I got nothing........

That's right, nothing going on in my life at the moment. Went to the barn and fed calves, went to church and then went to Panda Buffet to eat (that was good). Oh, yes, went to Walmart too. Soon it will be time to go back to the barn. Tomorrow and Tuesday is work. Wednesday we are going to the Farm Show in Oshkosh at the EAA grounds. That is always an interesting day. Looking forward to it. Calf count 15 milk, 3 water. Later................

Back to reality

Well, Jenny left Sunday after morning chores. Boo-hoo! I only went to the barn 5 times in 10 days. For you non-farmers, I would normally have gone 20 times in 10 days. So I actually got a few other things done around the house. Not as much as I would have liked too as this was my week of only working 2 days at the office(which is what it should have been) I worked 4 days! Thank goodness Jenny was here or I really would have went crazy. Yes, I work 2 days one week and 3 days the next week so I have 40 hrs. in 2 weeks.

So now it's back to the same old grind until sometime in mid-May when Jenny comes back for the summer. My life of leisure is over for now. Yes, I call a life of leisure if I only work one job a week. Calf count 14 milk, 5 water.

You might be a farmer's wife if.........

Some of these really hit the nail on the head with me. I had to laugh. Maybe you are a little bit of a farmer's wife too.



If your name is taped to the side of a cakepan:
If you call the implement dealer and he recognizes your voice:
If the vet’s number is on the speed dial of your phone:
If you know how to change the flat on your car, but can’t because the spare is on a flatbed:
If your second vehicle is still a pickup:
If the folks in the Emergency Room have a pool going for your kids and it involves the type of injury and when it will occur:
If your husband has ever used field equipment to maintain your yard:
If you’re in the habit of buying foodstuffs in bulk:
If a "night out" involves the local 4-H club:
If the word "auction" makes you tingle:
If you’ve ever washed your kids or the dishes with a pressure washer:
If "picking rock" is considered a chance to get out of the house:
If "wild game" reminds you of dinner and not the bedroom:
If "a little bit of lunch" involves 6 courses and a dessert made from scratch:
If the "fresh ingredients" your recipe calls for reminds you to do the chores:
If taking lunch to the field is as close as you get to a picnic:
If that pail with a hole in it is a flowerpot in the making:
If your rock garden was hand-picked:
If you can mend a pair of pants and the fence that ripped them:
If you’re on the lookout for new uses for "Jell-O":
If the shopping list in your purse includes the sizes of filters, tires, overalls, chains, belts, lights, cables, spark plugs or shotgun shells:
If "Farm", "Ranch", "Country", "Cowboy" or "Antique" is in the name of your favorite magazine:
If your tan lines are somewhere below your shoulder and above your elbow:
If "Lacey" or "Frilly" refers to a farm animal but not your nightgown:
If you ever went on a date to the rodeo:
If you’ve ever been grateful for fingernail polish, because it hides the dirt under your nails:
If you’ve ever called your husband to supper, using a radio:
If you buy antiques because they match the rest of your furniture:
If being taken out to dinner has ever included a talk by a seed corn dealer:
If your driveway is longer than a stone’s throw:
If your mailbox looks like a piece of farm machinery:
If your kids’ wading pool has ever doubled as a stock tank, or vice versa:
If the daily paper is always a day late:
If you have a yard, but not a lawn:
If you have lots of machinery and each piece is worth more than your house:
If the leaky barn roof gets fixed, before the leaky house roof:
If duct tape is always on your shopping list:
If the neighbor’s house is best viewed with binoculars:
If the directions to your house include the words, "miles," "silos," "last," or "gravel road":
If the tractor and the combine have air conditioning and an FM radio but your car doesn’t:
If your storage shed is a barn:
If you measure travel in miles not minutes:
If your farm equipment has the latest global positioning technology and you still can’t find your husband:
If you consider "hot dish" a food group:
If your husband says, "Can you help me for a few minutes?" and you know that might be anywhere from a few minutes to six hours:
If you plan your vacations around farm shows:
If Zaa Zaa Gabor is on your list of "Most Admired Persons":
If grass stains are the least of your laundry problems:
If your refrigerator contains medicine, livestock medicine:
If your car’s color is two-toned and one color is gravel road brown:
If you knew everyone in your high school:
If you’ve ever grown your own wall decorations:
If you’ve entertained the romantic notion of living in an old, country farmhouse with a fireplace, but gave it up because firsthand experience tells you that it’s cold, drafty, smoky and sooty:
If you use newspapers to help keep the kitchen floor clean:
If you’ve ever said, "Oh, it’s only a little mud.":
If you need a pair of vice grips to run a household appliance:
If your husband gave you flowers, but you had to plant the seeds yourself:
If you've used the loader to reach the windows when they needed washing:
If you’ve ever used a broom to shoo a critter:
If you’ve ever discovered a batch of kittens in your laundry basket:
If dinner is at noon and lunch is before and after dinner:
If you don't need the recipe to make Rice Krispies bars:
If you shovel the sidewalk, with a skidsteer loader:
If you can find a use for that old tractor seat:
If you've ever found mice in the underwear drawer:
If quality time with your hubby means you'll have a flashlight in one hand and a wrench in the other:
If you know the difference between field corn and sweet corn:
If you buy your husband's "dress" socks at Campbell's Supply:
If family "pets" include deer, coons, squirrels, foxes or birds:
If you can make a meal that can be ready in six minutes and will still be ready in two hours:
If your basement is really a cellar:
If "sharing a cab" has nothing to do with a taxi and everything to do with getting across the field:
If your job in town is considered a farm subsidy:

