Time For Something New...

It's been a season of changes around here, and this week, they became reality.

On Monday morning, David, a young Amish neighbor who is starting out farming, came to choose which of our cows he wanted to purchase.

On Tuesday we sent several cows that he didn't want, to a dairy sale.

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...

It was pretty cold, but thankfully not windy...

We finished up milking and kept our eyes on the clock, anticipating the cattle hauler arriving soon...

He first transported some cows from another neighbor and then arrived at our farm...

The cows cooperated quite nicely as they were loaded onto the truck.  Off he goes with the first load...

Last trip down Clearview Road...

...and here they are, settling into their new home!  Henry, age 2, looks on...

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.

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.

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!

For now, we still have some heifers and a couple of young calves that will keep our fingers in farming for a little while!

Prepping For the Cold...

Cold weather doesn't have to be terrible.

Wind doesn't have to be terrible.

But put them together, and they're a mess!

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!

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 here.  He saved all of those pre-cut pieces of insulation, and we put them up again this morning...

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...

The heifers that we are keeping can then be watered with a hose run from the milk house into a large water tub.

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.

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!

Stay warm, wherever you are!

Brrr...

It finally happened...winter arrived!

We knew it was coming, but still, when that wind picked up on Sunday afternoon...brrrrrr.

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...

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!

I stayed up and checked out the lunar eclipse.  It was soooooo cold, but I think it was worth seeing!

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!

Meanwhile, on the south side of the house...

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!

Tuesday morning brought single digits again...

...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!

Two days later, and guess what?  Temps are in the 40's and there's rain in the forecast.  Surprise, surprise!

Another Long Overdue Winter Project...

It seems like the list of projects that need to be done never ends.

Am I alone in this?

I think not!  Especially when you live in an old farm house, the list never ends...it just gets longer.

I love the character of our house...the two big porches (both of which need work), the large eat in kitchen (we're pretty good there for now), the big windows (we've replaced them a few at a time over the past 20+ years and only have a few more to go) and among other things, the loooooonnnng hallway that runs the length of the house upstairs, with stairs going down at either end.

Said hallway is the focus of this winter project.

First, some history.  We are the third generation to own and live in this farm house.  Over fifty-one years ago, before Jim's parents moved to the farm, his grandparents had the upstairs hallway wallpapered.  The wallpaper was good quality paper, and required little attention paid to it for many years.

The white pattern is actually a textured design that feels kinda like felt when you run your fingers over it.

Over the past few years the paper began to loosen in spots and fall off.  It got put on the back burner because no one other than family typically goes upstairs.   Out of sight of of mind.  Kind of.

This is the winter that we decided something needed to be done, so...

Looks kinda like a war zone, doesn't it?

Over two thirds of the paper pulled right off easily, with very little effort.  The remainder just needed a little encouragement.  I used a garden sprayer with a mixture of warm water and vinegar to make it damp, and in two days all of the paper was gone!  Another day took care of the ceiling paper...

This section was done a bunch of years ago with help from my sister and our kids...

The glue residue has been washed off, and this week I've started spackling.

After that, the twelve doors, two window frames and all the woodwork need to be sanded and prepped for painting!  Thankfully, I have a friend who will lend me her mad skilz and motivation!

Wish me luck, and motivation to keep going!!

Roof Repairs...

Maybe you've wondered what farmers do in the winter time when the field work is finished?  Besides milking, feeding and daily chores?

They take long afternoon naps, vacation in the Carribean and eat bonbons, of course!

Riiiiiiiiiiigggghht...

It's a good time to catch up on repairs on equipment or buildings, especially when you have temps in the 60's and sunshine like today!

This past summer, my parents moved into the house across the road from us. (Oops! I just realized that I never did a blog post of "after"pictures like I promised!  Click here if you want to see some of the pictures of the work in progress on their house. I'll try to do a post soon of the finished project!)
Anyway...my Dad recently discovered where some water was getting under the roof on the screened in porch and damaging some wood. 

Jim inspected it yesterday and gathered some materials.  This afternoon he's been working on the repairs...

It's convenient that Jim worked for a roofer after high school and learned some roofing skills...

I climbed up and "helped" for a little bit, but really wasn't needed, so I skipped out and went to visit our neighbor lady who just had a hip replaced on Monday.

My Dad would love to be up on that roof with Jim, but was content to watch from below...

Jim's been working all afternoon, and the forecast rain has held off.  Hopefully he'll get finished before it starts!  There will be more wintertime projects to come, I'm sure, and before we know it spring will be here!

Winter Projects...and Super Bowl LII...

