tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17496844753919747422024-03-14T09:06:18.061-04:00Happily married...to the cows!Excerpts from life on a small dairy farm...Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.comBlogger681125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-88614969174788703172019-10-19T21:07:00.000-04:002019-10-19T21:07:15.909-04:00Life After Cows...Home Again...No, we haven't moved to Chicago! :)<br />
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Apparently there is a little confusion as to whether or not we've actually arrived home, and I wonder why??! Life happens, and I haven't gotten around to wrapping it up, I guess. :) So here goes...<br />
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We left Chicago on Saturday morning after breakfast, and once again headed east. It took us a while to get out of Chicago, as expected. Our only planned stop for the day was at the Indiana Dunes...<br />
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We didn't stay there very long, and were soon back in the car and on I-80. As we traveled east through Indiana and Ohio, we tried to think of something interesting that we could do, just for fun. Jim thought of one of his friends whose family lives just off of the Ohio turnpike near Archbold, and I just happened to have his number in my phone. What were the chances that he would #1, see my text in time, and that #2 it would be feasible to stop in to see his family farm?<br />
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Lucky us, Kevin answered almost immediately, and enthusiastically encouraged us to stop in at the farm where his brothers and family were gathering for a birthday party! The Nofzigers were very gracious to welcome two virtual strangers on the spur of the moment, and we thoroughly enjoyed our short visit with them. <br />
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Kevin's brother gave us a ride through the fields in his sprayer...<br />
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We didn't stay long, but it was so much fun to make connections. We were sent on our way with sandwiches and cake pops from the little guy's birthday party. The world feels a little bit smaller when things like this happen!<br />
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We spend the night an hour or so down the road, and headed for home on Sunday morning. I have come to conclusion that Ohio is the flattest state that we drove through on our trip...<br />
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For example...<br />
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Before long, we knew we were entering somewhat familiar territory. We could also feel it in the roads. Any of you who have ever driven on Pennsylvania roads will know what I'm talking about...<br />
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Our final stop, just around supper time, was Messiah College to visit Eric who was finishing up his senior year. We took a stroll around the campus, crossing the Little Breeches Creek...<br />
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With a selfie on the swinging bridge...<br />
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...and headed for home. Our final 55 miles on the road.<br />
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The final mileage on the odometer reads 51,004.<br />
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That's 4311 miles traveled...no accidents, no flat tires, no getting lost, 10 nights with family or friends, 5 nights in motels, 13 states, countless things crossed of the bucket list...and precious time away! <br />
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We are so grateful for the opportunity to take this trip, and we will never regret taking the time to make it happen.<br />
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What now?<br />
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We are still feeling good about our decision to sell the cows. We are both settled in at our jobs...Jim is driving truck (and more) for a neighbor who owns a fertilizer business and I'm working at a local feed mill, in the office doing customer service. It's still hard to be away from home as much as we are, but we're adjusting! Lots of things have happened over the past few months in our family. Eric graduated from college and is working as an engineer, Jenna is serving in Nicaragua with Mennonite Central Committee for a year after graduating from Hesston, my dad passed away a few weeks ago after declining rapidly from a brief illness, summer has come...and gone...and much much more.<br />
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We'll see how much blogging I do from here on out. I might post occasionally, as I hate to give it up completely. But regular posting is the best way to blog, and now that we aren't farming I'm not sure how exciting my everyday life would be in print! I've made lots of blogger friends along the way over the past nine years, and I don't want to disappear completely, so all I'll say is "we'll see"!<br />
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Thanks for following along!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-63505923103504284872019-07-22T22:05:00.002-04:002019-07-24T10:19:48.892-04:00Life After Cows...Part Eight...On to Chicago!<br />
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It's hard to believe it's been over three months since we're back from our trip, and I still have two posts to go!!<br />
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We spent the day after visiting Rock Creek Park, travelling across Iowa and spent the night just west of the Illinois state line. This was the day that I think we would both say was the least exciting, and the day that we got really tired of being in the car! We had hoped to make a couple of stops that would have been fun, but they didn't work out. We did stop at the world's largest truck stop for supper!<br />
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Early Thursday morning, we crossed the Mississippi River, and here is where we saw the most evidence of the flooding that affected the midwest...<br />
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We don't know what it looks like normally, but this certainly has to be much, much more water than usual! Powerlines with water covering the bottom few feet? I can't imagine how devastating the flooding must have been to so many people...<br />
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We had planned to stay close enough to the city, so that we would easily be able to reach my sister's house before rush hour. We made it by mid afternoon...<br />
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Jim and I had been here for Marge and Hermann's wedding, and I had visited with our kids and my Mom when the kids were 6 and 3! We were so happy to finally be in Evanston, to see family, and to relax for a couple of days!<br />
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My sister's family lives about a ten minute bike ride from Lake Michigan. There's a nice bike path along the lake, and Jim and I enjoyed several hours on Friday, riding around and seeing the sights from a different perspective...<br />
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One of my nephews participates in a sailing club, and I rode along to pick him up after. Marge and I took a stroll on the beach...in the wind...<br />
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Such a different kind of beach than we are used to!<br />
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At the sailing club. All the boats have been put up for the night...<br />
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That evening, Marge, Jim and I took the El downtown,<br />
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...where Hermann met us after work. While we waited to connect with him, we visited Millenium Park, and "the bean"...<br />
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After Hermann arrived downtown, we found a coffee shop and enjoyed catching up some more. This is one of my most favorite pictures from the whole trip...unhurried and relaxed...<br />
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We began walking...just to see what there was to see. The Chicago River at night was beautiful, with all the lights reflecting on the water. There was just something fun about being in a large city on a Friday night...<br />
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Try as we might, we couldn't get a good selfie, so we traded favors with another group...</div>
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On the way home on the El...almost an hour's ride...<br />
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Jim was the only one who wasn't on his phone doing something...surfing, reading, or taking a picture! (my self included...see my reflection in the window?!)<br />
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We are so glad that we were able to spend time with family on this trip...it was definitely one of the highlights! Thanks, Marge and Hermann, for welcoming us and taking time out of your already busy schedules to show us around your neck of the woods!!<br />
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Next stop...Lancaster PA...with a few pit stops along the way!<br />
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<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-52582525328989762882019-07-03T21:00:00.001-04:002019-07-03T21:05:13.640-04:00Life After Cows...Part Seven...Eastward we go!<br />
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We were hoping to avoid big interstates as much as we could today, since we had a window of several days to get to our next set destination. After all, part of the fun of this trip was seeing unexpected sights along the way! We angled northeast on Route 40, and then farther north to Route 36, which runs pretty much directly east along the northern edge of Kansas. <br />
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A little over an hour into our travels, we came across our first unexpected sight for the day. McCarty Family Farms, in Rexford KS. We stopped in and got a personal tour of their facility. In total, between their three farms, they milk over 7000 cows, and have a direct contract with Dannon. We were not allowed to take any photos, but I will say, it was a state of the art facilty!<br />