Til The Cows Come Home

This is a gift shop in Shawano. They have some local crafters and artists displaying their works of art. As of today they have a new photographer's display too. That's right I finally got some pictures there! 18 of them to be exact. I was in there in December and saw some local photographers had photos there that I compete with at the fair. So I asked if she would be interested in any more photographs. She said she would like to see some of my work. So I did a binder full of some of my favorites and went back there. She loved most of them! Well it took me until now to get them there. Most of these photos were from my film camera so I had to find negatives and have them made. I also had to buy mats, plastic sleeves, hangers, business cards (thanks to my niece Lisa for making me some) and a silver pen as all photos should be signed. Well this took me awhile as January is usually full of tax stuff and snowmobiling I didn't have time to find old negatives. But business has been slow since Christmas so I don't think I missed out on too much. Summer is the busy season. Now I will have to wait and see how long it takes before one of mine is sold. I will let you know when that happens. I'm not holding my breath. There are alot of nice photos there.

I won at last!

Jerry and I do the sign in thing at Spirits of Gillett. You know you sign in every week and pay $1 to sign in. They pick a number and if you have signed in for the week you win half the pot. Well after more than a year I have finally won. $120.75!!!!! I have missed a few weeks here and there but my number had never been drawn. Jerry on the other hand has won 3 times already! He won the biggest pot ever last October of $338 and he won twice in a row about a year ago.

Tonight we have a client appreciation dinner from our vet. clinic. We get to go to Doxbee's in Seymour. Our guest speaker is John Jones former Packer CEO. As long as I don't have to cook, I don't care where we go.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

No, I don't have a drop of Irish blood in me but here's a blessing for all.

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, May the rains fall soft upon your fields, And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

I'm back...........

Nice get-a-way weekend in Illinois. I slept in both days. They have no snow there. The grass there has a hint of green already. It was nice weather while we were there too. Went to a concert at their church on Saturday evening. It was very good. About 100 people in the choir with a 6 piece band. Sunday went to a craft show. That was good too! Jerry went to a farm toy show in Sublet, Illinois on Sunday. I spent more at the craft show than he did at the toy show. Go figure......................

Twins!

Well Monday night when I got to the barn, our big old cow we call Rusty, (yes she is red in color) had twin bull calves! They are kind of cute but I didn't need two cute ones! So far they are still in the big pen they were born. They aren't too smart yet but that usually doesn't last long. I have made room for one in the newborn pen. Guess I will just leave one in the pen he was born in. Thank goodness there are no cows in the maternity pen so I might have a little breathing room. Calf count: 17 on milk and 1 water. I am in the process of weaning two of them. Yea!