I was going to save this for last, but it's WAY too important, so let's just get it over with, ok?

THE EAGLES WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!

It sure was an exciting game!  Other than the outcome, which was a looooooong awaited win, the game was so much fun to watch, because both teams played really well!  We were biting our nails until the end, and let's just say that the dog that was napping at halftime...well he couldn't have slept if he'd wanted to in the final two minutes of that amazing game!

And the guy in the recliner?  He wasn't feeling well...and he was cheering for the Patriots...and he went to bed at half time.  I'm not so sure how easy it was for him to go to sleep either!

Fly Eagles Fly...

Ok, enough of that.

Before Christmas, we had a building project going on behind the barn...

We wanted some more storage space for some equipment here at home, so Jim consulted and got estimates from a couple of Amish crews, chose one, and they put this addition up in just a few days...

The Amish man who did the original design/estimate was tragically killed in a buggy accident the day after Thanksgiving.  His grandson who was heading the project made a few adjustments to the plans, and did a really great job with the building...

The only thing different about the project now, is that they added some rolling doors on the west side of the shed (facing you in this picture) to protect the contents inside from blowing snow and rain.  They were added a week or so later, and we're quite happy with the end result.

It even seems to help keep the west side of the barn a little warmer, by blocking the wind!

That's our big project for this winter!

Fly, Eagles, Fly...

The Down-side Of a Mild Winter...

We had such a mild winter this year, and for the most part we were thrilled...hardly any water lines freezing, very little snow to deal with, etc...

THIS, however,  is quite a  problem...

The chickweed is out of control in my iris bed beside the meadow!

Jenna started tackling it on her Easter break, but it's a horrid mess...

It's going to take LOTS of dirty hands...and knees...and patience until it's finished! Maybe even some weed killer.

I'll keep you posted,  as there will be much cause for celebration when it's finished!

Winter? Or Spring?

A month.  That's how long it's been since I've posted.  I'm in a blogging slump right now, but stick around!

We've been keeping busy with regular stuff...you know, milking, feeding, cooking, cleaning, repeat.  The weather, however, has been very confused!

Two weeks ago we were running around in shorts and T-shirts...at least Jim was!...and last week we had a "blizzard".  Stella, the nor'easter paid us a visit on Monday evening and 'til she was gone, we had somewhere around a foot of snow.  We didn't know what to think!  It was pretty cold, but seemed frigid, considering the unusually warm weather we had all winter.

Here are a few pictures from the storm...

On Tuesday morning, just after I got up, and the snow wasn't too deep yet, I snapped this picture of the daffodils along the south side of the house...

The biggest concern for us was when the milk truck would come, and whether or not we would be ready for him.  He showed up just as we finished milking, and just as Jim was ready to hop on the skid loader to open the driveway.  It was pretty good timing, actually, because the snow was only about 6" deep at the time, so between the chains on his truck and Jim on the skid loader, he came and went with little trouble...

That's always a relief.

When I fed the calves in the morning, I glanced in the chicken pen, and was surprised to see these hens all huddled together outside...

I have no idea what they were thinking, but there were no tracks around them, so I'm assuming that they huddled together outside all night, with the snow coming down around them.  I carried them inside the shed, where they happily joined their friends for the duration of the storm.  They're fine...and laying eggs quite happily now that the snow is gone!

I got a new phone, and was having fun taking pictures in the snow.  This is one of the hens that was outside all night...she was intrigued by her first selfie...

Now, a week later, most of the snow is gone, except for a few big piles.  It had better be...because SPRING is officially here, and I'm happy about that! While I don't like losing an hour of sleep over the change to daylight savings time, the longer daylight hours energize me.  I feel so much more motivated to get things done when there is daylight and sunshine!

One thing I've been working on the past few weeks is something called 40 Bags in 40 Days.  You may have seen postings on face book about this, or read about it online somewhere.  I'm not following it to a "T", but I'm working on cleaning out and simplifying.  It coincides with lent, and is so satisfying to me.  I've cleaned out closets, cupboards and book shelves. (why was I keeping things in my kitchen cupboards that I never use?) When I'm done cleaning out, I'm planning to scrape wall paper in the upstairs hallway.

Enough rambling...

I hope you're seeing signs of spring wherever you are!

Balmy February...

Sometimes the farmer has to play a little, especially when February feels like springtime...

Windblown, but having fun this afternoon in the MGB...

We had almost record setting temperatures again today...73 degrees...

Is it just us, or does spring seem to be coming early everywhere?

A Good Winter's Night Supper...

What do you do when you remember at 4:00 pm that it's not a food co-op night, and your family is going to be hungry for supper before you know it?

