Well, all right, it is really the Northeast.
But we have their rain.
You will have to ask the kids about trying to catch heifer number 241 AKA Egypt, who was in need of certain AI services last night. We have headlocks (self-locking stanchions) right in the pen where Egypt and seven others reside. Had a certain individual (who figured mightily in the drama but for fairness sake we will leave him out of the story), actually ever finished installing them, the heifers would have been used to using them, somebody would have set the control to catch them and this entire story would have been over yesterday morning when Liz noticed that Egypt was in heat. However, that person, who will not be mentioned, didn't finish the job.
He also hadn't exactly knocked himself out cleaning the pen either...there are issues here...we will ignore them.
Efforts to catch Egypt began at the beginning of milking at around 6PM. She was not used to the headlocks so although all the other heifers got caught in them, she didn't. Had we wanted to breed the others the story would have ended early. Alas.
She also quite effectively evaded the lasso we keep for catching heifers . And the efforts of several committees to snag her with a halter. Finally Liz and Alan went into the very not clean pen and just grabbed her. She probably weighs nine hundred pounds. There was skidding, falling and dragging. I am delighted to say I missed it as I had to milk on the other side of the barn. Suffice to say cleanliness went down but not without a fight.
At this point there are items in my washing machine that I am not going to touch until they have been run through at least five cycles. There was a long line for the shower. Liz finally bred Egypt AI in time to get in from the barn at nine fifteen PM. It was ugly and I am sure there is going to be some serious moaning and groaning from the individuals involved in the bovine reproductive drama. They were pretty lame last night and after having time to stiffen up.....Please God, I hope she caught. She is a daughter of England our surprise red carrier and we bred her to the milking shorthorn, Promise. Maybe we will get a red baby....
On the plus side I bought some of that fantastic bacon from the milk inspector (yeah, really, he sells the best bacon I ever ate) when he stopped yesterday, and we had a tomato, a great big, fat, red tomato I bought at a farm stand the other day....and a huge, leafy, ripply, light green and red speckled lettuce I grew in a barrel by the back door...and several kinds of nutty, crunchy whole grain bread...so guess what we had for dinner...yeah, big, thick BLTs. Bacon crunchy, tomato-juicy, lettuce-crispy BLTs.....It almost made up for the fun we had with chores.
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17 comments:
Who needs to go to the rodeo?
Sounds like you've got your own.
All I can say is that I feel, after last night, I have earned a bucking bull. It cannot possibly cause more issues than she did...with the help she got...from that guy...And plus it would be so COOL!
buying bacon from the milk inspector, is that to keep him on the good side? lol
only joking
sounds like one of your two men didn't finish their job...and you never refered to this one as the "boss", so i'm thinking it's the other guy....am i right?
and...
supper sounded super!
See, if you just let the bull do his job, you wouldn't have had all this fuss! ;) LOL
I had home grown BLT';s for lunch, minus the B. Didn't have any bacon and they were almost as good.
What a night you all had! I'm glad no one was seriously hurt but bumps and bruises are no picnic either.
I hope Egypt delivers you a beautiful red heifer for all your troubles!
WE also had rain - I was happy to see it arrive but the thunderstorms really weren't necessary.
I like BLTs without the T... weird I know.
Hope the team hit the bullseye, ...not literally of course.
As I always say, never a dull moment up at Northview!! BLT sounds awful good, I think the B by itself sounds even better!
Joated, yeah, and it's all free. lol
Paints, maybe the bucking bull could take over the job you guys had last night. Then everybody would be happy.
Anon, well, that is a small part of it, but it is really, really good bacon...and I will give you a hint on who didn't finish the headlocks. His name does not begin with A and his is over 21...well over 21. lol
JB, we need to get a bull. I am sick of the rodeo business. Would like to get another milking shorthorn and if we can't buy one, I swear I am going to raise one.
Deb, thanks, we are hoping.
FC, some folks just don't like em...I like all the ingredients, alone or together. One of my favorite samiches.
Lisa, I like all the ingredients involved any way I can get 'em. And I wish you could taste the bacon. It is amazing. There is never even a teeny tiny crumb left.
...so it was the BOSS!
naughty boss, what was he thinking
must've had something of more importance in mind!
Anon, something like that...be kind, don't mention it to him. lol
some days just go like that, i guess. i used to volunteer with neglected/abused horses and there was a percheon who tried to stomp me into pudding on several occasions. he had to be in a stall, but he had some anger issues to work through and i was the only one crazy enough to go in there with him. he's fine now and adopted out to a wonderful family that spoils him, but the first couple of months were rocky. sounds like that may compare...
mmmmm bacon. have you seen the chocolate covered bacon everyone is raving about now? i alternate between queasy and drool every time i see something about it.
Egads. Breeding out here is of the "leave the bull or bulls in with the cows and let 'em go at it."
Which is why most of the stock are basically mutts as far as genetics go, but that strategy has it's strengths as well.
To steal a phrase from someone I really don't respect: "I feel your pain!"
Those BLTs sound delish! I am waiting for the first ripe tomato still, maybe in about 4 days.
My little brother would say ditto to FC's comment...leave out the T, he liked to substitute the T for P, as in peanut butter.
Ericka, they are big...they can hurt you if they want to. I am selling a heifer I really like tomorrow because she went after Liz...it troubles me to sell such a good one, but you just can't keep them when they are dangerous.
Jeffro, sometimes we use bulls...but dairy bulls are so dangerous, much meaner than your average beef bull for some reason
Caroline, they were wonderful...and hmmm...I love peanut butter but just hmmmmm....
We got tired of the whole AI thing, of course we don't milk anymore either. But before we STOPPED milking we went to the 'real' bull factor. So much easier and the cows seems to really like it..... oh, sorry. I forgot. Mixed company.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
As always, another great story told with just enough tongue in cheek humor to keep us all laughing. Glad nobody was hurt though.
Isla G, thanks, we never lack for excitement around here. lol
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