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Back in the car we went, and enjoyed the trip along the "super 2", as Stan referred to Rt 36. We were rolling along, minding our own business, when out of the blue we saw one of the "historical marker" signs that we were keeping our eyes out for...<br />
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Hmmm...sounded kind of interesting to us! We followed the directions for x amount of miles north and x amount of miles west, which is so common in the midwest, and found the small park which is at the geographical center of the lower 48 states!<br />
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This is the kind of thing that we enjoyed finding. It didn't have to be fancy, just interesting, and in this case, something that I would imagine most people would have no idea existed!<br />
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Lebanon, Kansas...<br />
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By this time, the afternoon was quickly passing, and we began to wonder if we would get to Fairbury before dark. There is a park there where you can still see the ruts in the ground from the wagon train as it crossed the prairie heading towards Oregon, and we really didn't want to miss it!<br />
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Just before dusk, we got to Rock Creek Station, a park outside of Fairbury Nebraska. The visitor center was closed, but we walked around for about an hour, by which time it was getting pretty dark.<br />
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Rock Creek Station was a stage and Pony Express station, and some of the buildings have been reconstructed so we could see what it may have looked like in the mid 1800's...<br />
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This particular section has been relatively undisturbed, and if you look closely, you can see the wagon ruts in the weeds, going up the hill, heading west...<br />
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Down at the creek bottom, there was a sign explaining where the wagon trains originally had to ford the creek...<br />
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It explains how difficult the crossing was, and the reason for the bridge that was built...</div>
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This picture is taken from a distance, and if you look closely, you can see the toll bridge in the distance...</div>
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In the summer time, wagon rides are given at the park, so this section of the trail is definitely well defined... </div>
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Of course there were also grave markers...<br />
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By the time we were finished exploring, it was dark and time to move on. We were so glad to have been able to visit the park. I would say this got crossed off of our bucket list...except there is a place in Wyoming that you can see the ruts worn into the rock from the wagon wheels, and grooves from oxen's feet and from people walking. When we were at my Aunt's house in Colorado, we had no idea how close we were! We'll have to catch that the next time!<br />
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On to Lincoln Nebraska for the night, and then our trek towards Chicago.Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-27564796585156589512019-06-28T20:47:00.001-04:002019-06-30T08:21:55.382-04:00Life After Cows...Part Six...Last time we left you heading east through Colorado, back towards Kansas, where we planned to spend some time with my brother-in-law's parents.<br />
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We kept our eyes on Pikes Peak in our rear view mirrors as long as we could...<br />
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Once again focusing east, we saw quite a contrast in landscape from what we had seen the past few days...<br />
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I will admit, I'm glad we had filled up our gas tank when we left Colorado Springs, because we saw nothing...<i>nothing</i>...for miles. I guess it's not fair to say we saw "nothing", but it was definitely barren!<br />
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Not long before we entered Kansas on Route 40, we stopped in Cheyenne Wells CO for a pit stop and pictures...<br />
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Our first tumbleweed...<br />
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We made our way into Sharon Springs, KS, and of course found the grain elevators...<br />
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We headed south of town for a few miles, and following my sister's directions, found our final destination for the day...<br />
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The Sommerfeld house...<br />
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We stayed with my brother-in-law's parents, who live in the very western part of Kansas, only a handful of miles from Colorado. We have visited with Stan and Jan when they have come to PA to visit family, but this was a first for us, to visit their home in Kansas. Jim had been through Sharon Springs on the wheat harvest over 30 years ago, but of course didn't know them then. They very graciously welcomed us, and Jan had a delicious lunch waiting for us when we arrived!<br />
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Stan and Jim...<br />
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After lunch, we hopped into their vehicle and got a grand tour of the area. We checked out one of Stan's center pivot irrigation units...<br />
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We saw lots of beautiful landscape, blue sky and cotton ball clouds! It was fun to see how things were beginning to turn green as we made our way across the county. Spring was definitely showing it's face...<br />
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Stan was acquainted with a neighboring farmer who has around 8,000 cows, and we got a personal tour of the facility. We got to watch them milk in their double-24 milking parlor, and this picture fascinated me. It spites me that I can't remember how many calves they have on milk, but it was either 300 or 500 bottle babies! It was fun to watch, but I certainly had no trouble leaving that job for someone else to do! :)<br />
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When we got back to the house, Jan prepared another wonderful <strike>meal</strike> feast for us! Her gift of hospitality sure was being used, and we were so honored to be the recipients.<br />
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The next morning, Jim and I got up and took a walk. We kind of saw the sun came up...<br />
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...and enjoyed walking around in Stan's fields to check out some of his equipment...<br />
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Jim checked out the grain truck...<br />
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...and we enjoyed watching the horses...<br />
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Our visit wasn't very long,but we really enjoyed our time in Sharon Springs, and appreciated Stan and Jan's warm hospitality!<br />
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Of course we were sent off with a huge breakfast...strawberry french toast...homemade cinnamon rolls, and much much more...<br />
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And did I mention that we also got to take lots of food along for our trip that day?<br />
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Thank you so much, Stan and Jan, for taking the time to host us!<br />
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Our next set destination was Evanston IL to visit my sister and family, and we had a couple of days to get there, so we studied our map and considered our options. We decided to head north towards Nebraska, and then east, with a goal of getting to Fairbury Nebraska by late afternoon/evening. We were interested in seeing some historical Oregon Trail sights.<br />
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Off we went, with a few rabbit trails in between.<br />
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That will be saved for next time...Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-43374265789313256532019-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:002019-06-12T09:01:10.954-04:00Life After Cows...Part Five...Well. It must be Wednesday, my day off, because I'm finally sitting down at the computer to do another post about our trip!<br />
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Work has been good. Busy, but good. It's been a pretty big learning curve for me, and after working at home for 25 years, an adjustment. It's not difficult work, but time management is probably the biggest thing right now. I think I'm finally "over the hump", and if I can just keep caught up, it should only get easier.<br />
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Back to our trip...<br />
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After a hearty breakfast, we left my Aunt Alice's house on Sunday morning and headed south on Route 25 towards Colorado Springs. The weather looked more promising that morning, and we could see the beautiful foothills as we headed towards Garden of the Gods, our destination for the day. About half way between Denver and Colorado Springs, we saw this big rock to the east, just off the highway.<br />
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Castle Rock...<br />
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We had no tight schedule to follow, so we took the opportunity to stop and take a look. We found a trail to the top, and enjoyed the hike and the view...<br />
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We found this little painted stone along the pathway, and left it for the next person to find...<br />
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That felt good! This is the kind of thing we had hoped to be able to do....see things along the way, and be able to stop and enjoy them with no real set schedule!<br />
