Did I mention that I love my grill?

I just love my grill, it will grill, smoke , steam, and bake! So here is something I baked on my grill.

I started with some chopped up onions,

 grated sharp cheddar,

 and some crumbled crispy bacon,

add a dash of season salt.








Then you whip up some eggs

with some good fresh milk










Mix it all together,

pour in into a buttered casserole dish,

place it on a good grill for 35 minutes,
and wha la...perfection.






I think this is such a simple recipe and tastes so yummy. I hope you try it, I think you will like it too. And what an easy way to serve a crowd without making toast for 10!

Sadie with the cows

This morning I took Sadie with me to milk the cows. After about an hour she started to get tired of watching me. She asked if she could go pet a cow she could see laying in the free stall barn. My first thought was that she might go out and get them all stirred up, not good. Then I remembered that when she brings them off the pasture with me, they seem to take notice but nothing more. For those that don't know, cows get spooked and stressed very easily. I decided to let her go to the cow warning her to move slow and not scare the cows.

Sadie returned after a few minutes smiling and laughing and telling me she rode a cow. I find it hard to believe, but go along. She askes if she can go ride again. I let her go and decide to sneak a peak when, as she's leaving I see that her back side really is dusty like you get riding bareback. Sure enough, she is running and singing "Old McDonald had a farm" and goes right in the barn and sits on a cow!

It just amazes me every time I see this behavior. If you walked in my barnyard and swung your arms without even making a noise, these cows would run for the hills. But Sadie runs, sings at the top of her voice, and sits on them and they don't mind at all. If you look real close you can just see the nose of another cow walking in the barn looking at Sadie. It's like they know that she is not the same as us.

Another thing that happened in the barn with Sadie today.....We have a cow that for some reason is a devil to milk. She kicks like nothing I've ever seen before, down right crazy. I finally get the milker on and here comes Sadie. She starts petting that cow and telling her "it's okay cow" and the cow doesn't mind at all. If we just touch the cow she slams her leg at us!

So all in all, Sadie had a great day milking cows with me. I had fun watching her enjoy the cows.

Milk bottles

I am so happy to have our new milk bottles in. They are new, tempered glass with our logo on them, but just like the old fashion bottles, even with a wire carrying rack. If anyone is interested in one of these fine bottles, please go to our website.

Cheree

While I was up at my brothers house I got to spend a lot of time with Teresa's other best friend of 20 years, Cheree. Oh I've met her before, always heard stories about her, but never "really" got to know her till the end of May. Her and Teresa were going to come to the farm this month, so I invited Cheree anyways.

What fun we had! She has never been on a farm, but don't think that makes her a prissy girl. She dove into everything with me. She even helped me pull a calf that a cow was struggling with. She got to drive a team of work horses. She helped design a back patio for us because we spend so much time grilling in the summer, and she took some great pictures at the farm.  We enjoyed the pool with my kids, and cooked up great food on the grill.

They say for everything lost, something is gained. I have to admit that gaining Cheree does soften the blow of losing Teresa. One crazy thing happened while she was here. It was a moment that her and I sat alone on the porch talking about Teresa. (Teresa had a favorite song "three birds") All of a sudden 3 birds flew down on the drive in front of us, chripped about something they had, then 2 flew aff and one remained with us for a moment longer. It's what Cheree had asked Teresa to do before she passed. Send us 3 birds to let us know you are okay.

A new system

Even though my husband is afraid of any change in his life, he tried something new today. I have been putting up pasture with lots of lanes designed in for moving cows and heifers. Today when I asked him to grab the trailer and help me move bred heifers, he suggested we try my lane system!

We sorted out the older girls that should be calving in 3 to 4 months and walked them down the lane and into the dry cow lot. It went perfect, no big stress for them or us. Now they can get used to being moved in and out of pasture, give them a chance to befriend a cow or two, and help me keep a close eye on when they are ready to deliver.

I think my nutritionist would say it is healthier for the cow and calf. That matters to me as much as her happiness. I'm sure the two go hand in hand.

Brown Swiss

Last fall we bought some Brown Swiss and Jerseys from a neighbor. They finally had their calves, 2 healthy new heifers!

The Brown Swiss are as big as our Holsteins, but maybe thicker boned. These calves are so big. Even Duane was taken back a bit by these stealthy little girls.

Not quite that easy

This will be short and to the point. That's how I like to deal with too serious of matters. I either make light of it with a joke or shoot straight to the point. I'm one of those people who try not to be sappy, but yet I find I am still filled with much emotion and love for my people ( being friends, family, neighbors, just about anyone really).

I just lost a friend that I have had for 30 years. I am a very loyal old dog, once your mine, you stay mine forever (no matter how you feel about it). Teresa and I were friends way back in Jr high and stayed that way til the end, so she knows way too much about me. She was the "emotional basket case" friend and I was the "rock solid reality" friend. I think age has made me soft!

I had an idea that I would be sad to see her gone, but just move on with my life as I always have. Some how I am doing that but with great heart ache, which just doesn't seem like me. I always had to be strong because she was so darn emotional, without her here I guess the need to be stoic is gone.

Teresa was very strong in her own way. She fought cancer like no other. More than once she would say she was tired, but she had a list a mile long of things she wanted to get done while she was still here. Even when the doctors said she was down to a couple days she was planning a motorcycle trip with her cousin!

Okay, that's all the sap I can share. I love Teresa and will never stop thinking of her and wondering if she is watching me and laughing at my tender side.