Blessings

When my tired body finds rest and I'm counting my blessings,
my heart is at peace,
my mind decompressing.

I pray for the creatures, so great and small,
the ones who depend on me,
to care for them all.

These animals, every one, have touched me in some way,
they probably have no clue,
how much I depend on them each day.

Their eyes hold secrets, no one can make them tell,
you have to look deeply,
look with your soul as well.

If they could talk, I wonder what they would say?
Would they tell of their trials,
their tribulations that day?

Do they remember the time I felt lost and a wreck?
I went to them,
to rest my head on their neck.

They stood, as I poured my heart out to them never saying a word,
silently they listened,
never once having stirred.

I wish they could know how it feels to be me.
To realize that they,
are a part of my family.

Love and Blessings,
CowLady

Happy Birthday Chuck!!

My Love,
I know you Still Feel 25 Most of the Time, and maybe sometimes act it;).  Our Love Story is only just beginning, but you and me baby are Stuck Like Glue.  After many birthdays you finally met the Farmer's Daughter, and showed her that This Ole Boy has got it goin' on;).

 

We got to Take a Back Road,  and you let me be your Shotgun Girl.  I soon found out that you were Hell on the Heart after I had to demand, Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?  Then, not only did I discover there was Somethin' Bout a Truck, but You and Tequila Make Me Crazy.  Sometimes you call me a Crazy Girl, and that's Alright 'cuz you're my Sweet Thing.

 

We sunned on the beach and sang that Dirt Road Anthem, after you Put a Ring on It, and I knew no one else could ever make me Feel That Fire the way you do.  Without You honey, I'm no Better Than I Used to Be.  You have nothing at the Baggage Claim holding us back, and for us, Time is Love.  Those Summer Nights Remind Me that when I am lost You Save Me.  I Run to You, and I always will.  I plan on spending the rest of my life trying To Make You Feel My Love, and know it's true.

You are the best man I know, and I Love Your Love the Most, I always will.  I truly believe our love is a blessing, and God Gave Me You.  If Today Was Your Last Day, know that you're Never Gonna Be Alone from this moment on, because you are my heart and I'm Yours.  Happy Birthday my love!  I hope it's wonderful and spent with family and friends.
Love, Forever and Ever Amen,
YourCowLady

P.s. I think I got all of our songs:).

Song titles credited to:
Taylor Swift, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bently, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Kip Moore, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan, Josh Turner, Thompson Square, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, JaneDear Girls, Eli Young Band, Rodney Atkins, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, Nickelback and Beynce'.

The Bad Guys

I have been meticulously working on my soapbox for quite a while now, and I think it's time to break it out.
(Hope I don't bust my rear....)

Walk with me, talk with me....
You are sitting in your house, it's evening time..the kid(s) have already eaten and finished their homework...nothing left to do but watch tv and relax....
With me?

What are your biggest fears?  Who do you think is out to get you and your family?
Criminals?
Escaped convicts?
Hackers?
Bullies?

...farmers?

So you were probably with me until that last one.
It's understandable.
Maybe you agree with the last one?


Honestly, I don't know where we went wrong.
I am speechless when I read articles concerning "milk safety" and "animal welfare", and how dairy farmers(as well as farmers in general) "should do a better job caring for their animals" and "watch what goes into the milk(or meat) they ship".
Pardon?
More often than not the authors of such articles have gained all of their credibility from behind their computers in their ivory tower.

Sure, as technology evolved so did the dairy industry, and overall agricultural industry for that matter.
Innovations enabled us to get more milk from our cows, which seemed like a great idea at the time, however the negative effects from using hormones like rBST became illegal for the majority of milk sales.
BUT, the milk demand didn't lessen.

As farmers became more educated, so did the public.

All of the sudden the public wanted to know exactly how their animals were being treated.
NEWS FLASH!  Farmers actually like their animals...the animals are their source of income, and what feeds their family.
What reason is there for us to mistreat our livelihood?

Sure there are some bad apples in the bunch, you don't go through life without meeting a few, but that shouldn't ruin your taste for all in general.