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On to Garden of the Gods.<br />
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I was here once before, when I was about ten years old. I still can't believe how rude (maybe that's a strong word, but still...) I was when I said to my Mom after being there for just a short time..."what's the big deal? It's just a bunch of rocks!" How things change as we get older and appreciate the creation that God has made, and how beautiful it is!<br />
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Sorry again, Mom!<br />
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The day became more overcast and a little bit cool as it went along, and we were a little disappointed to not see Pike's Peak, but it made for great walking weather! We walked from one end of the park to the other, exploring, and couldn't get enough of looking at the beautiful scenery! We definitely got our exercise today!<br />
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No descriptions necessary...<br />
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We headed back to our motel, which was just a few miles away, found a diner for supper, and called it a day.<br />
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On Monday morning when we woke up and headed out to pack up the car for our trip back east into Kansas, we saw <i>beautiful blue sky</i>!<br />
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Since we were literally only five minutes from Garden of the Gods, we drove back to the park, found a look out high above, and took a <i>lot</i> of pictures. I won't bore you with them all, but here are a couple of my favorites...<br />
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It was so worth it!<br />
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We pointed our car eastward, and headed out. Pikes Peak remained in our mirror for miles...<br />
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Next stop, Sharon Springs KsAlicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-36075843427882817712019-05-29T09:15:00.001-04:002019-05-29T09:16:21.576-04:00Life After Cows...Trip Part Four...Finally, another post. I'd better get this documented before I forget details!!<br />
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*Warning...lots of pictures ahead in these next couple of posts, as this was some of the most beautiful country that we encountered this time around!<br />
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Early Friday morning, we said good bye to Jenna and headed west on Route 70 through Kansas on our way to my Aunt Alice in Fort Collins CO. The day started out rather dreary, and we drove through some rain, but by late afternoon some blue sky appeared.<br />
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I think desolately beautiful would be one way to describe eastern Colorado!<br />
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Grain bins in every town. I might have to do a collage later, of all the grain bins I took pics of on this trip...<br />
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We arrived at my Aunt Alice's house around supper time on Friday. It was so good to see her! She is my Mom's younger sister, and has come to Pennsylvania many times to visit us. (I was named after her and my great Aunt Alice, with whom I share a birthday!) So many times we wished we could visit her, and finally it happened. She had a yummy supper waiting for us along with a delicious apple pie for dessert...<br />
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She says that she has two cats...but I'm not sure that I believe her. We only saw one cat the weekend we were there. Here's Muffin...<br />
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Smokey didn't show his face even once. The only sign I saw of him was a gray streak as something flew up the stairs when I opened the front door after one of our outings. He apparently hid under her bed the whole time "strangers" were there! <i>Aunt Alice, you know I'm just giving you a hard time!</i> :)<br />
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On Saturday, Aunt Alice took us up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a cloudy day and we couldn't see the beautiful Colorado skies and the high mountain peaks, but it was still beautiful!<br />
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Here we are heading up into the foothills...<br />
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Devil's Backbone...<br />
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About to enter Thompson's Canyon on our way to Estes Park...<br />
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At every turn (and there were <i>lots</i> of them) we were surrounded by beauty. It's so different from what we see every day! We kept our eyes out for mountain goats on the rocks, but our eyes weren't sharp enough to pick any out...<br />
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As we entered Estes Park, we saw herds of Elk lounging around enjoying their weekend...<br />
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At the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park we were happy to hear that the road to Bear Lake was open. I remember being there when I was ten years old. Of course it looked quite different then because it was summer time. I vaguely remember hiking around the lake. This time however, the lake was frozen over and snow covered so we walked across it rather than around it...<br />
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Frozen water falls...<br />
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These baby pine cones caught my eye...<br />
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The photo-opps were many, and do you see that? Blue sky peeping through those clouds!<br />
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We ended the day being hosted by my cousin Eric and his wife Xioma and family. I hadn't seen "big Eric" as we call him :) since "our Eric" was about two years old. It was so nice to see him again and to meet his lovely wife and daughters!<br />
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This trip was about so much more than just seeing the beautiful sights across the country! We were happy to spend time with family and friends along the way!<br />
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Next up...Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods.<br />
<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-85231479083883832722019-05-05T07:25:00.000-04:002019-05-05T07:41:21.215-04:00Life After Cows...Trip Part Three...It's time I get back to the details of our trip! Work has been quite busy, and we're still adjusting to life after cows, so some things aren't getting done as quickly as I'd like...<br />
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I left off the last time with our arrival in Hesston Kansas, where we met up with Jenna! We stayed at the guest house on campus, which is super convenient when visiting someone at the college. Our first full day there, Jenna had classes all day, so Jim and I did some adventuring of our own.<br />
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Over 30 years ago, Jim spent a summer on the wheat harvest, cutting wheat from Texas to Montana with a crew based out of Inman Kansas. Before we left on our trip, he did some research and found what he thought might be a current address for his boss, Randy Ediger. He didn't have a phone # though, so we were going out on a bit of a limb. We punched it into the GPS and went for a drive. As we came to the driveway, we saw harvesters lined up beside a barn, along with some grain trucks, and so we pulled in to find out if our search had been successful. There was a young man working in an implement shed, and Jim hopped out of the car to talk to him while I waited. A few minutes later, a man came out of the house saying "Jim! You made it back!" Randy recognized Jim right away, and we had a wonderful visit with him! He was very gracious to receive unexpected guests, and made us feel very welcome!<br />
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Jim has a lot of great memories of his time back in the summer of 1987 on the wheat harvest!<br />
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After we left the Ediger farm, we headed just a few miles south to the little town of Buehler...<br />
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I had gone out on a limb of my own the day before, and contacted a fellow blogger, Kim, from <a href="http://kimscountyline.blogspot.com/">Kim's County Line</a>. She's a fellow farm wife, and I've enjoyed reading about her life in Kansas for the past few years. I knew she wasn't too far from where we would be (and in Kansas, an hour of travel feels so different than it does around here!!) and so I asked her if there was any way we could meet up. She was also very gracious, and we met at a coffee shop in Buehler and had nice visit! We both regretted later that we hadn't take a picture, but we had a very nice time meeting in person and getting to know each other a little bit. Thanks, Kim for taking time to meet with a near stranger on a whim!!<br />
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We took Jenna for supper in the evening, and turned in feeling like we had had a successful day!<br />
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On Thursday, our second full day in Hesston, all that Jenna had on her schedule was a violin lesson in the morning. We've really missed hearing her play, so it was a treat to have her play several pieces for us that she's been working on...<br />
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We then headed out with Jenna for an adventure to a Salt Mine in Hutchinson. It is an active salt mine, which Kim recommended would be a fun place to tour. We were not disappointed!<br />
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We went from 630' high at the St Louis Arch, to 650' below ground for the tour of the mine. I thought it might feel a little claustrophobic, being underground, but it didn't feel that way at all. The part of the mine that we were in was well lit, with high ceilings, so we didn't even feel like we were underground! The underground temperature was a constant 55 degrees, so it was also quite comfortable temperature wise...<br />
