From the FarmWife Project, I Should Have Known Better, Amy Vice

I had plans yesterday.  I was going to stay home, catch up on laundry, do some spring cleaning, and listen to good music.  My husband took my youngest with him to the farm to do chores.  She is my busy ornery child, so I was thinking about how much more I was going to get done without her help.  They had 3 calves to tag and then move momma and baby to the other pasture.  We have a pasture we calve all the cows out in and then we move them to another a day or two after birth as we feed them differently according to their needs.

Heading down the road.

They weren’t gone 20 minutes when the phone rang.  Our neighbor needed to move some cows down the road, just over a mile.  He always helps us, so we are always glad to return the favor.  I love our neighbor, not only is he always willing to help, he is so kind to our girls and is always helping them with their horses when he can.  His cows are also slower movers than ours are, so it was a perfect time to let the girls ride and help.  So I quickly threw on my jeans, a sweatshirt, and my new tennis shoes.  I got my other daughter dressed and was going to take her to the farm so she could go with them.  I was going to drop her off and have the house to myself for the morning!  I should have known better…

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From the FarmWife Project: Bear Story 1, Betty Shahan

Spring is here!!!  I live just a little West of the Continental Divide in Archuleta County Colorado, where also a lot of bear live.  It’s time for them to come out and start moving around looking for something to eat.
 
They like the fawns, sheep, goats, and our calves.  As well as the chockcherries, snow berries, service berries, acrons and the grubs under logs etc.  When I am out riding at home or on the National Forest Permit I keep my eyes peeled for the scat, tracks, or where they have broken down the chokcherrie or oak brush getting food.  I have had some very close encounters and I mean so close I don’t want anymore.  Two times on two of my most wonderful horses and one time in the dark.  This story is about the dark. 

A Goat Named Pig

We have a calf named Lucy but please don’t tell her she’s a calf. She thinks she’s a sow.

Lucy the Sow. Sigh.

Lucy bellies up to the feedline with the sows, headbutts the bullies out of the way, and protects the “other” sows from the pesky steers who occasionally make their way to the sow pasture. They’re as perplexed as cattle can be by Lucy and baffled in their own little bovine way as to why she won’t join them.

From the FarmWife Project: No Easy Task, A Rancher’s Wife

I had this (what seemed to be a) great idea to milk one of our goats and make goat cheese. I looked forward to it all week. I found what I thought was the best (and easiest) recipe online, bought cheesecloth’s at the store and picked a jar I thought would work best. By the time Saturday came I was ready. You and me mama goat – it’s on.
Saturday arrives. I head out to help with the chores and to milk my goat. The first thing I realize is I have to catch the goat. I guess I just thought  the goat would just be there waiting for me, ready and willing to be milked. Riight.
Once reality hit I turned to J and asked you are going to help me, right? I enlisted J to help me for obvious reasons one being my safety. I have yet to be hit aka rammed by a goat or a sheep and it’s not something that I have on my To-Do list. I’ve heard it hurts.