WHY. And why do we keep letting this go on? It's a short soap box today. The energy just isn't in me today to make a big rant. Don't get me wrong. It will happen... when I don't know. I'm working on it. :)

Amazon...

Is there anything you can't find on Amazon? I LOVE Corn Bran Cereal... and ta DA Amazon has it...

Why is it???

The trend is going to the twitters, face book and so for and so on... I'm just going around things backwards. Why is it when the trend is going one way I ALWAYS go and do the opposite. They say blogs are fading fast... then why is I keep finding so many that are so neat?! Why is it people always try to change others and what they think by putting out some article that has nothing to do with real life. Someone not knowing anything about the real world is trying to make their mark in the world not knowing just what they are doing, but they think and what they want it's all that matters.

OK on to the next thing... :) Yesterday was a busy day. 8 quarts of tomatoes done up between calling several vets for a cow who was sick. She lost her calf and had gotten a terrible infection. WHO KNEW! Anyway she is feeling much better and at least we saved her. Also made 3 gallon of cereal and a cheese ball. I even made spaghetti the day before for dinner... it was nasty though... No amount of "doctoring" would help, did help or is going to help.

The cereal turned out pretty well even if I do say so myself. I'll post the recipe on the recipe blog.

Another day...

Well it's September first and the flannel sheet were put on the bed last night. Chilly here and this is such odd weather for Missouri. E gads... does make one wonder what is in store for winter doesn't it?

Today the rest of the tomatoes have GOT to be done up. Oh joy and thrill divine. Don't get me wrong I'm glad we have them to do, I just don't like having to do it. Just being honest. I've got to get some things ready to send off. And if anyone feels the need to pray please do so... I don't want to get into the details, but right now we need all the prayers we can't get. And for the heck of it add all of the dairy farmers to your prayer list. We all need it...

Not much else is going on around here... I've done some sewing... a cute little bag! Oh it's so cute! pictures to come at a later date! off the subject but boy I wish I could spell and type today... every other word is wrong and I keep having to go back and change it. ARGH! :)