Carrying On The Tradition

This past weekend I was at Logan's parents house when we were all sitting around talking about pies.  I had decided that I wanted a pumpkin pie, and I also decided that I should make an apple pie for my parents when I go home this weekend!  Well that thought of making an apple pie turned into ME being the one to learn how to make the pie! 

Logan's grandma, aunt, mom, and I decided to make a mess in the kitchen while the guys were out combining.  Logan's mom, Michelle, insisted that I learn how to make a pie from scratch since she didn't want to carry on the tradition.  So I did what I was told and learned how to make a pie from scratch so I could carry on the tradition! Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Farm Girl Tip #45: If you ever get the chance to learn how to make a pie, you better do it so you can carry on the pie making tradition!

It's Harvest Time!

Well folks, it's that time of the year again! HARVEST!! The best season of the year! Here are a few snapshots from the beginning of bean harvest!

Josie is a spoiled dog--she gets to ride along!!

Farm Girl Tip #44: Always ride along when you can during harvest! It is such a relaxing and enjoyable ride! 

Knock Knock Moo

Well Friday morning was quite an exciting and chaotic morning.  It all started at 1 am when I woke up to go to the bathroom.  We had the windows open because it was cool out and we were letting some fresh air in.  I woke up to use the bathroom and as I was walking to the bathroom I hear MOOO (REALLY LOUD)! It scared the crap out of me, but I did my business and went back to bed.  I heard Logan rolling around so I said Hey- I think you have a calf out.  He says, yea I heard it too. Ok, so we went back to sleep.  About 6:30 that morning I start to hear this knock.  I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or if it is real.  I sort of wake up and ask Logan if someone is knocking.  I don't know he says, so he goes out to check.  Sure enough there is a man standing at the door and he asks Logan if he has cattle.  Logan says yeah, why? The man says, they are all out and all over the place.  They are heading towards the highway.  CRAP!!! So he says thanks and runs to get his work clothes on.  I jump out of bed and get my work clothes on and out the door we go.  

We go outside and everywhere you look there are calves. 1/4 a mile down the road, out in the bean field, in the backyard, in the front yard, and eating out of the bunks on the wrong side of the fence with the other calves. 100 calves out of their pen and dispersed throughout the country is not really what I wanted to deal with this morning!!

 Logan hops on a 4-wheeler and starts to bring the ones by the highway back home.  Me, not knowing there is another 4-wheeler here, am running around trying to bring some of them back home.  I had called backup while Logan is rounding these stinkers up, and they were on their way.  Logan had brought the majority of the ones around the farm back and we put them back in the lots.  Remind you that I have to be to school by 9:00 and it is now 7:20.  I tell Logan, do you care if I go get ready? Will you be ok here by yourself? Yes, ok, so right as I go to head in I notice that Michelle, Logan's mom was in the yard.  She was getting concerned because Roger, Logan's dad, was not here yet.  She quick radio's him to see where he is at.  He replies back and says that he is 3 miles away pushing another 30 calves back home. OMG!!! So I quick run over to Logan and tell him where his dad is at and what is going on.  He says to me, you are going to have to skip school, I NEED your help! 

So Logan quick counts the calves that are in the lot.  He jumps on a 4-wheeler and I jump on a 4-wheeler and we head out to help Roger bring these calves back home.  Michelle sits at the corner in a pickup to block so the calves don't go where we don't want them to.  Logan and I meet up with Roger about a mile and a half away from home and push them the rest of the way.  Logan says-once we hit the bean field up here I will have to make sure they don't go in the field.  Well there was no stopping them because they went right into the bean field and they were not coming out.  Logan said that we will just have to let them go and they will hear the other ones so they will go home.  

Ok, so I said well do you still need my help or can I go home and quick get ready to make it to school on time? Remind you it is now 7:50.  Yes, I can go.  So I ride the 4-wheeler home, go inside, find something nice to wear, throw my hair in a pony tail, make my breakfast, throw stuff in my bookbag and out the door I go.  (It's a good thing I can get ready in 10 min!!) And that was my morning! HOW EXHAUSTING and it was only 8:00!!! 

 P.S. My teacher would have been real pleased with me if I would have called him and said I can't make it to tutoring because I am putting calves back in! HAHA!

Here is the one and only picture I got of the action.  I was too into the heat of the moment or there would have been more pictures!  This was when we were trying to get them back in-some did not want to go back in!!

Farm Girl Tip #42: If you ever hear a knock at your door at 6:30 in the morning, either A, the cops are at your door, or B, your calves are out.  Option B is most likely the answer!

Farm Girl Tip #43: If you ever want to let all of your anger out, just let your calves out so you can put them back in. TRUST ME, your anger will be ALL GONE by the time they are all back in! 

Round 'Em Up, Cowgirl

There is never a dull moment around the farm! Let me repeat myself, There is NEVER a dull moment around the farm!! This morning was one of those mornings!

Logan had left early this morning to go up to one of the pastures to see if he could find a few cows that are missing.  I, of course, slept in! Logan called me around 9:00 this morning and told me that he was on his way back.  He was going to check a few crops and told me that I should make breakfast because he was hungry.  I get up and started walking out to the kitchen.  I had forgot my phone in the bedroom so I went back to get it and when I went back I happened to look out the window.  When I looked out I see 3 calves walking in the backyard.  I watch them for a few seconds and then they start to run.  I run into the office to see where they are going and they are already on the gravel road and starting to head North.  I quick call Logan and tell him that he has 3 calves out. He tells me to go outside, get the 4-wheeler (which is on the trailer) and bring them back so they don't get into the corn fields.  Ok. So I quickly put on sweatpants, slip on my nike sandals, and out the door I go.  I get around the corner of the shed, and all I see is a gate that is laying on the ground and calves EVERYWHERE! (Insert swear word here!!)  