"Mad Cow Disease" and "Ecoli", have become common headlines and people are scared.
They suddenly want "organic" products because obviously those are better.
Did you know that the term "Organic" has nothing to do with how humanely an animal is treated?
Sure, they are raised on special "pesticide-free" diets and given specific "organic" medications, but how differently does it taste?
I can convince myself that milk from a yellow jug tastes different than milk from a clear jug...but does it really?
Come on.

European Union standards have influenced our market, causing our buyers to demand a certain type of milk.
We are moving towards a market where a Somatic Cell Count(SCC) of over 400,000 is unacceptable.
What does this mean to YOU?
Do you, or the general public, know what a SCC is?
It's the white cell count in the milk.

Generally an elevated white cell count indicates infection.
This means that the cow is producing an elevated amount of white cells, which means she could possibly have an infection somewhere she is not being treated for.
A high white cell count ALSO means that she could be in heat.
She could have just calved.
She could be OLD.
She might just have a high white cell count naturally.

This cell count is a weighted average of all of the cows whose milk is in the tank.
If you milk say, over 200 cows, and one or two have a high cell count, then it's mixed in with the other milk and "diluted" out so the overall shipment isn't high.
There is not a farm in our area that milks under 150, because they can't and meet the EU standards...and afford to feed their family.

Can you taste a difference?
Did you know that we haven't gone to those standards yet?
I'm below 400,000 but I had to sell a few of my older cows to get there..cows who were just old.
Because you can taste a difference.

The lady whose home borders one of our fields stopped Eddie the other day and asked if he could "do anything about the dust" that his truck was kicking up, as he hauled haylage to the pit(and me).
"The dust is covering me patio furniture, and getting in my house", she said, "we would really like to put a pool in".

She wanted Eddie to do something about it.
He gave her BossMan's phone number.

BossMan reminded her that her husband cleared the fence row, on OUR side, because it was grown up last year.
He threw all of the debris in our field.
That fence row created a natural buffer from dust coming off of the field.
It must be hell living in the country.

I'm not entirely sure when it happened, but at some point the farmer became the bad guy.
The farmer, who works to not only feed his family, but billions of others, became a criminal.

Technology is making it possible to feed more people, more efficiently than ever.
But we can't win!

People complain about the price of a gallon of milk, and don't take into consideration the price of hauling, the price of feeding, the price of time and care.
Then...then they turn around a pay a couple of dollars more for "certified organic".

Sometimes I wonder what people think...do they ever stop and ask what is being hauled in the trucks through the farmland?
Do they ever think that maybe that's feed for the cows who produce the milk and beef?
Maybe if I sell my cows I can come swim in her pool this summer.

Love and nothing but respect,
CowLady

Mildy Concussed

I hit my head on the tractor approximately 17 times yesterday...but who's counting?
I feel mildly concussed.
Concussed is so a word.

You're lucky, because at this time I have complete control over my memory of yesterday.
When I woke up this morning there was a lot of shady confusion.
Possibly caused by said concussion.

It all started when I put my honey on the tractor yesterday.
Isn't that how it always starts?
That made no sense.

Moving on..

My honey had yesterday off so he came out to help medicate and wrap Gus's foot, and spend a little time with the big beast.
Gus likes us.

(Famous.Last.Words.)

After their visit, Chuck came over to help me pack haylage.
He loves me that much:).

Anyway, he has never operated a front-end loader so this was a totally new experience for...both of us.
I have the utmost confidence in my honey though...he can do anything.

He hopped up into the seat, and I decided that it would be a great idea to sit on the fender.
Because I'm pretty like that.

The Valtra has an open cab, so most of the time I sat over the tire, leaning inward under the roof, and explained how to operate the machine.
(I love pictures of me like that.)

For your information, tractors aren't padded...contrary to popular belief, they are NOT just like driving a Mercedes.
I don't know who believes that.
I'm sure someone does.

I had done the majority of the packing up until he got into the drivers seat, so I had no idea what it felt like to be a passenger.
Actually....no one should know that.
There's a sticker that plainly reads "no passengers" right beside where I...was not sitting.

