In sickness and in health

Question: what do you do on a farm when everyone gets really sick? Answer: The same thing you do when you are not sick, only it hurts more. Somebody has to milk cows every twelve hours, they must be fed their grain twice daily and be served forages on a regular schedule. Cleaning stables can possibly be put off a little, but really should be done every day and if you burn wood for heat and hot water someone needs to get some. That is just the basic schedule of that which must be done. It never stops and cows don't care if you are sick.

Thus the boss and I, who succumbed in quick succession to whatevertheheck Alan brought home last week, are grateful, oh, so grateful, to have the "kids". (At 16, almost 19 and 20 and a half or so, they really aren't kids any more, though we call them that, to differentiate them from the "old farts", the other generation, so to speak).


As I mentioned before Liz cooked the Thanksgiving dinner. And milked Ralph's string of cows. And fed me drugs, Robitussin, Tylenol, (better living through chemistry) gallons of Gatorade. Put dogs out and in and did laundry. As soon as Alan was back on his feet, he pitched in filling stove, hauling wood, feedling cows, watering calves, helping milk, whatever was needed, including serving his mother assorted medicines and piling on more blankets. Becky was Becky, giving everyone a hard time, but prepping cows and feeding milk calves and taking care of horses as needed. She delivered books when I was well enough to read them.


Now I am on the road to recovery and other than a serious need for SOMEBODY to do some dishes I am not too far behind. Not like I would be if they hadn't all pitched in anyhow. The boss is still pretty sick, but was able to come in last night and go to bed without milking or doing chores and I am sure he is grateful to the crew too. The cows never missed a meal or a milking, the house is warm and the human contingent is well fed (those of us that can eat).


I guess it was truly a Thanksgiving to be thankful for. In some ways.