You go to the freezer and pull out a package of frozen Italian sausage from Costco...throw the links in the microwave for a few minutes to thaw...cut them into 1 1/2" pieces...cook them on the stove top in just a little bit of water for a few minutes...

Wash and cut up a couple of (unpeeled because it's easier and they taste much better that way!) potatoes into bite sized pieces...

Wash, trim and cut a package of brussels sprouts in half...

Toss everything together in a baking dish...drizzle with olive oil and seasonings of choice...

Set your oven timer for an hour at 375 degrees...

Come in from the barn to a delicious smelling and delicious tasting quick and easy supper!

(If you've never had roasted brussels sprouts, you simply have to try them! They are that good!!  Thanks to my sister Marge and her husband Hermann for introducing us to them!)

Roller Coaster Weather...

This has been one of the craziest winters I remember in a long time...

On Wednesday we had a record high temperature of 62 degrees F and were wearing short sleeves...yesterday we had snow and wind, with temperatures hovering around 32 degrees F.

Even the daffodils are confused...

...and they'll be confused again over the weekend, when temps are expected to rise back up above 50 degrees!

January Happenings...

Goodness, it's been a while since I've posted! The hubbub of the holidays has passed, visiting family has returned home,a new year has begun and life goes on.

January hasn't been a very "eventful" month around here so far other than a few things I'll mention in a bit. Just the usual...feeding, milking, chores...feeding, milking, chores...every day.  We've had no major snow storms, no horridly long stretches of bitter cold, in fact a pretty mild winter so far.  Today is dreary.  Strong east winds and rain make for a good day to stay inside as much as possible.

As for those those few "fun" things that happened...

Jenna and I, along with a friend, flew out to Hesston KS for a college visit. We changed our flights due to the ice storm in the midwest, but we enjoyed the abbreviated time that we had there!  Numerous family and friends have attended the college, and it was fun to see it for ourselves...

The girls got a taste of college life by staying in the dorm with a friend, visiting classes, meeting with advisers and taking a late night run to a nearby town for donuts.  (I took advantage of a comfy bed in the guest house, and slept like a baby all night long...except for when I woke up on PA time just in time to head for the barn.  I will admit it was very nice to be able to fall back to sleep!)

On Tuesday, we were treated to beautiful blue skies!  And yes...this part of Kansas is flat as a stamp, just like it looks in this picture of the campus.  So different from home!

It was nice to break up the month with something different, but once again it's back to the routine.  It was nice to get away, but there's no place quite like home!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

So...on this brisk wintry morning, I went to the chicken pen to check for eggs.

I found this...

Perhaps she's a bit confused as to her true identity?  Or maybe she was trying to trick the birds that steal chicken feed into thinking she was a chicken?  I had just asked her this morning if she had caught any birds or mice lately, but she didn't answer.  Maybe I planted a thought in her little kitty brain...

Better luck next time, Jolyn!

The Polar Vortex Has Arrived...

The dreaded polar vortex arrived this week.  Oh how I dislike that term! Early yesterday morning the winds picked up and the temperature dropped. Brrrrr...  Cold weather has it's benefits, but I'm such a fair weather fan that I have a hard time seeing them.  Instead, I think of the headaches that come in the barn.

The box pens in the barn are full of young heifers, so we have a couple of them still at the hutches.  They have shelter, but no running water over winter.  Thus, we have to carry water for them several times a day.  Our trusty green wagon gets a lot of use these days...

Drink fast girls, before it freezes again...

My negligence in gathering eggs last evening resulted in this...

Jim had ordered a truckload of sawdust, but postponed the delivery yesterday because of the strong winds.  The barn doors are quite heavy, and if the winds catch them, there could be some pretty serious damage...both to the doors and to whoever might be in the vicinity.  The barn hill catches the brunt of the brutal north and west winds...

The winds died down over night, so the sawdust was delivered this morning...

All the animals keep the inside of the barn much warmer...although we often drain the water lines on the west side of the barn when it's really cold and windy.  Yesterday (and again this morning) we used a hose to fill a big water tub for the outside pen heifers.

In the calf pens, this young heifer and Jolyn enjoyed some playful moments this morning while I was feeding a newborn...

...and when I turned my back, Phoebe crawled into the pen and curled up in a feed tub.  It's not a good place for a dog to be, but I must say that once again, she was being resourceful!  She found a warm place and made the best of it...near her people...

And of course there's always the dilemma of the glasses steaming up, going from warm to cold and back again.  I wish I could just take them off, but...

Hopefully you're keeping warm where you are!