When I lived in NE Washington state, in an area where apple orchards were very important to the local economy, there was an orchard season, beyond the regular hunting season, where deer of either sex could be taken if they were within 1/4 mile of an orchard. Here in eastern Oregon, the deer are everywhere and a big problem. I have hit 2 on the highway, hubby had one jump into the side of our old pickup, bashing in the drivers side door. My last deer hit cost us $3,500 in car repairs because we do not carry collision, only liability. The money we save on insurance pays for the occasional car vs deer incidents. My first deer hit was into a pipe radiator protector thing on the other pickup, causing no damage to the truck but it sure took care of the stupid deer. They do major damage to my vegie garden, and have me thinking about jerky!

I like that about the extra orchard hunting season. There are too many seer and the problem is just not being addressed. Look at all the Lyme Disease these days. Not good.

Was looking at my late planted or second season cucumbers and they are just loaded with smaller cucumbers. Of course getting bigger ever day. Most of these are not trellised, which is unusual for me. Well, about 40% trellised the rest left to sprawl on the ground. Hopefully there will be cucumbers to eat much later in the season this year as the spring planted ones are usually almost done by the end of August.

sounds like pickle making time.

I have never made pickles. I can still remember my mother doing pickles in a big crock she had each summer.

My friend just gave us a jar of pickles tonight! we're excited because they are the cinnamon red hot ones! SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!

My mom always used red hot cinnamons in her applesauce, what a nice punch that was.

That would be good! My friend gave me the recipe for these pickles but I am not into a three day process. probably if I were to make them once I could do it, but I haven't.

My mother used to make Liberty Pickles with cinnamon, she used chunks of cukes, not slices or wedges. A sweet-tart pickle that I could eat like candy . She also gave me the recipe. Same thing, about three days. Ugh!!! I want some but I guess not badly enough. Maybe next year...

I am now officially wise. I received a Garden Sages Badge this morning. Mostly I have been answering questions that have to do with veggie gardening.

And I am so pleased with myself that I also bought myself a new Hummingbird Badge.

Just back from the neighbor's milking. Only 62 cows; he usually has about 70. 3 more times and that job is done. His cows are decent, no snarky ones. However, there are 3 in the springer pen and 2 of those are heifers. I sure hope they wait till Sunday afternoon to deliver their bundles of joy.

So freekin' hot here today, I sweat like a butcher. It rained a little bit while we were milking and of course I had left all my windows open here at home. Only 1 on the side of the house that the rain was coming, so not bad at all.

Anna, how long does it take to milk 62 cows?

Hot and humid here too. I'm getting so it's harder for me to handle the heat and work. Today I kept splashing water on my face and neck.

Glad it was just one window! Not fun to work like that and have to come home to a mess.

A little over an hour. 2 of us milking and each of us with 4 units. Not bad, really.

Describe a typical milk barn set up for us, please. I just know it is somewhere between hand milking and fully automated.

Arlene, the heat bothers me more than it did a few years ago. I think it comes with age. Our systems become less efficient.

Kathleen, where are you?

Mary, I can't take the oppressive heat since my "episode" of 3 years ago. Oh, well, I do what I can and slug the ice water. LOL

Typical is either stanchion, tie stall, or a combination of the 2..........some of each. Milking systems...........several kinds, and I have yet to find one with the units we used to have. I don't know why some manufacturers have made things so heavy, hard to handle, and just plain stupid things on them............hooks to put over the pipeline that when you go to leave the stall with the unit the stupid hook gets caught on your clothes, or the cow's armpit........just dumb.

Most have 50-70 cows. I won't "do" parlors..........if they have enough cows to justify a parlor, they better have the help to make it work. I don't need/want the grief of dealing with a parlor.

What more do you want/need to know??

What is a cow parlor?

Look, look. First baby squash formed on my Safron yellow summer squash.

A milking parlor is where the cows come into a special milking area, they are milked, then go back out to their free stalls or other loose housing environment. Parlors can be any size..........there are rotary (round) ones that can hold 50 cows or more that move in a very slow circle. More common are the herringbone parlors where cows are angled. Then there are the "doubles".........double 4, 6, 8..........and so on, where, in the case of a double 4 there would be 4 cows on each side, the "business end" of the cow is facing the milker, and all of the milking is done from the back of the cow.........washing the udder and the attaching and removal of the milker units.

I'll see if I can find some links to sites where you can see what I am talking about so it makes more sense.

Here is a site that shows some retrofitting.............I think they did some remodeling of existing equipment, but you can get an idea of what I am trying to explain.

http://www.techforag.com/Retro...

Wow! I don't see how they were able to make those rapid conversions! Impressive.

Oh my. It all look so high teck!