Dairy Daze...and Now Beyond

Here is something I have often wanted to capture on film over the past few years. Finally I actually had my camera in my pocket and managed to snap this a shot a few days ago. When it is so hot during the summer months we often put our bottle calves in the bigger pen with the weaners (ummm...those are the calves who've been weaned off of the bottle). But in this enclosure there are no bottle holders for them, so you (meaning *I*) have to hold the bottles. Feeding one at a time is a joke because it'd take forever and you'd have to beat the others off with a stick. So your best bet is to feed them all at once; then it's over with. However this requires a special talent. Three calves, three bottles, two hands and one camera=dairy sleight of hand. In a still shot like this it would seem easy, but actually these little buggers are in constant motion; pulling on the bottle or "punching" at it with their noses, so you are constantly trying to juggle them to kee...

This is my favorite time of year. I love fall weather, I love fall colors. I was married in the fall. Hunters are going to start getting rid of the pesky deer around here. (I sincerely hope!) Leaves in the creek means 'tis the season for: Hot chocolate Spiced apple cider Apples Nippy weather Nuts Mums Thanksgiving hunting season cool weather clothes I get to wear fall colors again Ummm...let's see, what else? In a couple of years it will mean school time for Ellen. That's hard to believe.

Ellen has it all figured out. A few weeks ago she and her aunt were playing a game in which Auntie put a penny under a puzzle piece and Ellen turned all of the pieces over until she found the penny. At which point she'd shriek and carry on like she'd found the motherload of gold. When it was time to leave Ellen took the penny; Auntie told her she could put it in her piggy bank. Last weekend this happened again. Ellen took great joy in putting the pennies in her piggy bank. One day here at home she also found a nickle on the counter, one I'd rescued from the washing machine. Voila! Ellen trotted to her room to put it in her piggy bank. She was excited. She kept asking for more "pennies" to put in her bank. I found her a couple that had been lying around for a bit. You know how they tend to collect. She was mighty pleased. Then this morning as I was fixing her breakfast I heard her talking about pennies. I went into the bedroom and found this scene: Why ...