Here we are a day late and a dollar short. I apologize. We were off shopping for us and my mom yesterday and I just didn't get to it. And here a note - anyone who wants to can start a thread here, so if I'm being slow on the uptake, just jump right in.

We came from here:
The thread "October cool days, moonlit nights" in Farming forum

Trees are bare-nekkid here by now. Weather in the mid-40's so that's not too bad.

I have to work at Equity today; feeder cattle sale. Last I heard on Wed. was about 700 head booked in at that point. Looks like it will not be an early day. LOL It starts at 11;30

Some of our trees are starting to drop their leaves - no real fall color here, but it's not very fall-like either: 87 yesterday and 80s predicted for the next week. There is a possibility of rain on Sunday. We definitely need it; some of the pastures are getting brown and crispy.

We had brown this summer some, but everything is almost spring green now, crazy.

Well, after all the bruhaha last week, we are having lovely - if cold - weather. I plan to take advantage and spend at least some of today outside. I had to go back on antibiotics - still a little crackly in one lung, but am feeling much better.

Stan has been catching up everything that needs done before winter sets in. He has some health issues that need addressing soon, so he wants to have everything caught up. It's going to be an interesting season, I'm afraid.

Stan laid up and winter chores to do soon. Oh, my...........you need to hire me and the SU...........LOL

Anna, what does SU mean?

Spousal Unit

No wonder I couldn't figure that one out.

Thanks for the offer, Anna. Things are afoot, but I'm not saying anymore than that at the moment.

Hmmm, I have my guess mentally on record...

Weather here is lovely if still too dry. Monday I had a bonfire of all the extra dead trees/branches killed by the drought - so far - for Guy Fawkes Day. The little limbs and brush were all burned up in about two hours, but the tree trunks smoldered all night and eventually burned completely. The tradition is to have a bonfire at night but our county does not allow burning after dark; I hope smoldering was okay. This afternoon I need to replace part of the fence in the south paddock where a dead tree fell on it. So far all I have done is to relocate the horses that were in there, but that can only be temporary.

I'll spill the beans in a couple of weeks.

today is the day when the heifers that have been at Stan's younger brother's go in the barn. The grass is still green, but it isn't growing and taking big round bales 41/2 miles to feed them is not horribly convenient. We're putting them in our daughter and son-in-law's barn to keep the kids Lizzie company through the winter.

We also go to pick up a beef, nicely cut and frozen, today. It's going to have to scatter through all the family freezers, as ours still has at least half of the meat from the January beef. Fortunately, there are a lot of freezers available. Hope she's as good as the one last year. She was another big, red, non-breeding heifer. Stan gave her all the chances he could, even raising a little bull to put with the breeding age heifers, but she was having none of it. I guess her purpose was different than we had hoped.

Kathleen, she might have had a brother that died "in utero"...........therefore she would have quite possibly been a freemartin.

Hmmmm.............things afoot..............gonna sell the milking beasts??? You will find that there is a wonderful life out there "A.C". *after cows*. Ask me how I know this.

Grands are here, their dad has to work till noon and then go get a tire issue resolved. He will come and get them and then bring them back later this evening as he is going out to a local watering hole to hear a band with his brother and bro's "friend that is a girl". Sooooo..........Austin and Aleigh will be having a sleepover!

We have a, now old, heifer that was found by a neighbor - apparently motherless - that the kids raised on a bottle and which never bred. She probably had a twin brother that the cow accepted while she was forgotten. She also was given a couple of seasons' opportunity to earn her keep, but instead of ending up in the freezer has become a pet. My daughter says she is competing for the title of "Word's Oldest Heifer".

Our yellow'brown pastures have greened up with a few rain showers over the past 3 weeks. Nobody is feeding hay yet. That usually starts about Thanksgiving. My horses still have plenty of pasture as the neighbor didn't need to bring his sheep or cows for another graze through in late summer like he usually does. He sold off quite a few, and his own hayfields and pastures are feeding the rest of them ok. The result is that I won't have to get into my haystack any time soon.

Weather here has been pretty good for late fall. Freezing at night, and mid 30's most days. Lots of sun. We have had snow two or three times already, which melted quickly. I helped my neighbor plant 400 pounds of garlic and 200 pounds of shallots last month. We were very thankful for nice weather. It beats planting in the rain and mud! No mechanical planter there, it's all by hand, one at a time. I think I'm buying knee pads for next year! I used foam kneeling pads this year, that helped a lot but they have to be moved every time I move.

Well, everyone in town knows now, so I can get it out there. Stan is having a valve replaced in his heart on November 28. This has all gone rather quickly. After the surgery, milking cow is something that is no longer an option, so, the cows will belong to someone else. the young man who has worked for us on and off over the last several years is looking into the purchase sometime next year. He has a meeting with the Coop. Ext. Dairy experts this Tuesday. He takes over milking chores on the 28th. I guess we'll find out about life after cows.

I'm going to scarce for awhile, so you all will have to keep the forum going. Trish and Dave know what's going on.

Aside from that, things here are going along. We had a pretty little red heifer the day Stan had the heart cath. Her mother is rather miserable to milk and has an injury that is keeping the milk pink. Fortunately, there are enough calves still getting milk that is gets used.

Deer season started yesterday. So far, eldest DGS is the only one with a deer. His sister says he shot a baby doe. He says it wasn't THAT little. The weather is warm and sunny - 50s today - no tracking.

Kathleen, sending lots of good vibes to you and Stan, I hope everything goes well.

Kathleen, glad that Stan can get medical help for his condition. Hope the young fella can get $$ and all goes as all want it to go. Will you still live on the farm? Rent the land, or will Stan still do crops, since he has the winter to recuperate?

You had said that Stan had been planning to retire from dairying, but I am sorry that he is being forced to by his health. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery!

Kathleen, he will be in my thoughts and prayers. At least this is happening with enough time to do some planning, and that there is a willing buyer waiting in the wings and able to do chores pending the sale. I hope it works out well for everyone.