Out of controll hen

I told you about the hen on the car. This hen is just always looking for trouble. I get up at 4:30, when hens should still be sleeping. 

A couple days ago, I get up, and when I hear a critter rattling the water pail I go in the bathroom and fill it. Our 2 rambunctions kittens are only 9 weeks old so they need water to the top of the bucket in order to reach it.

I went to the basement and grabbed the clean wipes for the milk house, and back up stairs to get ready.

I hear a wierd noise in that same bathroom....I am around enough animals to know their sound meanings. This is a complaint that someone is too close to them. Not a dog growl... maybe a cat growl?

I walk in the bathroom the scond time I hear the complaint because I can't quite put a finger on that noise.

Stop in your tracks and let your jaw hit the ground!

There is that hen! Yes someone is too close, the kittens are between her and the door, she thinks she is cornered.

But wait!! I was just in there
where did that hen come from
and why is there a chicken in my house?!

Was that just a bad dream....asks the hen

I have been complaining about a hen that always get out and sleeps in my garage. I guess she got the message and moved to another shed. One without lights! I decided to take the spare car to the farm at 4am to run the cows off the pasture. Just after I pulled out of the drive I heard something fall off the car (maybe a branch?). On my way back to the house I saw something on the side of the road, but it's still dark out. I got half way up the drive (ours is rather long), when it hit me.....was that a chicken? I back down the drive and head down the road to find a hen sitting on the edge of the road, still. I stop and get out to take a look. She's alive, but kinda laying on her side, and it obviously scared the you know what out of her because there is a pile of it behind her. Story ends with the hen realizing she is not dead, it was a night mere, she jumps to run, I catch her, carry to the car, bring her home and put her back in the coop where it is safe to sleep.

Happy Birthday Duane!

I'm in shock today. I am now married to a 60 year old man! How is that possible? He thinks it's funny that this would affect me when he is that got so old.

Well, however it happened, I still love him and am glad I married him. He really doesn't seem that old to me.

Today we will take his parents out to dinner with us to celebrate. Imagine how they must feel having a son that is 60!

Where have I been?

Sadie and Janet with Big Boy

I have been so busy that I have not taken time to write anything. Here's what I have been up to.

A month ago Sadie and I stopped in one day to see my mother in  law. One thing Janet used to do back when she drove, was take Sadie to Big Boy. So that's what those two wanted to do. Back then, Janet took a picture of Sadie with Big Boy at least a few times a year. I figured it was time for another one.



We got a lot more pasture fenced in. My brother wasn't liking beinging home alone so soon after losing his wife. As a good sister should, I saw a way to make that work for both of us. He spent a few weeks making some great changes on the farm for us, I paid his bills off. It was also just fun for both of us to spend time together like that. Karl has never been around a farm to this degree. He actually enjoyed our cows. Besides the fence, he cleaned out the top of a batn to be turned into an office for me, along with room for storage. He took the siding off the freestall barn to allow better air flow for the cows on those super hot days we had. He also did a lot of little repairs that are always needed on an old farm.

Someone shot a heifer at 3 o'clock one morning that was almost due to calve. She lived 12 days, the vet thought she had a good chance of making it. Once she went into labor things went down hill fast. Apparently the strain of pushing out a calf caused something inside to burst. No, we don't know who shot her or why. They shot her with steal goose shot, so it was never meant to kill her, just evil, and cruel.

My inherited friend, Cheree came for a visit. Not only did we have a ton of fun, but she organized my garage and basement for me. When we remodeled the kithchen, stuff got moved to the basement and garage. It's one of those projects that drive you nuts because they aren't done, but when you are farming they never make it to the top of the priority list. In fact, I had told her I would help, but the truth is I got pulled away to do so many things, she pretty much did it all herself.

Last week Sadie ripped the side mirror out of it's socket on the Suburban. That will be a $300 fix. Everyone asks why she did it. Who knows why Sadie does what she does, it's the fun of living with autism. Actually, these moments are rare enough to make her more fun than frustrating.

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.