Today was test day, the day a Vermont Dairy Herd Improvement representative comes to measure how much milk the cows are producing and to take samples to monitor quality.

Today was also ice day. Our ground is still blanketed in the same carapace of ice that has clutched our driveways and walkways in its frigid grip for months.

And it was raining.

Hard.

Thus when Liz and I attempted to go to the barn, because we could see by the milkhouse lights that Tim was over there waiting for us, we could not do so. It was simply impossible to walk at all on the flowing-water covered ice. I made it to the spruce tree and just started sliding willy-nilly down the hill. I don't know how the boss got over there, big feet or something I guess.

To heck with it I thought, gave up and struggled back to the porch. Of course after a bit, the boss came along with the skid steer and spread some sand so he could have a little assistance with milking and testing. By then it was too late for Liz to help, as she had to be at school by eight and had to shower and make that challenging 25-mile drive to the college. We kept the other two home from school. It would have been completely impossible for them to walk down either driveway and neither of us could leave to drive them because of having to test. I figure if they can take days off for long dead explorers and all manner of conferences and meetings they can have a driveway safety holiday now and then.