No worries!  I didn't consider myself a "passenger", I was merely the conductor and him the engineer.
(Chuck's brief, but memorable, train stint taught me a few things.)

Within no time, he had it down!
The only thing he needed to get the hang of, was working the bucket while driving the tractor.
The only thing I needed to get the hang of was riding side-saddle on a big metal horse who kept bucking me into the roof.

I'll make a farmer out of him yet:).
...as long as my concussion doesn't hold me back.

Love,
ConcussedCowLady

I Wonder as I Wander...

 

For the past (almost THREE!!) weeks, I have been stuck/forced/held against my will sitting on a tractor meticulously packing haylage.
This is the most basic form of torture, I have decided.
As long as I don't think of the monotony, and endless supply of haylage coming in, I do fine.
IF I begin to look at the trees rather than the forest, I get anxious and want to cry.
Some farmer I am....

I guess there are tools I could utilize to help me take my mind off of the work, like listening to an iPod, or blessing the world by stretching my vocal chords...
Instead, I think.

I hmmmmm and hawwwwww about terribly important, worldly matters.

For instance, why is it so cold allofthesudden?
-Is this some sort of payback for the early warmth we got?
-Am I mad about the cold?
-I wish it would rain...it's really dry out.
-Does this mean we will have a dry summer?
-Will we have a short winter again?
-I shouldn't have planted my roses at home.
-My Bougainvillea is so mad right now...
-The lady at the garden center pronounced it "Boo-gam-vill-ea"...I like that better.
-How long will my Cyclaman  bloom?
-Why do none of my plants want water?
-I wish I had time for a garden.
-Should I still be watering my roses?

Another subject I often ponder is Gus:
-I think he likes attention.
-He doesn't mind the cows..maybe he's scared.
-That one cow did chase him...
-I think he likes Chuck, Beenie and I...we are his people.
-Why doesn't he like stuff around/near his ears?
-His past owner was kinda...ding-y...
-He's so pretty.
-I like his nostrils.
-I wish he didn't try to sit on me when I wrap his foot.
-He's misunderstood justlikeme.

I psychoanalyze myself:
-What am I going to bake tonight?
-Why am I going to bake something?
-Maybe I need to feel like I have accomplished something.
-Why do people automatically think I am mean?
-I'm just quiet.
-And to the point.
-But I don't mean any harm!
-I just have a lot on my mind.
-I drink a lot of water.
-Is this because I'm an Aquarius?
-They are 'water bearers' you know.
-That makes sense, I'll stick with it.

Sometimes my thoughts turn to things around me:
-Eddie is smaller than me.
-I don't know how I feel about that.
-Tim's bigger...a little at least.  Thank goodness!
-I hope I don't flip this tractor over...I would be so in trouble.
-I should start wearing ear plugs...my teeth hurt.
-That cat is so pregnant.
-Look at the ducks!
-Those little birds are giving that hawk the what-for!
-I so dislike vultures.

By the time I have made it through all of this it's been all of...12 minutes.
I already know what I am going to be thinking about today....what I'm cooking for Chucks birthday.

So there ya go.
Someone has to do the thinking.
Youcanthankmelater.

Love,
PonderingCowLady

Better Than Dolittle...

Ugh.
(I couldn't hold it in.)
Did I say something about not chopping last week?
I can't recall.

Actually, I cannot recall ever NOT chopping.
Thatisall.

I won't mention how worn out I am.
I mean, after rightnow.

I keep yawning and digging eye-crispies out.
OK, after rightnow.

Heeyyyyy!  Wanna meet some new gals?
Here are my 3 little girls I had last week...

This is Violet.
Her mother tried to kill Gus.
True story.

He walked up to Violet all like, awww hello little Jersey...and mama stopped him short.
Poor Gus.

This is Gertrude.
I carried her forever.
No thanks to her mother, who was eating.

My big Holstein gal is Persephone.
Except I just Googled that and found out that Persephone, in Greek mythology, is goddess of the underworld....and spring growth...
I don't know how I feel about that.

Wanna know a secret?
Good.  I thought you might say "no".

Until Saturday, I had lived my entire life never having given a horse a shot.
Yep.
Neva. Eva.

