Mean Mamma

Where did she fit all those??

                              I'll post the photo later tonight...but this is Jezzabelle from yesterday...

Lets just call this the "Before" photo...and here's the After...

 always surprises me how big they are...I just don't see how its possible that they all fit!

2 does, 1 buckling and it seems the buckling is the smallest and a little thin.  Looks like the girls were getting the cream this time.   I milked Jezzabelle and made sure everyone had a first shot of cholostrum then headed back to work. Tonight, I sat and watched all the babies to make sure they knew where the milk bar was and that they all had full tummies.  This Momma knows her stuff as she does a constant head count and if one should of crawled over to the other pen...she keeps checking to make sure she sees them all.  She has always been one of my best milkers and I know she'll have plenty to feed them all...but I'll keep a watch anyway.  Now while its howling and raining outside, I think the real fun will start inside.

Just 6 more to go and my window is closing...I only had the goats with the bucks for 10 days.  The best part is that I have the next 3 days off and I can keep a close eye.

a watched pot..

never....

boils....
Due date...April 24th.  Given that this year was a leap year of course.  They are unaffected by that fact it seems.  They will wait until the weather snaps chilly this weekend.  Then I will not sleep, and be in my usual state of panic over not being right there if something goes wrong.  I typically imagine all the "things that go wrong" at 2 AM and keep those thoughts running until daybreak.  We've had 80degree weather, but in the next couple days we are forecasted for a BIG drop in temperature.   Close to freezing at nights and cold cold days.  Yup, the girls like to keep it interesting! 

Morning coffee...

                                 with the view off my deck early morning, just doesn't get any better! 
                                    Somedays just force you to slow down and enjoy the view....

Emma Bug..

                                         2 1/2 months old and already she runs the show!!

Sometimes showing off doesn't work out like you planned...

This one may have been cooking a little too long

and trying too hard just doesn't fit all that well.

Wondering which of the girls outdid themselves though...seriously this one looked like it hurt!

My youngest son told me Friday...

that he was going to prom.   He called me while he was shopping for clothes, Friday, after school.  I was just leaving work and I asked if he wanted me to stop and help him choose some formal wear.  He said...Sure!  Knowing of course, that way, I could do the purchase. 
When I arrived at the store, he had a few things he had tried on and he was taking his time choosing just the right shirt.
I've been pretty overwhelmed at work with tax deadlines this week and while I try to keep up on school things, this week was a serious wreck!
So I ask the boy, "So when is Prom?" 
Tomorrow, he replies.

Well, nothing like a boy to wait to the last minute to worry about a little prom event.  Sure wasn't anything like a girl planning for prom....with all the hair decisions and nail grooming and fittings and deciding.  Nope, he tried it on....he switched between a couple shirts and then done.

                                                           the cheering section

                                                and since he's my youngest and he's got one more year of high school...I sure hope he lets me know a little sooner about his next prom.  I enjoyed the activity and even had time to grab a quick boutonniere.

 I think of his Father at these times and realize how he would of been so proud and even quite silly about the entire event.  I have to smile at that!  This boy was quite a changing point in his life and Greg enjoyed being a Father.  He was good at noticing when the boys needed to talk and he would like to pester with all sorts of questions.  I've worried that I wasn't telling this child enough about shaving and using cologne and making sure he acted polite.  But while I know I make mistakes...he's turning out just like the rest of his brothers.  Pretty darn nice, and thoughtful, and helpful, and especially easy. 
I'm starting to get a little sad about having my youngest a Senior next year, and while I have a little granddaughter or two who will keep me busy attending events...I feel I'm needing to prepare for the next stage of raising children.  I know I'm just going to have a hard time letting go...and maybe I'll just keep him home for a few more years.  Ha!  I think he's got plans...

My colorful world...

Saturday around my place are for doing the bigger jobs.  It seems more often than not, that when I have cattle calving or goats kidding..they tend to save it for the weekend.  Which sure makes me happy!
Today I got a very nice surprise...and one of my red jersey/hereford cross heifers gave me some color.

after watching and seeing he was up and getting his first milk... I decided to walk around the place and see how much color I actually have.

 this little girl is my super sweet gentle yearling.  Her momma is Big Baby, but this little girl is a chip off the ole block...can't really call her Little Baby, as she is rounding out just a tad.  She's a keeper and one who I'll fret terribly about when she has her first calf.

 I won't let her calf until she's well over 2...just so I'm not quite so nervous.  She is such a gentle girl and she likes scratchin..
So on with my walk...and color shows up everywhere...

seems I like color and when I have one that is just a solid color I can always add a little color...

Now this last calf came from a pure black Jersey/Angus cross Momma, with Rudy for the Papa, (Jersey/Guernsey) Bull.   Even though she's dark black/brown she is a knockout!  I just love her eyes.

My goats start kidding next weekend already.  I think I'm going to get some very nice color this year...its just the pattern this year, and I am loving it!

Happy Easter!

last summer...a draft forgotten!

Took the children for a Day Off and drove down to the Badlands for a walkabout.

My youngest son climbed a tall peak....

We also did what I like best and stopped at some agate beds and I showed them a little about bubblegum agates and prairie agates. Everyone found a few pieces of something nice and we walked around the badlands on a nice hot day and enjoyed a change of scenery.

granddaughter and Son (also known as favorite Uncle)

lots of screeching..

and granddaughter trying to make him take a proper photo...

goofing and her trying to make him take a nice photo....

after several takes...

too serious...

too silly.................

trying to make him behave...

and finally...

Nice!!

Fergie and Flossie...go for an evening stroll

When I'm home, I try to let the baby bottle calves run in the yard.  They stay in a fenced area thats 20x20 but they need a daily dose of stretching those legs to keep them happy!  Thats what I think anyway...

Flossie is the total black, little heifer calf.  She's a cross holstein/jersey mix heifer.

Fergie is the full holstein heifer and she's the more docile one...even though Flossie is tame as they get...she has attitude I can see coming a mile away.  When she dips her head down low and skips around me I can tell she has a little devil in her already.  Will have to nip that in the bud, but when I allow them in with the big girls....somebody always gets a lesson in manners.   For right now though the babies are seperate and I'll keep it that way for some time.  This allows me lots of one on one with them and they know what human hands are really about.

I've picked up calves at the same dairy now for several years.  This year was the first year I was allowed to purchase a heifer calf.  The gal who runs the show there said she was going to be gone that weekend for her sons wedding and she'ld mark two different heifer calves for me to choose from.  I told her I'ld like one heifer and one steer as heifers are spendy and I didn't want to spend that much.  When I arrived and she had them so nicely labeled with my name ...well....it was hard to choose who got to have a nice long life at my house.  My Dad who was standing beside me said..."Yup...I know where this is leading"...

So home came both heifers and I didn't even want to look at the little steers. It took me just a few minutes to say, Ah crap...I'll just take the two girls.  Besides this way they'll be buddies and who doesn't need a buddy to grow up with!

April 1st

The big dogs came with us to search for more buried glass treasure....

it was 86 degrees on Saturday.    We have no trees for miles in any direction and nearest shade was a little square by the mule.  They stayed put the entire time, until I felt sorry for them wearing those winter coats..
I took them home and filled the pool.  Sunday was even warmer and climbed to 90 degrees.   A real April Fools Day!

With this unusually Unusual weather we've been having, I won't even venture a guess as to what sort of Summer we might expect.  Anyones guess at this point, but whatever happens, it won't surprise me...not.one.bit!