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That chunk of salt beside Jim and Jenna weighs over a ton...<br />
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The salt from this mine is used for road salt...<br />
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The large equipment inside the mine was taken down in pieces and reassembled once it was down in the mine. It will stay there permanently, even after it's no longer in use. This was an undercutter, which was used to cut a way a few inches at the bottom of each wall, which then allowed somewhere for the salt to fall once blasting took place...<br />
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...and this conveyor belt transported the salt out of the mine...<br />
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If you're ever near Hutchinson Kansas, I'd recommend it as place to visit!<br />
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We headed back to Hesston, and enjoyed our last evening on campus. We strolled around the Arboretum...<br />
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...and enjoyed some welcome signs of spring...<br />
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As we prepared to leave Kansas, there was one other thing that I wanted to document, and that is the almost constant Kansas wind...<br />
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We had a wonderful time, and headed out early Friday morning for our next stop...Fort Collins Colorado to visit my Aunt. More in a bit...<br />
<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-73634844587182291972019-04-15T18:47:00.000-04:002019-04-15T18:47:46.772-04:00Life After Cows...Trip Part Two...Last time I think I left you in West Virginia, where Jim and I enjoyed our first weekend away with my sister and brother in law. <br />
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On Monday morning we packed up our car and headed into the "unknown". We knew that our next destination would be Hesston Kansas, where our daughter is in college, but we didnt' know exactly which route we would take or where all we might stop.<br />
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We wound our way through the mountains of West Virginia, and ended up on Route 64 in Charleston, where we began our trek west towards Jenna. There were lots of hills and lots of hairpin turns on those roads for the first hour or so!<br />
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Kentucky was the first state that we entered that we had never been in before...<br />
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What I remember the most, was the amount of steel bridges that we saw and crossed! It made me think of Eric, who will soon graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering. Steel structures are in his area of interest...<br />
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We found a motel just east of St Louis, where we spent the night. We hoped to go up into the arch the next morning, but were unable to purchase any tickets online. Bummer! Or so we thought. We decided to stop anyway, and were pleasantly surprised that we could still buy tickets on sight.<br />
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It was a gorgeous day!<br />
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I must say that if you are at all claustrophobic (which I am) the ride to the top of the tower is a bit of a stretch. You sit in a small pod with up to four other people, your knees all touching and your shoulders a bit hunched so that you don't bang your head for the 4 minute ride to the top. The view however, was worth it...</div>
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Looking east. That's the Cargill grain elevator in the front center of the picture, with a barge apparently loading some grain.<br />
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Looking to the west. The St Louis Cardinals baseball stadium is on the far left side of the picture...<br />
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The Mississippi River was quite muddy and very high. I have never really seen it up close before to be able to compare it to "normal", but there were several docks just below us that were partially under water. There was also a lot of debris in the water that had been caught up in piles near the shore. A lot of the water from the flooding upstream was clearly making it's way south...<br />
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After we came down from the arch, we found a place to grab some lunch, and hopped back in the car for the rest of our trip towards Hesston.<br />
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We stopped at a car museum that we saw along Route 70 in western Missouri...<br />
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...and made our way southwest from Kansas City just before dark. If you enlarge the picture, you can see a line of fire on the hillside in the distance. It's the time of year that farmers burn their fields...<br />
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...a beautiful Kansas sunset...as beautiful as it could be from a moving car window anyway...<br />
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Finally, look who we found! We haven't seen her since Christmas!<br />
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More next time on our adventures in Kansas and beyond!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-53247535394943325432019-04-08T23:20:00.000-04:002019-04-09T07:06:45.236-04:00Life After Cows...Trip Part One...When Jim and I first started thinking about selling the cows, we also began dreaming of a vacation. We had each been able to get away on occasion...alone...but not together, and we were ready for that to change!<br />
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We are very thankful to our current employers, who saw how important this was to us, and who were willing to give us some extended time off so soon after we began working for them!<br />
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All that said, I'm excited to recap our vacation for whoever would like to follow along! I posted on Instagram and Face Book along the way, but didn't give a lot of details. I'll warn you up front...the posts will be picture heavy, but it's what I do! I snap away. After all, I wouldn't want to forget anything!<br />
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Here's the first weekend...<br />
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We left home on Saturday morning March 23. I had filled up the gas tank the night before on my way home from work, so we started with just ten miles on the trip odometer. (We typically drive older cars and run them until they die, so none of our current vehicles were trip worthy. We found this car at an auction last fall and bought it with this trip in mind. It's fourteen years old, but had only 45,000 miles on it when we bought it. An older man was the sole owner, and he had kept it spotlessly clean and had it serviced regularly and garage kept.) The mileage will look a lot different when we get home!<br />
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About an hour from home, we hit a traffic jam. A stand still, get out of your car and walk around traffic jam that delayed us about an hour. There was an accident on the highway a mile or so in front of us. We never heard if anyone was badly injured, but we could clearly see where it had happened after traffic began moving again.<br />
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Thankfully (for more than just us!) it was the only accident we encountered on the entire trip!<br />
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Our first destination was to my sister and brother in law's home in Kimball, West Virginia. They are location coordinators for <a href="https://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/volunteer/swap/locations">SWAP</a> (Sharing With Appalachian People) which is under the umbrella of MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) It's a great organization, if you want to check it out!<br />
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One of my favorite things on this trip was seeing how the landscape changed from state to state...even from mile to mile! This is somewhere between here and there, either in Virginia or West Virginia...<br />
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It was supposed to be about an eight hour trip, but it took us ten hours due to the accident and a leisurely lunch stop. We still had some daylight left when we passed Pinnacle Rock along Route 52, so we stopped for a quick hike to the top. It's not a long or difficult hike...but it's worth the view! The Appalachian Mountains are quite different from the Rockies, which I'll get to later...but beautiful just the same...<br />
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On Sunday afternoon, Lee and Peg took us hiking at Brush Creek Falls.<br />
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Aren't the water falls beautiful? That's a 33' drop, in case you were wondering. While we were there, a couple of young people took the plunge. They looked pretty cold when they got out of the water!<br />
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The first waterfalls were close to the beginning of the trail, but there was a second falls about 1 1/2 miles further along the trail. It was a beautiful day, and we had no cows to milk...so on we went...<br />
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And this...THIS...almost got us off to a really crummy start on our vacation. I slipped and my phone ended up IN. THE. WATER. Totally submerged in about two feet of water.<br />
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Jim was closest to it, and he grabbed it as fast as he could. I thought it was all over. I mean really...we are so attached to and dependent on our phones!! How were we going to travel halfway across the country for two weeks with no means of communication and no internet access?? Talk about a first world problem.<br />
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I am so very thankful to say, that after the screen went blank for about ten minutes (and me panicking) my phone came back to life with no apparent permanent side affects! My case is mostly made of rubber, and I think that's what saved it. I don't know. But ANYWAY...we were fine. Sigh.<br />