Of course then Saturday rolled in and BAM! shook my world.

Beenie ventured out to bring Gus in to ride.
Gus didn't come to her, which is odd because normally if you have treat, Gus will travel.
This time he just stood there...with foot lifted in the "owie" position.

The "owie" position always conjures an exasperated sigh out of me.
More often than not, it means I have to make the "owie" a "yeeeeowie", in order to make it OK.

Beenie limped Gustav in and discovered that he had a bad cut above the back of his front hoof.
Not to be confused with the front of his back hoof...or the back of his back hoof...or the left side of his right back hoof...
Then she called me and I sighed.

It was a really deep cut, that we discovered must have been caused from him pawing the bottom strand of the barbed wire.
OKholdit...I know barbed wire isn't optimal for horses, but if my cows didn't outnumber the horse 200 to 1, then I might change that.
Until then, heshouldstoppawing.

We took him down to the barn and rinsed his foot off, and he just stood there like a good boy.
Then.....THEN!  I called Dr. Kirksy...and life as I knew it, changed.

I explained the wound and told him what I had for breakfast, for some darn reason.
Then he told me that Gus needed 20cc of Penicillin in the muscle and 10cc of Banamine in the vein.
That's when I lost a few years of my life.

You see, Gustopher does NOT like certain things...like things going into his mouth or around his head.
This is something we are working with, and he is getting better.
BUT!  He is rather large, and so unlike my Bovine.

I, in kind of a breathless, panicked way, told Dr, Kirsky of my reservations regarding the administration.
He listened, and when I paused for his thoughts, he simply said, "that's why I stopped working on horses."
Heh.  You don't say.

We got off the phone and I retrieved the medicine, wrapped Gustavson's foot, then stood there and worried with Beenie for a solid 15 minutes.
Yeah.
She was nervous too.

I worried to the point that I was shaking...trembling even!
Give cows shots?  Shoooooottttt! Any.Day.
Give a dog a shot?  Psssshyeah. No. Prob.
Give a quirky horse a shot?  .....heh......

We finally, and I mean after I worried years off my life, decided to take him to the field so that if he got loose he would not run to Argentina.
Wait...you can't run to Argentina!
Atlanta...run to Atlanta.

I eased up beside the big guy, big Penicillin shot in hand, and held my breath as he...didn't.move.a.muscle.
I then found his vein, held my breath again when he...stood.perfectly.still.
Wait...what?!

What a guy!!!
What a trooper!!!
Treats all around!!!

See!?
I told you there was nothing to worry about.

Stick with me and you'll go places.

Love,
Dr.CowLady

P.s. I totally knew you can't run to Argentina...I was just testing you.

If We Had Never Met

...I would still be sleeping with my window open, on the ground floor of the apartment complex.

...I'd still live IN an apartment..

...I wouldn't have stopped competing in figure.  After all, I had tons of time to diet and exercise.

...I would still say things like, "Goh! There were a ton of cops at that one house!"...when in all reality there were 3 cruisers...meaning 3 officers...

...I would stay up past ten.

...I would still drive to Knoxville for Church.

...I wouldn't have started this blog.

...I wouldn't get cards from my baby calves on Mother's Day.

...I wouldn't bake very often.

...I wouldn't have bought a horse.

But we did meet and maybe I realized that...

...Sleeping with your windows open, on the ground floor is kind of dangerous...

 

...I needed a home to make my own...

 

...I have nothing to prove, and I don't have to compete to be worth something...

 

...Generally speaking, and unless I'm partnering, there is ONE officer per car.
...Nothing good happens after ten anyway.
...My Church home is with you, in Maryville.
...If no one else does, YOU want to know what I think.
...The calves can't hold the pencil by themselves.

 

...I waited for so long to have someone to bake for.

 

...I love that silly horse.

If we had never met, I would still be waiting for you.

Love,
YourCowlady

Italian Night!

 

I have been craving lasagna for a month, however will not bring myself to use canned sauce.
'Cuz Imma brat.

These are the facts.

Since we have been in haylage for what seems like 2 months a while, I haven't had the wherewithal to make my favorite ragu recipe when I get home from work.
...I ordered pizza if that tells you anything...