Can't wait for Friday when we can leave for Illinois! Jenny is back from college for a week of spring break so she will be helping us out again. Yea! I think I'm the one that needs a break!

Morning on the farm

This is what it looked like this morning when I was out feeding calves. It was foggy as the sun was coming up. Looked a little eerie.

Then the sun got up a little higher over the raspberry bushes.

I really like this photo.



I like this one too.

Here are some of my calves waiting to be fed.

Why are you taking pictures when you should be feeding me?

Another calf!

As I was telling you yesterday I was going to move a calf or two to make room for the next one. Well yesterday morning I got done feeding everything and moved one outside. So I thought I better start cleaning out the newborn pen so it's ready. Well on my second fork full I heard the cow in the maternity pen make a noise so I looked and here were feet sticking out. Oh, no, I better hurry to get that little pen clean. Well I got done in time and we have a new little heifer calf and she is a good drinker too! So I still have no room for the next one. Hopefully this week I can move one more out.

Jerry and Jesse are at the church dart ball tournament this afternoon in Hayes. So I have the house to myself. Yea! I just did Jesse's income tax online for him. I'm not telling him I did it and just watch for the look on his face when he sees his refund checks in the mail. Lucky kid!

I am making beef vegetable soup. Seemed like a good soup day. As I look outside I see no snow yet. Maybe it will miss us. As much as I love to snowmobile I have had it with winter on the farm. Think spring.....................

Good morning!

While Jerry is watching the farm show this morning I will quick do a little update from the farm before I go out to the barn and see what surprises are out there today. You never know what you will find and most of the time it's not good. I have to move another calf or two outside again to make room. There are two more cows in the maternity pen again so you never know when another one will arrive. I am up to 18 calves now. Some are still kind of dumb when it comes to drinking from the pail and then when you move them outside you have to show them where the pail is and it all takes extra time. Next week I can wean two of them. Yea! Can't wait for next weekend when we go to Illinois for the weekend to see our friends. We finally get to exchange Christmas gifts! Jerry and Robert will be going to a toy show in Sublet, Illinois. We need a break from the farm that's for sure.

Not alot happening here

Well today we went to Waupaca to a Foremost Farm meeting. This is where we ship our milk. Jerry is a delegate so he even gets paid to go to this plus mileage. There was a nice chicken dinner too. Tomorrow is open house at Pulaski Chase Co-op so it's porkies and pancakes there. Another free meal! As long as I don't have to cook I don't care where we eat. That's it now.................

Only 3 calves this time

Yep, that's right. Three calves born in this last 24 hour period. One Sunday morning, one Sunday night, and one this morning. They were all several hours old by the time we found them. One was out of its pen already walking around in front of the other cows. One bull and two heifers this time. I just figured out where to put the other five now I have three more to deal with!

Great snowmobile ride yesterday. You will have to check out Granny's blog to see our pictures. I love to snowmobile but this winter is getting a little long. Does it have to be one of the coldest days of the year on MARCH 2ND!!!!

Another funeral for me tomorrow. My cousin, Melvin, died. He was an old bachelor and only has a few cousins and two aunts left. Jerry has to be pallbearer. At least I only have to go to Bonduel this time. OK, this is two funerals for me, when is the third? I know I shouldn't think like that.

Guys on Ice!

It was a night of laughs! We had great seats too! It was funny and some things were so true. It was a musical comedy about ice fishing. Those guys could really sing and the sound system was super. No echos, no wires, couldn't figure out where the microphones were. My favorite song was "Ode to the snowmoible suit." Even Jerry chuckled a few times. We even had our picture taken and it will be in the OEC News letter next month. I think it was a full house last night. Couldn't tell for sure about the back as we were too close to the front! Some of the dialogue was a little UPish shall we say but all in all it was funny. A good night out. Stopped at Spirits later. They had a band. Place was packed. We have a snowmobile club ride today to Suring. Time to go feed calves again............