I quickly get my phone out (luckily I brought it out with me) and call Logan.  I tell him that the gate is on the ground, calves are everywhere and there are only about 10 calves left in the lot.  (Remind you that there are 90 total calves out there right now--THANK GOD the rest of them aren't back yet!!)  I tell Logan--I can't do this myself! Is Rick (the hired man) around? I NEED HELP!! He says ok, try and keep them out of the corn fields, I will round up some help.  

I get off the phone and realize that my sweatpants and nike sandals are not going to cut this job.  I run back into the house, throw on jeans, socks, and my cowgirl boots.  I run back outside and over to the trailer with the 4-wheeler.  I undo the pins, put the ramp down, start the 4-wheeler up and off I go.  I bring the 4-wheeler around the shed and all I see is about 15 calves walking through the backyard, going to the road, and heading North.  I slam on the gas and get the 4-wheeler in front of the calves, turn around and start pushing them back home. While I am pushing them back to where they belong, 30 more calves are already heading towards me.  I get off the 4-wheeler and start walking towards them pushing them back.  

By this time, Rick and his son have showed up and are now helping me push the calves back into the lots.  Now, to put them back in, they have to walk along a fence line, through billions of trees and weeds, turn the corner and then they can go back into the lot.  So Rick, his son, and I are walking through these trees pushing the calves back.  While we are walking, Logan shows up and takes the 4-wheeler to try and find the 3 calves from the beginning that I had to let go otherwise I would have had a disaster!  Rick and his son keep pushing all of the calves back towards the lots, and I go stand in the gap by the gate so they can only go into the lots.  They all come out of the trees from the side we want them to and walk into the lots.  That is until a few come out from behind me.  Rick and I quickly move so they go in the gap that I was blocking.  Rick's son stands at the other end where they are supposed to come out at so they can't go back through the trees again.  Long story short, after about 40-45 min, all of the calves are back in the lot safe and accounted for.  Oh, right after we had all of the calves in, Roger and Shay (Logan's dad and brother) show up to help. Sorry boys, work is done! 

The guys fixed the gate and off everyone went.  I was inside before Logan, and when Logan came in I said, Hey, hows it going? Best day of your life? He just looks at me, smiles, and laughed.  All I have to say is 1. It's a dang good thing I was here to notice all of the calves were out or we would have had a disaster. 2. I think I deserve an award for being cowgirl of the year. And 3. LOOK AT THIS CITY GIRL TO FARM GIRL!!!!

I couldn't get any pictures while this was happening because I was too in the moment, but here are the little turds walking back into the lot for good!

Farm Girl Tip #40: ALWAYS look out your window every morning to see if there are calves in your back yard.

Farm Girl Tip #41: If there are calves in your backyard, go push them back in so you can save the day and be farm girl of the year!

33

Last night, Logan and I were going to go up to Aberdeen for supper.  We walked out of the house and got in the car.  Logan drove over to the calves just to make sure everything was ok before we left.  We pulled up and there was one calf out. Number 33. This calf gets out all the time but wants to go back in when you put him in.  Of course, Logan and I both had jeans and a nice top on because that is what you do when you go to the big city! So we get out of the car, Logan goes behind the calf and starts to push him while I open up the gate.  When I get up to the gate, all of the calves in the lot are coming towards me, but I just open the gate up and walk in.  Logan has walked number 33 over, and he walks right into the lot.  I close the gate, lock it up, and off we go to Aberdeen.  

This is what I was wearing when I did all of the work putting the calf back in. This is what REAL cowgirls wear when they deal with cattle!!

Farm Girl Tip #39: Even if you are looking nice to go out to eat, you will probably have to put a calf back in. BEWARE!

Guess Who's Back

This morning, I had left for school and Logan and the hired men were getting things ready to go get the calves.  I got asked this morning if I wanted to skip class and help out with rounding the little guys up.  I declined.  But, when I got back home from school today, my long lost friends were back home!! (And they are not so little anymore!)  Of course, I haven't seen the calves for a while, so I went over to the lot and stood by the fence to say hello.  These calves were pretty curious about me and what I was doing.  They came right over to me and just stared at me.  I must be pretty cute because they did not quit looking at me!! 

Of course, they all miss their mommies and make lots of noise so I can't open my windows at night when I sleep.  But, its always nice having the my buddies back on the farm!

(I think I am turning into a real farm girl! I act like these calves are my pets!)

Farm Girl Tip #38: If you are a city person that moves to a farm and you think you will be a city person for a long time, think again! The calves become your pets REAL fast!

Silage Chopping

A few weeks ago, the "new" but old farm girl got to experience the wonders of chopping silage.  If you have never seen this done before, it is quite the experience. Watching the cutter start a row and shoot the silage back into the truck is neat! 

Farm Girl Tip #37: If you have a bucket list, this should be on it!! No joke!

'Tis The Season

Wow! It sure has been a busy summer! Farm life has been pretty boring this summer, but now that fall is right around the corner, things are starting to get exciting. 

As the seasons change and the weather starts to get cooler, you notice the color change of the crops.  Turning from green to yellow to brown.  'Tis the season for fall! 

The other day I had just woken up and I walked out into the kitchen. Lookie what I found!! 'Tis the season!!!

Farm Girl Tip #36: You may be excited for fall to come around, but always remember, there are mice that like to stay warm and come into your house!