The night that I made PW's oatmeal cream pies, I dug out my ragu ingredients; ground pork, ground beef, prosciutto, pork neck bones, and a wholebunchofotherstuff and forced myself to get this done!
And I done done it.

Listen, if you make your own meat sauce(which I highly recommend because the flavors are un-real compared to store bought), then you should venture over to that dark corner of the meat section at your grocery store.
You know the one.
The one with the pig ears, tripe, chitlins....(I just threw up a little in my mouth)...
That, less traversed, section holds the packages of pork neck bones...a super-secret, super-amazing ingredient.

Fun Fact:  When I go to the 'dark section' it always reminds me of my babysitter when I was growing up...she was a wonderful lady...she could fix beans and cornbread like no other.  She also dipped snuff, and cooked greens out of the front yard.
Only the facts.

ANYway, you brown the neck bones and add them to the sauce to simmer and bubble for almost 3 hours.  Then you remove them.
You will thank me.

But this isn't about neck bones.

 

This is about lasagna made with whole wheat noodles....and.....

Homemade focaccia!
OK, so it ain't pretty but it'll do.
I didn't have bread, which might as well be a crime when serving lasagna.

I popped over to Allrecipes and found a lovely recipe for focaccia that takes less than an hour.
It was my first time making it and I will def make it again!

OK, so...lasagna...focaccia...and....

Italian cream cupcakes!
Woohoo!

I follow Sweetapolita's blog religiously,and the other day she featured Pioneer Woman's 'Billie's Italian Cream Cake'.
It spoke to me.

I had to make it.

Since I had just finished making PW's cream pies, and that frosting I was telling you about was still on the brain...I decided to bring it to the party....

I used that recipe to make a filling for the cupcakes...(whaaaattt!)...that I made the cake into.
I know, the pic is blurry.  it's not you, it's me.

I don't know about you, but in my house, cupcakes rule.
They are easy and highly transportable sneakable.

I topped them with a generous scoop of coconut, pecan, cream cheese icing...and oh man....
You don't even know.

If someone loves you...I mean really loves you....they will make these for you.
After which you should propose...if you're not already married to them...and if you're not related.
I'll stop now.

Chchchchchoppping today!

Love,
Eye-talianCowLady

...and then we rested.

Yesterday.
I was all like 'hey, I better get on the tractor' but then...the chopping halted.
There was silence.
I heard birds chirping.


Things didn't make sense.
I couldn't remember my name...Calliope?

But but but, what do I do when we don't chop?

I wandered around aimlessly, for the first ten minutes but seemed like years, and then I remembered...Aha!
I can get my stuff done.
My stuff: Working calves, breeding cows, calling my DFA field agent...you know, normal herdswoman things.

Chuck came out and we went to Tractor Supply, then visited with Gus for a bit.

Lemme tell you about a cookie-hound...

This big, muscular, athletic specimen has a soft-spot for treats...

The horse isn't much better.
Heh.


Then, as if the day couldn't be more normal, I rounded it out by going to the bank, running the stairs, AND going out to eat with the Garner3.

Did I really live that way before chopping?
NOT on the tractor?
I kinda missed it....
WAIT! Did anyone hear me?
No one can know.

Since it's raining today, I expect to get more 'normal' things done with my big, beautiful ladies.

OH! Before I forget....
All of you bakers out there...or "recipe-givers", Pioneer Woman has an excellent recipe for oatmeal cream whoopie pies!

It was given a thumbs up by all of my fellas...and me, cuz I ate 3 yesterday....


I made them after a looooong Monday, and the only thing I changed was the "whoopie" part.
What I mean is, because I was making homemade meat sauce at the same time, I bypassed the "boiling water" part of the cookie recipe (which makes them big and fluffy), and instead made cookies.

My whoopie pies, are more like "woo" pies...which is how my life seems to be going at this point.
Wait...
Don't read into that.
Make the cookies!

Here's the link to PW's recipe.
Enjoy!

Love,
TotallyNormalCowLady

P.s. When you make the cookies, make the second filling. You will never be the same!