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Thanks for following along on the first weekend of our getaway. More to come in the next few days...Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-58856312245168461432019-03-05T08:37:00.001-05:002019-03-05T12:56:34.725-05:00Final Milk Check...Twenty five years ago, Jim and I eagerly awaited our first milk check. We had to wait for a while, because dairy farmers are paid for milk shipped the previous month. We were so excited, and documented the event...<br />
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This past week we received our final milk check, one month after we milked for the last time. It was much nicer on this end, getting paid for a full month after we finished milking!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtaRdqP_wn547b24iP0jPkaRfl0ONtPCjNAvdgF9JRNK0PAQBXmta9ENuRxCkqSXtp5_KLWOqBszZn5Hm0ZKOTx_LxYyOYIH26pcoPgd31PhjK9nTd_MdRXykcJdvd6ljd7he9Z-yJGlD/s1600/20190305_081601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtaRdqP_wn547b24iP0jPkaRfl0ONtPCjNAvdgF9JRNK0PAQBXmta9ENuRxCkqSXtp5_KLWOqBszZn5Hm0ZKOTx_LxYyOYIH26pcoPgd31PhjK9nTd_MdRXykcJdvd6ljd7he9Z-yJGlD/s400/20190305_081601.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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It would be nice to say that after twenty five years, the milk price has continued to increase like everything else, including expenses...but sad to say that's not the case. I tried to compare prices, but it was difficult. We shipped to a different co-op in 1994, and things were structured differently. The deductions that come off of the milk check each month are so different, and so much more now than they were then, but it was still fun to look at those old milk check stubs and try to compare! </div>
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One thing that hasn't changed is the smile on my farmer's face!</div>
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<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-86659663816466663702019-02-27T14:28:00.000-05:002019-03-01T05:38:42.177-05:00Heifers Homecoming...Settlement on the other farm happened a few weeks ago, but we were able to keep the dozen or so bred heifers over there until we ran out of feed. I'd say Jim planned pretty well...last fall he had to guestimate how much silage we would need until late Feb/early March, and it worked out just right! We brought them home on Saturday morning.<br />
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These three youngin's have no idea how their world is going to change. They're used to having the run of the outside pen...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6_QFQyeEn9xF9LSnri3y-owdvzS_J3EtEoXWg5ydjTAtV79GpFJkbPTlv5EGoYhFLEc2au8WmYToW9vuSKlD0sHcNRB6B8lcEx_lHHPoXeEpUq98kmTbpKPUo6BdoRUwwsduySRYtR_w/s1600/20190223_072559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6_QFQyeEn9xF9LSnri3y-owdvzS_J3EtEoXWg5ydjTAtV79GpFJkbPTlv5EGoYhFLEc2au8WmYToW9vuSKlD0sHcNRB6B8lcEx_lHHPoXeEpUq98kmTbpKPUo6BdoRUwwsduySRYtR_w/s400/20190223_072559.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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It took about fifteen minutes to load the ten heifers and young bull into the the trailer, and another five minutes to get them home...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo512v3pDDhpdna4uLCEyglO9J9KvaOukNS5HAbkJpnbUjcqbF_sKQ24wWlF6bFVOJWFHRc8lMZPo4-E1-k_Ls_BlVQFzr1GSKSS90XhFDDZQT15mFwUZ_54lDOf0DidSDQVIyurTqysgk/s1600/20190223_072639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo512v3pDDhpdna4uLCEyglO9J9KvaOukNS5HAbkJpnbUjcqbF_sKQ24wWlF6bFVOJWFHRc8lMZPo4-E1-k_Ls_BlVQFzr1GSKSS90XhFDDZQT15mFwUZ_54lDOf0DidSDQVIyurTqysgk/s400/20190223_072639.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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(those barn cleaners are getting a long needed rest after being used daily for many, many years)<br />
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The outside pen is once again full of animals, back home where they "grew up"...<br />
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They don't care much where they are, just so there's food, water and shelter available!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigl00D48D9re8YGiclvkb-hEO8hMYGrgSEN-j5XjQb67gX1lTeaJvFcHllIkZzAVpTYHlb90byzS5UCx_i_Gq5HINs4OXSWtxZkRJPWj1fExc8oPwpz24TDOoMdHIgAMAaiy-X66VKf3v/s1600/20190223_074445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigl00D48D9re8YGiclvkb-hEO8hMYGrgSEN-j5XjQb67gX1lTeaJvFcHllIkZzAVpTYHlb90byzS5UCx_i_Gq5HINs4OXSWtxZkRJPWj1fExc8oPwpz24TDOoMdHIgAMAaiy-X66VKf3v/s400/20190223_074445.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once the meadow greens up this spring, we'll let them out to graze to their heart's content. As they spring up, they'll then be sold at a dairy sale. Anyone need some nice first calf heifers?Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-2275573161767184612019-02-15T09:11:00.001-05:002019-02-16T15:22:20.736-05:00Adjusting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's been two weeks today since we sold the cows, and we've been gradually adjusting to our new normal. We're still feeling good about our decision, but there have been adjustments.</div>
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I will say, it's been easier in some ways than we expected, and harder in others! The hardest part for me has been giving up my time at home. Although we were very tied down with the cows, we often had flexible time throughout the day for running errands, etc. That has changed a bit and is an adjustment, but we'll figure it out! I need to be more intentional about meal planning, cleaning, laundry etc. Jim still has some manure to haul and projects that he would like to tackle, and will have to adjust to the same thing.</div>
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I headed off to a new job almost two weeks ago, working in the office at a feed mill. I'm enjoying being able to remain a part of the ag community and I'm also enjoying the work that I've been doing. I have a LOT to learn, but thankfully the people there have been very patient with my many, many questions!</div>
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Jim has been trying out a few things and hasn't decided for sure which direction he would like to go. He will find a good fit I'm sure, but it might take a little time.</div>
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The dogs and cats may have the hardest adjustment of all! They were used to having us around all day and would enjoy many ear scratches or belly rubs, and sneak treats throughout the day. Snickers has, in the past few months, bedded down in a pile of straw and corn fodder in the cow stable. When the barn was full of cows, it was nice and cozy even on the coldest of days. When Jim cleaned out the stalls, he left her little pile in place so that she would have a comfy bed. She could easily sleep upstairs in the straw with Murphy and Phoebe, but she chooses this... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRtetI_uHrpTsW-DKtUmjm_Q0csqrk8rPvu4f2SO7o0CmrU4Odekq0Ek6rjNCPjfYBXRhZDIa6NgThu3euVEIjrLzwKTGfRzD-f9uT0w_ef9J6z70bRv9DjzpDN2Luzg32ljqCPHmUePw/s1600/20190209_070157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRtetI_uHrpTsW-DKtUmjm_Q0csqrk8rPvu4f2SO7o0CmrU4Odekq0Ek6rjNCPjfYBXRhZDIa6NgThu3euVEIjrLzwKTGfRzD-f9uT0w_ef9J6z70bRv9DjzpDN2Luzg32ljqCPHmUePw/s400/20190209_070157.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I'm headed off for a half day today, and when I get home the dogs will be jumping (at least Phoebe will be!) with excitement. It's good to be loved, especially in the midst of big life changes! :)Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-24789746290892782212019-02-08T14:05:00.000-05:002019-02-08T14:09:50.666-05:00Reminiscing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had a day off from my job training today so I tagged along with Jim to the other farm when he went to feed the heifers. Settlement is next week, so we took what will likely be our last opportunity to walk through the apartment where we lived for nine months when we were first married. We lived on the second floor of the farm house (our kitchen was inside that huge bay window), Jim's Grandma lived on the big side of the house, and another family lived directly below us.</div>
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Here's our trip down memory lane... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4vMZl6zQ7CG0fYEJGY__P8r0ZlbpWYvlnu9Fxx3uL_ESXyLM9OpOUgA1PCriDBMWgUK_8POSz4Msj9n8BiHrTEVKflysYQrBGm55yJ1hEB5qZGMhVjHo0BP_nu4yYvhCYRp-ZYoowqiv/s1600/20190208_122125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4vMZl6zQ7CG0fYEJGY__P8r0ZlbpWYvlnu9Fxx3uL_ESXyLM9OpOUgA1PCriDBMWgUK_8POSz4Msj9n8BiHrTEVKflysYQrBGm55yJ1hEB5qZGMhVjHo0BP_nu4yYvhCYRp-ZYoowqiv/s400/20190208_122125.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We entered off the porch and headed upstairs...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WGKk1up-gII2FvXGqIaH_B7Fma0bQm2wJ5DsnMMRaMe7XfNL_yp7gIr6erhrO6pZNuVRpKq7NZux1hM3SGtN1hzwwF5_PJBrn1V4iWxqev7ElcNWhD0238hYV8ocDUD-wLy1efzByX1X/s1600/20190208_122009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WGKk1up-gII2FvXGqIaH_B7Fma0bQm2wJ5DsnMMRaMe7XfNL_yp7gIr6erhrO6pZNuVRpKq7NZux1hM3SGtN1hzwwF5_PJBrn1V4iWxqev7ElcNWhD0238hYV8ocDUD-wLy1efzByX1X/s400/20190208_122009.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Our little kitchen table was inside those windows. This faces south and east, and was a beautiful warm sunny place for eating breakfast and keeping my African violets blooming!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4ptJ5VA59lpXHxpycpkibEa4wY0lWK6eooko75GMjOGw63COHejUQP9A1T-gQZNnPkKpWC0oomSqQJhgS0UVtfyupWzhC3VEr0ndOyQ-udFrK_HC1ZnNRbunQ3b9UvzKJKeH3ubhuEuU/s1600/20190208_120827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4ptJ5VA59lpXHxpycpkibEa4wY0lWK6eooko75GMjOGw63COHejUQP9A1T-gQZNnPkKpWC0oomSqQJhgS0UVtfyupWzhC3VEr0ndOyQ-udFrK_HC1ZnNRbunQ3b9UvzKJKeH3ubhuEuU/s400/20190208_120827.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The tile back splash and cupboards have since been painted, but the tile was a bright aqua blue and the cupboards were a natural wood twenty five years ago...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyQ-fHFdls_xTCpLs4fcNltI-tmAb0C47ThOkCoCc8-LBQ68IovPrYO0FiXJH1yuUlV6U2NqLq7oyt4xab45IvFgdbllIlUk94WZlQDYW7mnpHg7VDoR54nAqIkY4pOIgS-OdTM5v-JKh/s1600/20190208_121642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyQ-fHFdls_xTCpLs4fcNltI-tmAb0C47ThOkCoCc8-LBQ68IovPrYO0FiXJH1yuUlV6U2NqLq7oyt4xab45IvFgdbllIlUk94WZlQDYW7mnpHg7VDoR54nAqIkY4pOIgS-OdTM5v-JKh/s400/20190208_121642.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Sycamore trees really make a mess in the yard, but this beautiful landmark is huge, old, and such a familiar sight outside our kitchen windows...<br />
