The Maternity Ward...

Oh my.  It's been a busy week or two in the maternity ward!

In the past two weeks we've had nine fresh cows, and ten new babies.  Six of them were heifers, so all of a sudden our hutches are full of calves, and the babies have overflowed into the box pens.  These are the oldest four, who claimed their place in the outside hutches.  Can you tell that they know who feeds them?  :)

Someone needs a napkin...

This calf is just being weaned from a bottle to a bucket.  To teach her, I stick my fingers in her mouth and then put my hand down into the bucket.  Some learn quickly, and some don't.  Thankfully she was a quick learner!

Apparently this one was still hungry...

These two were that last ones born...twin heifers born on Friday afternoon...

We were suspicious that the mom might have twins.  She is a twin herself, had twin bulls last year, and was early.  Jim kept a close eye on her and helped her with the first calf.  He then had to leave for a short time, so I helped her with the second calf, while the cousins who had just arrived got to watch the birth.  Both calves are doing great!  As soon as they see their bottles coming, they jump up and run over to the gate.  Now whoever feeds can hold both bottles at one time as they drink side by side.  It sure saves a lot of time! Sometime this week I'll try weaning them to a bucket.

It takes a lot longer to get the feeding done now, but we're glad for the fresh cows, and glad for healthy calves.  Isn't it nice that they've come over Christmas break...while my chief calf feeder is home to help?!

Random Five Friday...

Here it is already...only five days before Christmas.  How did that happen?

How about some random thoughts from our week...

1.  This year...for the first time in twenty years, we didn't do Christmas cards. This is as close as we got...a picture on the porch a few days ago after the Amish School Christmas Party, but we're missing a couple of important family members, so I guess we just won't send any.  Somehow I just don't like that, but there's only so much we can do...

2.  I was invited to two cookie swaps in the past couple of weeks, and I'm wondering where all the cookies went?!

3.  I began some gift baking today.  The house smells really good with fresh from the oven Cranberry Nut Bread, and there's some Buckeye Bark cooling in the fridge.  No calories included.  I found these fun little bread bakers at a craft store for $1.00 each, and I think they'll make nice gifts!

Here's the recipe...

Cranberry Nut Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Sift together in bowl and mix thoroughly

1 egg, well beaten
3/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp grated orange rind
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine, then stir into flour mixture just until moistened

1 cup chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Fold in

Pour into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake at 350 * for 45- 50 minutes


4.  It's been a regular maternity ward around here this past week.  We've had six cows/heifers freshen in the past ten days, with two more expected any day.

5.  The weather is no longer frightful.  We went from snow on the ground and temps in the teens over nights, to several days above freezing, with possible record highs this weekend, and rain. Sounds like our Christmas might be more muddy than white.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Linking to Random Five Friday

Amish School Christmas Program...

What a special treat we had today!

Our Amish neighbors invited us to their childrens' school Christmas program this afternoon.  This is the second time we've been able to attend...but this time at a different school.  There are Amish schools every few miles in our area, and we see the children walking to and from school every morning and afternoon. The school that is closest to our house is full, so some of the neighbor children ride the public school bus to another one about a mile away, and that is where we went today.

I wish so badly that I could have taken pictures inside...the children were so very cute...the boys wore black hats, bow ties and of course their suspenders for one of their funny songs, and even though we couldn't understand it (it was sung in PA Dutch) it was hilarious!  The little girls would come out and recite their poems as quickly as they could, often turning and walking off stage as they finished their lines.  The singing was nice...one of the children would start singing a verse and the others would follow.

Every available space was filled and the windows began to inch open as the hour went on.  Even though it's below freezing outside, if you pile over 100 people in a one room school, it gets a bit warm!

This is the progam they gave us...

This is the schoolhouse as we drove in the lane.  The van parked there is an Amish taxi, probably bringing several families who didn't want to hitch up their teams...or maybe Grandparents who didn't live close...

Yes, we see them every day, but there's something beautiful about Amish buggies in the snow.  The team is tied to the back stop that they use when they play baseball at recess...

This wagon brought the students from another school to the program.  We saw them go by as we were getting ready to go...

It was a privilege to be invited, and we are so glad we went.  The innocence of little children, and the sense of community is something to be held close.

First Snow...

It started on Sunday afternoon...the first snow of the season!

Lots of people had to be flexible, as several Christmas concerts were cancelled and treacherous roads caused a slimmer-than-expected crowd for the Youthgroup's Christmas Tea.  However...the kids were glad for a two hour delay for school on Monday morning.

By last evening, roads were just wet, but just as predicted...at daybreak today...the snow started again.  No school!

It's a pretty snow...we probably have about 4" so far,and it's still snowing. Jim and I got the barn work done early this morning and then took a little break.  The kids were able to sleep in and have a hot breakfast for once. Now they've been put to work..out shoveling.  (A nice perk for us on snow days!)

I took my camera for a walk, and here are a few of the pictures...

A dusting of snow that blew onto the porch adds a nice touch to the Christmas decorations...

Only a few short weeks ago, the trees were still full of leaves.  What a difference now...

Where are the chickens?

Inside of course!  They hate snow.  It can be raining hard, and they'll be outside, but in the snow, they all hang out inside their shed.  I had to take them some extra straw this morning, since the mud from yesterday's melting snow...and chickens in close quarters...make for a messy pen.  They've been happily scratching around in it, looking for treats...

Our rooster seems to be quite happy, crowing away from his perch on the fence...

I think winter is officially here!

A Cow and a Calf...

It wasn't hard to find something to go with the letter "C" tonight...

We had a cow freshen during milking time tonight.  We knew she was close, and Jenna's job was to keep an eye on her while we finished up milking.  She needed a little help, but had a healthy heifer calf around 6:30 pm.  That clean, dry bedding got a little messy with the birth, but she's doing a great job of cleaning her off...

Here she is at about thirty minutes old.  All cleaned off and in a fresh bed of clean, dry straw.  I think she's pretty...but I'm partial to black calves.  She will be #378 when she gets her jewelry...

We left the cow and calf alone for a little while, and then milked the cow and fed the calf two quarts of colostrum...the first milk.  It looks a little different than what you usually see, doesn't it?

All gone...I don't think I've ever fed a calf so young, that drank so well the first time!

Mom and baby are now settled for the night...and so are we.

Linking to Alphabe Thursday

Memories of Grandma...

If any of you are lucky enough to have known my Grandma Herr, you probably have lots of warm memories of her!  Maybe you even tasted her cookies...or her baked chicken...or her lima beans served with milk and butter.

For the first twenty three years of my life, I was lucky enough to live next door to this wonderful lady...my Mom's mom...

Grandma had a way of making each one of her twelve grandchildren feel like we were the most special. When we walked into her kitchen, she dropped everything just to talk to us.  If she was baking cookies, we got to taste them fresh out of the oven, and of course she left us eat more than Mom would have!  :)

A year or so ago, I noticed that my sister had a recipe for her Snickerdoodles.  I commented on how special it was to have it written in Grandma's own shaky handwriting.

Well...yesterday at our family Thanksgiving dinner, Mary handed each of us sisters and Mom, a bag.  Inside was a pack of Snickerdoodles..and something rolled up and tied with a ribbon.  As soon as I began unrolling mine, I noticed that shaky handwriting.  This is what it was...

Here's a close up...

(Yes, maybe I should have ironed it before taking the picture, but that's ok...)

Grandma passed away on December 31, 2000, at the age of...101 years! She was a very special lady...and you can bet that I won't be using this tea towel.  It will be framed and hanging in my kitchen some day soon!

Thanks Mary!