You Might be Chopping If....

...You wake up in the morning and think about taking a nap.

...You find pieces of rye in your belly-button.
True story.

...You haven't had a conversation with your significant other, that lasted more than 2 minutes, in over a week.

...Every time you put the tractor in reverse to pack the pit, you almost fall asleep.

...You have black eye crispies.
Ew.

...You reach the end of your rope, which means you get emotionally tired...
-Things like packs of your stepsons Crayons touch your heart.
-You hear a song at 4:30 am, and since it was played during your wedding, you get teary.

...You order pizza for supper. (CRAZYtown for moi.)

...Your shoulders hurt.

...Your back hurts.

...Your everything hurts...

...You put in over 90 hours in a week.

...Your nice to strangers.
That's not me!

...You take pictures of peacocks sitting on tractors, and think they are art..
But you can't put that picture on HERE, because you can't think that hard.

...You have almost as much rye underneath your shirt as you do in the pit.

 ...You start doing everyone else's work, because...why not?
You're here anyway.

Send HELP!

Love,
SweepyCowLady

Living Without Blinders

I was thinking this morning, on my drive to work, that it would be so easy to put my blinders on as jump from one task to another.
Spring time means warmer weather, pollen, allergies, flowers blooming, bugs, bees, and a whole heap of work that needs to be done here.
Like...awholebunch.

Outside of my cow work, the crops either need to be sprayed, cut or planted and the equipment greased up.
Once you are finished with one task, there is another one that you should have started 5 minutes ago.
That's just how it is.

The relationships between coworkers and the boss become strained to the point that you tend to not make eye contact for far fear of being given another "you need to..." on your endless list of things to do.
That's spring for ya.

If you aren't mindful, you could get lost in the trees and never see the whole forest.
It's so easy to do.

Yesterday, I was in the pit, pushing and packing while trying to keep track of the time so that I could leap off of the tractor and run to get something else done without getting too far behind.
That was a run-on sentence, because it's fitting.
Thank you, grammar nazi.

During the "leap" when I was trying to fix the float on the water trough, that my cows think is a toy, I noticed a heifer doing the "Immabout to do sooommmeeethiiiinnng painful"  out in my dry cow lot.
That something already had one foot out, ready to see the world!

Since this isn't my first rodeo, I let her try while I fed my low group of cows, and caught my pushing and packing back up.
When she got up, and had nothing to show from her labor, I ran her into the barn and pulled her calf.
He was a big boy!

I left the two alone, and resumed pushing/packing then fed my high group.

In the meantime, Saigon and Caden came by after Caden's ball game and I shut the tractor off so that Caden could tell me all about how it went.
He got to play catcher and they only lost by 3:).
He's so sweet.

I finished my work, went and checked on the baby I pulled(who got out of the barn)and Saigon relieved me of my duties so that I could take Caden home.

I'm grateful.

The whole way home Caden told me all kinds of things, like how "in twelve thousand years we will have a new north star"...and how if he gets a Lamborghini when he is able to drive, that he will "drive to California in 2 days"...Smart Car it is!

When I was saying my prayers last night, I couldn't help but think of how blessed I am...how truly blessed.
I am overwhelmed with a sense of unworthiness, and it gets me every time.

He was there all day!
He was there when I drove to work and when I fixed the trough the first time.
He was there as I pushed and packed, fed and pulled...God was there.
He gave me those gifts to be able to do that work.
He blessed me with a step son who loves me...and I don't even know why.
He brought Chuck home safe and sound..and for that I am grateful.

I am a flawed person, there's no doubt about that...but He doesn't think any less of me.
He knows what's in my heart and he understands.

If I live every day until I pass, remembering those things, I will still not deserve all that I have been given.

Have a Blessed day:).
Love,
ForgivenCowLady

P.s. I have to fix that trough again today...

My New Art

Hi!
Happy Saturday to those of you who are able to enjoy it...:).
I really did mean that.
Never mind that I am not included in that statement.
No.  I'm not bitter.
I'm rather sweet, actually.