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Older and hopefully wiser...<br />
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Our pretty little bathroom with the huge linen closet...<br />
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Checking out the heifers in the barnyard from the bathroom window...<br />
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On the north east side of the house was our bedroom. When we got married, the bedroom suit that we had ordered from an Amish carpenter, wasn't ready yet. So, we put our mattress and box spring on the bedroom floor and borrowed a dresser from Grandma D.<br />
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The tobacco shed out the spare bedroom window...<br />
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We lived here during the fall, winter and early spring months, so we didn't spend much time on the balcony, but it was so warm and sunny today!<br />
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Here's Jim almost exactly twenty five years ago, with the balcony behind him, holding our very first milk check!</div>
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Jim will be feeding heifers here for a little bit yet and then we'll be bringing them home to our farm. The gorgeous blue sky against the beautiful white barn and tile silo today was just begging to show off in a photo, so here you have it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi-gCjElPIpWM-Yy2ojlwHNqXFO45H_IIxMBm-qAo0hfAPT8TixZk5B6_ZQktw179q457LO5wJy8b12vPaH0MXbwhg4bZLUTRIItIvEoIrfldVkJQdvtxTcohWjYJthfVbtfw4TyV9Eyy/s1600/20190208_122222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi-gCjElPIpWM-Yy2ojlwHNqXFO45H_IIxMBm-qAo0hfAPT8TixZk5B6_ZQktw179q457LO5wJy8b12vPaH0MXbwhg4bZLUTRIItIvEoIrfldVkJQdvtxTcohWjYJthfVbtfw4TyV9Eyy/s400/20190208_122222.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Thanks for coming along on our trip down memory lane! More coming soon on our new jobs and how that's going!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-38814468844335804172019-02-01T12:02:00.004-05:002019-02-03T06:59:28.504-05:00Time For Something New...It's been a season of changes around here, and this week, they became reality.<br />
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On Monday morning, David, a young Amish neighbor who is starting out farming, came to choose which of our cows he wanted to purchase.<br />
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On Tuesday we sent several cows that he didn't want, to a dairy sale.<br />
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Yesterday several older cows went to the sale barn, and early this morning Jim and I headed to the barn to milk for the last time...<br />
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It was pretty cold, but thankfully not windy...</div>
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We finished up milking and kept our eyes on the clock, anticipating the cattle hauler arriving soon...<br />
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He first transported some cows from another neighbor and then arrived at our farm...<br />
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The cows cooperated quite nicely as they were loaded onto the truck. Off he goes with the first load...<br />
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Last trip down Clearview Road...<br />
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...and here they are, settling into their new home! Henry, age 2, looks on...<br />
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Our job for the next hour or so will be draining all the water lines in the cow stable. We don't need any surprises when the weather warms and we turn on the water again to the barn! For now we'll water the heifers with a hose from the milk house into a stock tank.<br />
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It's the end of an era, and as we expected, we have mixed emotions. One thing that helps is knowing that most of the cows went to a neighbor, and will be helping him get off to a start in dairy farming. We've felt a lot of support from friends and family, and are looking forward to what's next. What all that is, we don't know yet, but we're slowly piecing it together.<br />
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Jim and I spent almost twenty-five years working together, and we think that over all it went very well! We might not get to eat three meals a day together any more, but we'll be fine!<br />
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For now, we still have some heifers and a couple of young calves that will keep our fingers in farming for a little while!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-51964658579083514042019-01-30T09:16:00.004-05:002019-01-30T09:19:41.579-05:00Prepping For the Cold...Cold weather doesn't have to be terrible.<br />
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Wind doesn't have to be terrible.<br />
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But put them together, and they're a mess!<br />
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We think we're prepared for the cold and wind combination that is to arrive later today. It's only to last for a few days, thankfully, but water pipes freeze quickly, and animals need water!<br />
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A couple of years ago, we had a longer stretch of cold weather like this. Jim came up with a clever way to help insulate the west side of the barn. You can read about it <a href="https://happilymarriedtothecows.blogspot.com/2015/02/record-breaking-cold.html">here</a>. He saved all of those pre-cut pieces of insulation, and we put them up again this morning...<br />
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In anticipation of the cold weather, along with the cows leaving this week, Jim has been thinking ahead about more ways to keep the water pipes in the soon-to-be-almost-empty barn from freezing. If it gets too cold we can turn the water off to the barn completely, from the house. We would like to keep running water in the milk house though, so we wrapped the water pipe where it comes into the barn with heating tape and insulation. There's a valve at the end of this section that we can turn off to the rest of the barn, but we'll still have water in the heated milk house...<br />
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The heifers that we are keeping can then be watered with a hose run from the milk house into a large water tub.<br />
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Life is changing quickly here, and we are filled with mixed emotions. It was our choice to make changes, but it's still hard. I'm heading off to a new job next week, and I'm looking forward to it! I'll be staying connected to the ag industry, and I hope I can learn quickly! I will have to do more planning ahead for meals and laundry, but lots of people do it! Jim will be busy for a while with hauling manure and some projects around the farm, but will also be pursuing other ventures.<br />
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In the mean time, here are a few pictures of the snow we had last night. It didn't amount to more than an inch or so, but it's pretty!<br />
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Stay warm, wherever you are!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-18582409257799064792019-01-23T15:53:00.000-05:002019-01-23T15:53:09.165-05:00Brrr...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It finally happened...winter arrived!</div>
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We knew it was coming, but still, when that wind picked up on Sunday afternoon...brrrrrr.</div>
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After milking, we shut the barn up tight, drained water lines and watched the AFC Championship game with my sister and brother in law. Since the Eagles lost last weekend, Jim and I gladly joined the KC fan club...</div>
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It got pretty exciting there at the end, but disappointment prevailed. I have to keep reminding myself that "it's just a football game"! Sorry if I offended any die hard fans, but it's true!</div>
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I stayed up and checked out the lunar eclipse. It was soooooo cold, but I think it was worth seeing!</div>
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The winds howled all night long, and we saw single digits by morning. The cold and wind combination is one thing that I will not miss after the cows are gone. Yes, it might still be cold and windy, but we won't be trying to keep water bowls open all day long or fixing a barn cleaner in the bitter cold, or fighting with frozen corn silage! Most of those headaches fall on Jim, and he deals with them much better than I do!</div>
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Meanwhile, on the south side of the house...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIKYGV17FjVzSvL3kWikWt7BHlfR3VP-KVSIOt9NJvmXCiEGyervkY13c2UxfYuDpUyXA4z4_Q-2vuNAgeOidK3fpSUKKTeCo9z8rqzoKliFr1QVMNyZJMQNl5v3IBDpvnBIZXZ7IDLZX/s1600/20190121_120454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIKYGV17FjVzSvL3kWikWt7BHlfR3VP-KVSIOt9NJvmXCiEGyervkY13c2UxfYuDpUyXA4z4_Q-2vuNAgeOidK3fpSUKKTeCo9z8rqzoKliFr1QVMNyZJMQNl5v3IBDpvnBIZXZ7IDLZX/s400/20190121_120454.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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All three dogs CHOSE to lay in the ivy, in the sun and out of the wind. They could have gone inside the barn, but then they might have missed some activity. For Phoebe especially, that would have been just too boring!<br />
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Tuesday morning brought single digits again...<br />
