Started out the weekend with a Dexter/Katie calving a lovely polled A2A2 heifer. Then Ben left after I put Tildy in the hoophouse and she had a calf early that morning - and has been a royal pill ever since. Doesn't want to come in to be milked so I have to thump her and talk very very growly to get her to cooperate, and her calf is now locked up and she nurses him 2x a day because she would not come in if she had him. It was a 'I'm living in the pasture and dare you to catch me" time. She has not done that since her heifer year and I've NOT missed it. She is giving us 1.25 gallons from 2 quarters 2x a day - I let little Mark (as Emily called him) nurse 2 quarters dry morning and night, and tonight little Ruthie Anne decided to help herself also (Katie's calf so named by Elise - Elise's middle name is Ruth ;) ). Katie is giving me about 1 gallon once a day and is with her calf for at least 12 hours. She is such a good mama and a good cow - goes in where she is supposed to, lets me milk her out, comes when I call her (while Tildy pretends not to hear), and just in general a sweetie.
Tonight Sonia decided to come instead of Tildy, so I put her in and gave her a treat. She should be due very soon although I'm not seeing that much change. She let me rub all over her and then didn't want to leave - hopefully she takes on more of her Dad's personality when it comes time to milk!
I grazed the south west pastures and now moved them by the driveway until the trailer comes - the fellow says it's ready to go but the trailer mover is not returning calls. . . His wife answers the phone so obviously they are not ignoring us. :) The entryway is already here and ready to go into place when we get the front cleared and something to put it into place - telehandler or something similar. We agonized over where to put the trailer for days actually, and can't believe how many things like septic, electric, garden, etc are in the way now. . .
The woodshed was in the way, so we industriously emptied it into the horse trailer and then lifted the shed up with the tractor and I backed the tractor out while Emily lifted one side of the back and Ben lifted the other. I hope no wind comes up as it is NOT tied down and I have to figure out where to put it now!
Strawberries are forming so cutely and I weeded about 1/4 of them - the grass is so thick I'm pulling strawberry plants out, but they are blooming profusely and hopefully we get many good snacks out of them. Mosquitoes were horrific while weeding as there was NO wind, but it was still wonderful. I also planted another row of onions by the east west strawberry row (i think they are the honeyeye that I transplanted this spring from last year), and got the zinnias in - oh shoot, I didn't plant the black snaps and just put the plugs in the flower bed where I want them. Guess we know what I'll be doing first thing in the morning. I have another couple hundred onions I am going to plant - seems a shame to let them go to waste!
Ben moved half the gravel into place - it would have been easier had we actually gotten warning it was coming, but we woke up to an early phone call from the gravel dude saying he would be there in 10 minutes. Flew out and the area it was going wasn't ready (the wood shed was still there!), so we had to have them dump it in a different location. Always makes for more work.
I'd better go shower as I intended to get to bed before midnight and here it is 11:59. . . ;)
I need to plant another row of beans tomorrow after I go to the dentist - lost a filling and it hurts like the dickens. Praying he will not insist on multiple x rays, root canals, fillings or otherwise and be a pleasant person to work with for a change!
Tonight Sonia decided to come instead of Tildy, so I put her in and gave her a treat. She should be due very soon although I'm not seeing that much change. She let me rub all over her and then didn't want to leave - hopefully she takes on more of her Dad's personality when it comes time to milk!
I grazed the south west pastures and now moved them by the driveway until the trailer comes - the fellow says it's ready to go but the trailer mover is not returning calls. . . His wife answers the phone so obviously they are not ignoring us. :) The entryway is already here and ready to go into place when we get the front cleared and something to put it into place - telehandler or something similar. We agonized over where to put the trailer for days actually, and can't believe how many things like septic, electric, garden, etc are in the way now. . .
The woodshed was in the way, so we industriously emptied it into the horse trailer and then lifted the shed up with the tractor and I backed the tractor out while Emily lifted one side of the back and Ben lifted the other. I hope no wind comes up as it is NOT tied down and I have to figure out where to put it now!
Strawberries are forming so cutely and I weeded about 1/4 of them - the grass is so thick I'm pulling strawberry plants out, but they are blooming profusely and hopefully we get many good snacks out of them. Mosquitoes were horrific while weeding as there was NO wind, but it was still wonderful. I also planted another row of onions by the east west strawberry row (i think they are the honeyeye that I transplanted this spring from last year), and got the zinnias in - oh shoot, I didn't plant the black snaps and just put the plugs in the flower bed where I want them. Guess we know what I'll be doing first thing in the morning. I have another couple hundred onions I am going to plant - seems a shame to let them go to waste!
Ben moved half the gravel into place - it would have been easier had we actually gotten warning it was coming, but we woke up to an early phone call from the gravel dude saying he would be there in 10 minutes. Flew out and the area it was going wasn't ready (the wood shed was still there!), so we had to have them dump it in a different location. Always makes for more work.
I'd better go shower as I intended to get to bed before midnight and here it is 11:59. . . ;)
I need to plant another row of beans tomorrow after I go to the dentist - lost a filling and it hurts like the dickens. Praying he will not insist on multiple x rays, root canals, fillings or otherwise and be a pleasant person to work with for a change!