Atanyrate, I want to show you something that I have been excited about since I ordered it...
But first!
I'll tell you the history behind it...so maybe you can appreciate it more than my husband did.
Ahem.

You have seen those "Keep Calm and Carry On" signs around, right?
Pleasesayyes.

People like to change them to anything from "Keep Calm and Drink Coffee" to "Keep Calm and Harley On"...
You get the picture.

I had an inspiration one day, and thought it would be BRILLIANT to make a sign that played on that theme, but was directed at the dairy industry.
I mean, it makes sense for me right?
I though so.

I let that idea fade nearly away, when one day, while browsing ETSY for something totally different, my ingenious idear came back to me.
I bet I can find someone on ETSY to make me a sign!

I heart ETSY.
I mean it's a great example of hardworking individuals, or artisans, selling their hand made goods globally.
It's a great site.
You can find the neatest things there!
(You can also find garage sale items, be mindful.)

I knew what I wanted to I searched and finally found a lady by the name of Tosha, who owns TYPOGRFX.
You can find her website here www.GRFXcreative.com.

I emailed Tosha my idea and she responded right back!
(She thought it was funny as well:).)

A couple of days later she shipped my canvas and I received it yesterday!
Woot!

I put it in the entryway of our home...

Tosha doesn't know I am mentioning her, but I understand that the best advertisement is a happy client.
And I am happy indeed!

Chuck and Saigon saw it and laughed...it will grow on them.

Another long day of chopping today...I hope you get to enjoy the beautiful weather!!

Love,
KeepingCalmCowLady

P.s. It's obvious that that rug is too small for that space.
P.p.s. Rugs are expensive.
P.p.p.s I'm not an interior designer.

Saigon Came By Yesterday...

...and I got so much done!

My father-in-law, or Saigon as you know him, came to the rescue yesterday.
He is one of those people who can do pretty much anything...you know the kind.
The kind who can rewire your outdoor lights and bake a cake better than Martha, without thinking twice.

He came by and took on the task of packing haylage, before I killed someone.
The world is much safer now.

He had never packed haylage, much less driven the Valtra before, but it took him all of 5 minutes to become an expert at both.
He's pretty handy:).

Since he took that job over, I went home and sunbathed for a few hours...I lost my tan from the beach.
Ha.
I kid.

ACTuallly, since Saigon was doing a better job than Eddie or I, I got a whole bunch of everything else done.

I was able to sit here, on the skidsteer...

And wait on the grain truck to dump a pile of soybean meal for me to push into the commodity shed.
Good ol' Saigon.

I was also able to let my low group of cows outside for a couple of hours, only to have to chase all 70-some across the field...TWICE.

 

I appreciate you Saigon.

While he packed, I mixed two loads of calf grain, which I would have had to done while simultaneously packing.
I'm thankful for Saigon.

Having the Valtra work covered, enabled me to push up the feed for my milk cows every hour, AND watch for heats.
Saigon made that possible.

I ended the day by feeding calves and milking cows, never having to worry about falling behind in the trench silo.
Saigon's the bomb-diggity.

When I was all finished, so was he.

He did a better job, at something he had no experience in, than both Eddie and I could have.
Poifectly packed.

While I was marveling at the job well done, someone called the law and a very good looking SGT showed up.....

It must be illegal to be good at everything;).
Thank you Saigon.

Love,
BusyBeeCowLadee

P.s. Chuck and I have been married for one month today!

(I fall all over myself when I see him:).)

Old Man Saggy Tractor Bottom

So...word around the campfire is that someone whose name rhymes with bygone is coming to pack silage today....
My prayers have been answered!!

OK, so packing isn't really that bad..except for the fact that you cannot actually "push" haylage like you can corn silage.
Imagine waiting until your lawn is waist-high, then mowing it, then chopping those clipping up, loading them into a truck and dumping them in a pile.
Got that?
Just pretend...

After you dump the chopped clippings, you take a shovel with a flat end (like zeeeessss 'I____________I') and you try to push that pile across the yard.
Itdoesn'twork.

What it does do, is wad up and roll under the bucket, then under you and suddenly your cheeks are clenched because not only are you climbing Mount Everest on a tractor withoutaseatbelt, you have to come back down...backwards.
I shouldn't have to do dead-lifts for a while.