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...but the wind had died down almost completely. Yay! What a difference a calm day makes, even in the cold! We had more barn cleaner problems, which took most of the day for Jim to fix, but he got it done! I am amazed at the amount of knowledge a farmer has to have, about so many different things!<br />
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Two days later, and guess what? Temps are in the 40's and there's rain in the forecast. Surprise, surprise!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-31396705874797763352019-01-10T15:11:00.000-05:002019-01-11T06:41:46.149-05:00Changes Are Coming...I suppose some of you have heard "rumors", and others of you may have wondered what's happening on our farm in 2019!<br />
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Changes are what's happening...<br />
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Changes can be exciting...changes can be challenging...changes can be unsettling...changes can be fun...or they can be all of it rolled up in one. That's kind of what our coming changes feel like!<br />
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Jim and I have been dairy farming since the day we were married, just over 25 years ago. We started out with Jim working for his dad on the farm, while I worked full time at a local bank. In April of 1994, we officially took over the dairy, while I remained working at the bank. I slowly took on less hours at the bank and eventually stayed at home full time to help Jim on the farm and to start our family.<br />
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The past 24 years of being self employed dairy farmers have been mostly good ones! I say mostly, because no job, however wonderful, is completely without challenges. It was great to both be at home, and to raise our kids on the farm. Being self employed certainly has it's benefits! When the kids were small, I could go for groceries while the kids were napping, and Jim had the baby monitor with him...we could eat three meals a day together during the "slow" times on the farm...the kids had lots of fresh air and space to explore, and many more. There were sacrifices however, like being able to get away rarely, even for weekends, having to "divide and conquer" to get to our kids activities over the years, and being "on call" 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We chose to farm, and we don't regret it!<br />
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All that said...we just spent our last evening working all together as a family in a barn that's full of cows...<br />
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Eric went back to college on Monday, and Jenna heads back next week. By the time they're both home again at the same time, our cows will be gone.<br />
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A lot of thought has gone into this decision; it was never taken lightly. The kids have chosen paths other than farming...and we're totally thrilled for them. We are making this choice voluntarily, and perhaps in a few years, Jim will choose to crop farm again. For now however, we have rented out the ground, and will be working at jobs primarily off the farm.<br />
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I'm sure there will be visible emotions when the cows leave, but that's natural. We've talked to many farmers who have gone through this transition, and they have shared the ups and downs that go along with the changes.<br />
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I hope to keep blogging, but my blog will look different, for sure!<br />
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If you pray, we would appreciate prayers as we make decisions regarding our jobs, and for the changes that our family will be going through.<br />
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We're still "happily married...just not to the cows!"<br />
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<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-87667639768944390552019-01-08T20:21:00.000-05:002019-01-08T20:23:47.073-05:00PA State Farm Show...Jim and I are glad for the opportunity we had to go to the PA State Farm Show in Harrisburg between milkings on Monday! The kids were both still home on break, and chose not to go with us. They helped with the morning work and agreed to feed the cows at lunchtime, so we could get on our way in good time.<br />
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You never know what kind of traffic you might encounter in that area, but we had no delays until we got to the parking lot. We parked about a mile away, and took a shuttle bus that dropped us off at the door to the complex.</div>
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I always enjoy the butter sculpture. Each year it has a different theme, and is unveiled at the opening of the farm show. It is carved from 1000 lb of butter, and features individuals wearing super hero capes...a doctor, an athlete, a soldier, a firefighter and a dairy farmer...<br />
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We wandered through various exhibits. This one featured old tractors that were restored by various FFA groups...</div>
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We saw many, many animals , but I only got pictures of a few.<br />
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These piglets were about two weeks old, and growing fast!<br />
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I'm not sure what breed of cows these are, but I thought they were especially pretty...<br />
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This steer was getting his pre-show bath...<br />
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There were lots of displays...veggies, flowers, fruits, baked items, and more, too numerous to count...<br />
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We were there for several hours, and could have seen so much more if we'd have had the time. Throughout the week there are lots of animal judging contests and special events. Tomorrow, I'm taking my mom up to see the Sheep to Shawl contest. She has always wanted to see it, and I never have, so it will be a new experience for us both!</div>
Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-26422426193605121472018-12-25T17:22:00.002-05:002018-12-25T17:22:58.868-05:00Merry Christmas 2018...This morning while we were milking, this newborn bull calf demonstrated a real life illustration of what it means to be laying in a manger...<br />
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Merry Christmas from our family to yours!<br />
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<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-82674800905022970882018-12-12T21:06:00.002-05:002018-12-12T21:06:40.846-05:00The Farm Sale...<span id="goog_439292504"></span><span id="goog_439292505"></span>Today was the auction of "the other farm"...the farm that has been in Jim's family for many many years. It's the place where Jim's dad and his siblings were born...it's where Jim was brought home as a baby...it's where the cousins spent countless hours of fun together at Grandma D's house...it's where Jim and I lived when we were first married twenty five years ago...and where we've worked ground and housed our bred heifers and dry cows for just as long.<br />
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It was a beautiful day today...temps somewhere around the 40's perhaps...I didn't look, but it was pleasant to be outside visiting with family, friends and neighbors at an auction.<br />
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I took some pictures to capture the events of the day...<br />
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People came via various modes of transportation...<br />
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Looking out the kitchen window from what used to be our upstairs apartment when we were first married! The auctioneer set up his truck in front of the barn...<br />
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There were a lot of family members, friends and neighbors who came to the auction. Some were there for moral support, some for curiosity, and several who came to bid...<br />
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A bunch of the cousins were there...<br />
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The heifers were non the wiser, but were content to munch away on the feed. They have no idea that in a few months, they'll have a new home.<br />
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It was a little bittersweet today. It was time...but there are a lot of memories of "the other farm"...many more for Jim than for me, of course, but still, memories. Memories of playing scrabble with Grandma D on winter evenings when we lived in the upstairs apartment. Memories of the kids helping to pick up rocks in the fields before Jim would seed alfalfa...riding on the back of the grain drill...taking lunch and cold drinks (or coffee!) to him when he was baling hay or cleaning out pens. We all helped on occasion to feed the animals or bed up the heifer pens...we pulled hay wagons back and forth between the farms...took dry cows over and brought springers back home...and the list goes on.<br />
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Now there are new owners, and it will take some getting used to, not making the daily dog-leg turn across Rt 896 and in the driveway!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-57178742014065839162018-12-06T14:47:00.000-05:002018-12-06T16:52:21.497-05:00Crow Damage...Was it crows? Or was it the eagles Jim saw flying around recently? Was it both?<br />
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Either way, I spent part of the afternoon taping up bird damage to the ag bags. The balage (hay that was baled before it was dry) inside needs to remain completely sealed to the air in order to ferment and not mold. Even the tiniest holes can cause damage...<br />
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You might have to enlarge the picture (just click on it) to see, but all around the top edge of this bale, there are small holes that have been pecked through to the balage. There are a lot of layers of plastic around the bales, so you know it takes persistence to make these holes. We're pretty sure it's the pesky crows!<br />
