Blabber....

Today is Tuesday, August 19th. I can't believe that August is almost over. Garrett starts Kindergarten in 1 WEEK!! Wow. I talked to his bus driver the other day, and he is going to get on and off at the farm since I will be doing chores Monday-Friday while Steven (our hand) is at school. He is a senior this year. I wanted him to get off at the farm because at that time... someone is ALWAYS in the barn milking so someone will be able to meet him if I am running late.

The boys and I went down to the barn bright and early this morning to help with chores. We now have 9 calves taking a bottle, 1 taking milk from a pail and 16 water calves! One of the bottle calves though is Ingrid's bull calf and hopefully a friend of ours who raises bull calves is coming to get him soon. We can't send him to auction because we found out this morning that the auction now charges for bull calves.... since you don't really get anything for them... so we give them to this man who raises them and sells the beef for extra money.

We finished all the basic chores and let the cows out to pasture. After that we went to Allen Bros. for breakfast and a short joy ride over Hartley Hill to see the Belted Gallaways up at the mansion... most of them were gone though and Garrett scared off what was there because he was being too loud.

We came back and helped Philip finish up with gutters and feeding hay. The boys seem to be exhausted from the barn work... (hahaha)... (They filled Philip's sawdust container for him... that is hard work!) so we came back home and now Garrett is entertaining his brother while playing his new Superman game on the VSmile.

Ingrid is still showing signs of a minor case of milk fever. She had been doing well, but this morning she wasn't really interested in eating grain. (You know a cow is sick when they turn away GRAIN! That is like their candy.) Philip thought she mihgt have ketosis, but the pee strip came back negative. Her ears were starting to feel a little cool again though, so he gave her an oral tube of calcium before turning her out to pasture.

It is rainy and cool outside so I am thinking it is good day to get some housework done. Hopefully the boys will take naps today and I can actaully make some headway.

Until later.....