Pushing..er..carrying and dumping, then packing is muy importante because it gets all of the air out of the forage, so when you cover the pit the haylage is able to uniformly go through a 'heat' and no bad toxins/bacteria will grow.
Cows don't like toxins.
I don't either.

If I get a chance I will take pictures today...on the edge of your seat, I know.

Yesterday I put in 14 hours, then stopped by Hobby Lobby to drop a print off to be framed, then on to the grocery store to buy oneofeverything.
True dat.

I couldn't help but notice..the way one notices blatant staring...that out of the 100 people in the store, I was getting a lot of attention.
I don't like attention, especially when I have been on the tractor all day and I'm rockin' the old-man-saggy-tractor-bottom jeans.

I would just like to buy my coffee filters in PEACE!

But not yesterday...I got more looks than a hound dog in a cat parade.
Just nod.

I won't deny that every time I stopped I could smell...me.
I think it was my boots.
Leather captures smells, ya know.
Whatever.

I tried to keep moving and not stop and definitely not look back.

My ears burned.

Stupid cat parade.
Fun Fact: The Heat has a "cats on parade" sweatshirt that she wore when I was in elementary school.
She still wears it.
Heh.

After finally making it home, an hour before my bedtime, I made chicken salad and opened up the package containing the canvas I ordered....

Isn't it lovely?

I plan on getting more done...maybe bigger...but for now this one will adorn the mantle.
I love it.

My bouquet is on the left, and on the right are milk bottles with one of my bridesmaids bouquets..the others are at The Heats.
I better go get them before she reads this...
Toodle-loo!

Love,
CatParadeCowLady

The Post Where I Compared My Dad to Van Halen

Tap, tap tap....
Testing...is this thing on?
Um, hey...it's Rachael..you know the "CowLady"?

Yeah, it's been a while.
What?
Oh, Edna...yes she has seen better days, maybe during the Cold War.

It's been so long since we have spoken!

So much has happened...like...stuff.
OK, not really.
But we did start chopping on Monday!
(I'm not really excited about that...please read that sarcastically.)

On one hand I am actually excited about filling the trench silo with nutrient-rich green feed for my cows.
On the left hand(because Edna takes better care of that one), I am super bummed about being stuck in the pit pushing and packing silage.
Dread like the dentist, dread.
Heavy stuff.

You know what I don't get?  (And I fall for it every time..)
I don't get why people, after they find out I am a farmer, enjoy telling me how much they "love to get on tractors", and "do farm work".
'Cuz they don't.

If I had a nickel for every person who has told me that, combined with all of the "calf feeders" out there...I would have a bunch of nickels...
Like .5 times infinity.

During this time of year BossMan gets waaaaay pumped up.
I'm talking Van Halen before a concert, pumped.
So pumped that he breathes chopping and planting corn.
Thinks about it 24/7.
You get the picture.

It is during this season that I sink back into my shell, hoping to go unnoticed.
Notsomuch.

When I'm not feeding cows/calves, treating cows, breeding cows, pulling calves, speaking spanglish really bad, I AM on the tractor pushing up silage OR in the dump truck trying not to kill anyone hauling silage.
I go from one immediatelytotheother.
...and mumble under my breath.

At the end of the day I am not in a good place.
Happiness is at the beach and I am doing my best to take everyone else's happiness from them.
It's about survival...and hand lotion.
These are just the facts.

Today, we should finish chopping and filling the first pit...Hallelujah.
When we are finished, we will move all of the equipment across the farm to the rest of the rye and begin again.
Woot.

I'm just not a tractor driver....I can't help it.
I would rather walk in fire.
But I DO like to feed my cows, and I DO want them to have high quality forage.
Oh the things I do for them....

Oh, I almost forgot!
On your way out today..you know, to drive the tractor...come in the back way.
Why?
Because you will see this....

The canola is in full bloom...

So pretty! I blogged about it last year here.

This is the spot where my sister Malinda got married.

But you may wanna pop an allergy pill first.

Love and sneezes,
TractorDrivinCowLady