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This was one of the medium sized holes...only about 1/4" in diameter, but the birds had begun to pull the balage out, and there will probably be some mold inside when we open this bale up for feeding. That part will have to go in the gutter. Thankfully most of the holes were tiny, and only a couple were larger...<br />
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THIS...it's hard to see, (here again, enlarge it to see it more clearly) but I see muddy paw prints and claw marks on the side of this bale. A raccoon perhaps?<br />
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This bale was damaged at perfect head height for a crow as it sat on the ground...<br />
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Through the eyes of the ag bag tape...<br />
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My helpers may be old in dog years, but they still like to go out in the fields with me. As soon as I head out behind the barn they're right beside me! Phoebe had been out with us earlier, but decided that lounging in the barn was too hard to resist...<br />
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Just another adventure on a beautiful December day! Several days straight without any rain! Unheard of here lately!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-16665060172320590092018-11-23T08:21:00.000-05:002018-11-23T08:21:58.674-05:00The Tales of a Hot Water Heater...Once upon a time, there was a hot water heater in a milk house. It was used hard for several years, and then it began to leak. It's water was still pretty hot, but the floor in it's corner of the milk house was constantly wet. This alerted the farmer to a problem, and a new hot water heater was ordered.<br />
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When the new water heater arrived, the old one was removed, stripped of it's heating elements and thermostats (because they were still in good working order and you never know if they might be needed sometime!) and delegated to the hot water heater graveyard...<br />
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The new one was installed into it's corner, and it began doing it's duty like a champ...</div>
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The hot water temperature in the milk house needs to be steadily between 170 - 180 degrees F to properly sanitize the milking equipment and pipeline. The proper temperature was confirmed, and the new hot water was deemed to be in good working order...</div>
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But as we warn people who aren't familiar...be careful when you wash your hands!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-69790191316889175022018-11-15T20:15:00.002-05:002018-11-16T09:15:36.051-05:00First Snowfall of 2018...It had to happen eventually...<br />
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Obviously by that comment,you can tell that I am not a fan of cold weather. I will admit though, that the first snowfall of the season is beautiful!<br />
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These first few pictures were taken mid morning...<br />
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...and this was mid afternoon...<br />
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Most of our trees seem to be late in dropping their leaves this year, so the snow is now scattered with beautiful yellow leaves!<br />
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<span id="goog_120625028"></span><span id="goog_120625029"></span>We ended up with about six inches of snow by milking time...just enough that Jim cleared the driveway with the skid loader, as the milk truck is expected in the morning. The temperature is hovering just above freezing right now, so any precipitation is in the form of light rain at the moment. The snow may melt away, or the roads might be an icy mess in the morning. We'll see what happens over night!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-20960497583490729732018-11-01T15:00:00.002-04:002018-11-01T15:01:35.998-04:00DIY When You Can...One of the things that I enjoy is Do It Yourself (DIY) projects. Or maybe I shouldn't say I enjoy them so much as that I get great satisfaction out of taking a problem and fixing it without spending a ton of money. I attribute this in part to my parents, who with a family of girls on the farm, taught my sisters and I some practical skills that I wouldn't trade for anything!<br />
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So...when my dryer wouldn't start spinning until I took half of the wet load out, I knew it was time to do something. Having dealt with something like this years ago, Jim and I assumed it was a worn out belt. I got some professional advice first, and then I googled the part I needed and ordered a replacement on Amazon. (with free shipping because I ordered something for my Dad at the same time that put me over the free shipping amount!)<br />
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Yesterday afternoon I did some more research on good old Google, and set out to replace the belt. In case you've never seen inside your dryer, this is what it looks like with the top open. That black band that circles the drum about 3/4 of the way to the back, is the belt that turns the drum. Sure enough, a section several inches long was damaged...<br />
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I cut the old belt, which was about to tear anyway, and pulled it out of the dryer...<br />
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Before I did that however, I stood on my head (almost) and looked inside, underneath the drum, to see how the belt was routed around the idler sprocket, etc. It wouldn't do any good to have a new belt without a plan!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLwdJPji_FCNxsWzFRR6CCbH4rsXQYJjuqbzqHuODUWgsh-crNEArAhk1Y1ze7jgseTg83pxPUxaDItw37tF9JQWGjm3XIkFpeZwWuXwSrbwltGf5wC75HEsVarPSq_6KFaDfqwREbXWn/s1600/20181031_153940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLwdJPji_FCNxsWzFRR6CCbH4rsXQYJjuqbzqHuODUWgsh-crNEArAhk1Y1ze7jgseTg83pxPUxaDItw37tF9JQWGjm3XIkFpeZwWuXwSrbwltGf5wC75HEsVarPSq_6KFaDfqwREbXWn/s400/20181031_153940.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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After a bit of trial and error, the new belt was in place...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUAW4RMfw837iHb6m1XA0MSVwOzI7QPnbiCcqFnIKk3bV2gMoBifMn-ylMYEyMVGU-z0nTsDP_xiRoUYXHUsLBLrOo7nNs61c0XGWBoWb6NW1g4EC4PSe4UJPWsOuyFQcJXKDXCvHnelF/s1600/20181031_155606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUAW4RMfw837iHb6m1XA0MSVwOzI7QPnbiCcqFnIKk3bV2gMoBifMn-ylMYEyMVGU-z0nTsDP_xiRoUYXHUsLBLrOo7nNs61c0XGWBoWb6NW1g4EC4PSe4UJPWsOuyFQcJXKDXCvHnelF/s400/20181031_155606.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I replaced the front panel (after cleaning out a whole lot of lint!!) closed the top, plugged it back in and pushed it back into place against the wall...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqsDKpu17zWBALo0K43bNrCRkaLY94d5_UISizqy5C9tG2zmh2zzN4gUQ-biNMuFOgjy7IG40oenija-0kM52pUi_dMIlMfs5D2QRZZpbm1hKDTtEpWpdF49Ttr__HIDvCgTb2azBEu8H/s1600/20181031_162255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqsDKpu17zWBALo0K43bNrCRkaLY94d5_UISizqy5C9tG2zmh2zzN4gUQ-biNMuFOgjy7IG40oenija-0kM52pUi_dMIlMfs5D2QRZZpbm1hKDTtEpWpdF49Ttr__HIDvCgTb2azBEu8H/s400/20181031_162255.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I turned on the power, and...wait for it...it sounded <i>awful</i>!<br />
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What a let down! I didn't know what I had done wrong, but it was not even close to operable. It was milking time though, and I was tired. There was no way I was going to tackle it again before bed.<br />
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This morning, I put a call into a local appliance store, and talked to someone in the appliance repair department. He without hesitation, suggested that I had perhaps not seated the drum properly on the gliders inside the front panel. Of course he was right, and in about 20 minutes the dryer was running quietly!<br />
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This is not the first time that this man has helped talk us through a problem with a dryer, washer or dishwasher, in order to avoid a service call. They know that happy customers are repeat customers! Thanks to Ron at Martin's Appliance, another project was successfully completed! Total cost? $6.00. Total time? Give or take 1 hour. I'd say that was well worth it!<br />
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Oh wait...I found a quarter and a dime buried in the lint, so the total cost was only $5.65!<br />
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<br />Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749684475391974742.post-50328138857334990682018-10-24T19:37:00.002-04:002018-10-25T11:14:59.687-04:00Finishing Up Corn Harvest 2018...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Apparently Phoebe found something interesting to watch...</div>
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(and yes, she's looking a little rough. She's being treated for allergies...a farm dog allergic to things on the farm. Hmmmmmmm....)<br />
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But more importantly, here's what she was watching...<br />
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Yesterday and today we had our corn shelled out and sold, except for what Jim used to fill the crib. It looks like we averaged close to 180 bushels per acre, which we are pleased with, considering the weather challenges we had this year! Although the wet weather definitely affected the crops, we didn't have some of the problems that we anticipated.<br />
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We're very thankful for this stretch of beautiful dry fall weather to get in the fields. Everyone and their brother is either combining, picking corn, baling corn fodder or seeding cover crops.<br />
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Next up are the beans...hopefully this weekend, before the rain returns!Alicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17973714830730420149noreply@blogger.com5