Milking job is 1/3 done.............LOL 2 days out of 6 in the can. Not going too bad so far. I do not particularly like the fact we have to get up at 3:45 tho.

Heck, who can blame you. No one likes to get up at 3:45. Although with my new puppy I was up at 3 and 5 and 7 this morning.

Anne, so were improvements made where you're milking now? I'd have to go to bed at 5 pm in order to get up that early! Well, I could do it once in awhile, but for 6 days in a row. Ouch!

Oh, a few, but the major problem last time was all the snow that kept coming and coming and coming.

Off to the barn now.

My Lily sleeping in her new crate.


Hey did you guys Know there are videos on Y-Tube of Papillons being trained to herd sheep?

I just read in the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association newsletter that Texas has lost 15% of its cattle herd since 2011. I am actually surprised it isn't more. They are predicting this to be another year of drought here although our county is doing better than much of the state so far this spring.

I wish this was Saturday night and we were DONE with this job. No problems, really, except it is so wretchedly cold. Takes me all day to warm up and all night to warm up again. Glad I have an electric blanket. Right now I am going to make some hot cocoa..........the REAL stuff with Hershey's cocoa and whole milk.

Really, I don't know how you do it! You are amazing!

Well, I just put on my big-girl panties and deal with it. At least I get to be in the barn most of the time..............the SU is outside for all of it. In the tractor, in the skid loader, in the feed room, but still outside when he has to feed the shed heifers.

Yes, inside is better than outside!

Oh, I am SO cold this morning. It will probably take me till we have to go back to the farm again just to warm up. I'm going to share a sun-puddle with the cats on the futon later on when the sun is shining in the south windows.

Anna, have you tried Under Armour? They make great light weight clothing and under clothing to keep you warm but it wicks. Not cheap but it really works.

AnnaZ said:Oh, I am SO cold this morning. It will probably take me till we have to go back to the farm again just to warm up. I'm going to share a sun-puddle with the cats on the futon later on when the sun is shining in the south windows.

Anna. You are one tough lady!

Heard of it but not seen it locally. I suppose it's an online thing. And I "only" have 2 more days after today. I will suffer through it. Another milking job in 3 weeks, but all MY stuff is "inside" work, calves in the barn in pens. LOL

I had a nap with the cats on the futon. They DID share the sunpuddle.

Back from the morning job excursion. The hired boy has to stay and wait for the vet. Big old cow started calving when we started milking, 2 1/2 hours later still nothing. I told the SU that as big as she is (and older too) she should have been able to lay down, cough once and blow the calf out. Sooooo...I put on a sleeve and checked. Hmmmm...in to my armpit and all I could accomplish was stick my hand in the calf's mouth. No feet. Not good. Told "the kid" to call the vet. I checked her again just before we left and I found one foot. Still not good. Oh, head still there, along with the foot. Vet can take care of it; it's more than the SU or I are equipped to deal with. If it was my own cow I'd have called the vet. On a better note, the calf that didn't drink either feeding yesterday was bellering at me when she saw me come out of the barn and slurped her milk portion down quickly. Looks like she is on the mend, at least.

Need to pay bills and send off the wretched taxes. Ick!

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