First Jewel Milking and last Cold Weekend for a While

Up at 3 AM which is a 'sleep-in' time for me.  I do go to bed very early so it all evens out........sometimes.

It is very cold this morning and will be  tomorrow before our warm week begins....up to 70°  by next Friday.  I hope to dormant oil spray things during this  time.

I haven't been outside much this past week because of the cold  weather.  So pictures are few and the quality is not good.

My last walk was east of the house and I only took this picture of a remaining pool of water still standing in a low spot at a gate.



This is in part of what we call the East 20.  No cows here because it is a hay field and all cattle come off in January until hay is cut.

No other farm related news.  Just DH's daily checking and feeding. I did have him  move  all the hay feeders and the mineral feeder to a central location  off of another hay field.  We are a bit slow on this this year.  He does the work but I do a management control (in the background and very low key).  We work together well that way.  He is not a detail man.

We have weaned Willow from house milking but her calf is still nursing.  He will be taken away in May.  If she does as expected she will calve again in July this year.  I am  going  to try to manage the bulls better this time.

We milked Jewel for the  first time on Thursday. Their milk is good for use on day 3 after calving.  We will leave her calf on her 24/7 for a while.  She will still have enough when we do milk for us.  In fact we plan (we being Max)to milk her every other day for a while so she won't dry somewhat or her udder won't get too uncomfortable for her.  The calf won't drink more  then he needs which is about l gallon a day.

We got 2 gallons the  first milking.  I skimmed l  full pint of  cream  from the gallon Max brought to the house.  The milk is delicious but not too buttery tasting this way.

I apologize for the quality of the picture but here it is:



Note the new blue dish cloths:

This brings on another Sis story.  My sister lives in Iowa and  is two years older.  This has happened to us before.....doing the same thing or cooking the same  thing at nearly the same time.

When talking yesterday I mentioned that I had just ordered something that she would probably make fun of, dishcloths.
We were raised in a household where they were called dishrags and that is exactly what they were.  discarded old shirts cut to size.  She laughed and said she had been looking at them the day before.  She was gifted one that had the scrubbing back side and loved it so much she wondered if she could find any online.  I  told her if it was available Amazon would have it.....and they did. She ordered some that same day.

I told her  it was maybe  because we each spent so much time in the kitchen and loving to cook that our minds would naturally be interested in those kinds of things.  Her love  is cooking in general and mine leans more toward baking.


I feel I need to explain why Max now does the milking which used to be my chore exclusively.  When I had my first bout (and do mean bout) of polymyalgia rheumatica, it was in  my arms and especially hands.   I couldn't hold a pencil much less squeeze a cow's teats.  That is when we bought a portable electric milking machine.  Max was very familiar with that use from our dairy operation.  He did so well, he just kept on.  Another reason is that ornery Willow who doesn't like me at all,  likes him very much and just trots up the ramp into the barn.  Whereas if  she spots me she heads for the west field at a trot and Max has to go get her.  I am quite content to let him continue.  I do go out and clean the parlor now and then.

This will be another lazy day for me. I cooked a large pot of white beans yesterday and we will enjoy leftovers today in some fashion. I also had fried potatoes with onions and corn bread.  Mom never served beans with out those sides and often macaroni and  tomatoes.  Don't really know why but I love the combo and so does DH.

Winter is back and First Milking

The last two days have been very cold and dreary.  We have been getting a little moisture but not enough to really help much.  Temperature is running 40's and near freezing at night.

This has been a much busier  week than is normal for us.  Monday was allergist (just dust mites!) a veritable waste of our time and we will not be returning.  The medicine  they precribed for DH had more negative effects than his occasional sneezing fits. I did, in a weak moment, order the suggested mattress and pillow covers...........and a new comforter.  We have a hepa filter vacuum.

 Tuesday was DH's day to run his Mother on her errands  which took all day!  She is amazing at 96!

Wednesday was deliver the beef  to the processor.  I am almost out of beef in the freezer.  They took us out back to see something interesting:  The had a 2,000 lb Hereford steer from MSU that had a "window" embedded in his left side so students could observe.  I found it very disgusting.  He told us we had the only 'normal' beef delivered so far that day.  The other  pens were Long Horns, 2 very young and one mature with a set of horns so wide they had to unload him through a side panel instead of the regular gate.  He said there is a big demand for Long Horn hamburger; it is supposed to have more nutrients. I am wondering if it just means no fat?  I hadn't heard that one before.

Today is  my run  to the local store  for a few groceries; DH's run to Ash Grove for a haircut and chicken feed,  salt blocks and l00 lbs of puppy feed.

I did finish cleaning the dog pen one morning.  I think it  was 5 5- gallon buckets.  We finally got smart and trapped the babies on one side of the double pens so I could empty the buckets without fighting them back each time.  Now we will spread straw and I hope to clean the pens on a regular basis.  They are  little butterballs of hyper-activity!

Farm

I ordered fertilizer for the hay fields and now we just wait for a good, dry day to spread.  Then, of  course, I will hope for rain on the fertilizer.

We milked Jewel for the first time  day before yesterday and are milking her again this morning.

She came right up the ramp and only kicked once then settled right down to the milking  machine.
Her personality is very different from Willow's.

From Jewel

She gave 2.5 jars of very yellow milk, also different from Willow's more white version.  I haven't checked  the cream  line yet this morning.



We don't know yet if we will try to find another calf to put on her.....probably not.

Well all the news  for now.  I need to get an early start  to the store.  From noon on I go downhill rapidly!

Blogs Are My Medicine

Reading Blogs is a  delight on these cold, dreary days!  Thank you all for helping me.

Another gloomy Sunday with temperatures near freezing but down in the low teens tonight.  I call anything under 20° dog nights.  We bring Sugar on to the back porch when it dips that low.

I milked this morning.  Willow didn't give quite as much as usual but no wonder.  The Jersey now follows her up the ramp eagerly like she is afraid to be left alone.  I check her udder and if it seems empty I just let her eat.  I don't need the milk and I figure her calf does!  We have to let them leave at the same time too or the Jersey gets very nervous!

Our neighbor called early this morning after driving his wife to work to tell us not to get out if we didn't have to.  The roads were covered in black ice and were very treacherous.  I was happy we did our shopping locally yesterday.

The bird feeder is serving double duty these days.  I dump  the leftover seeds after filling the kitchen window feeder.



Gail and Ilene, I have added you to me list so I will get notified when you post.  Gail let me know if you can if the email thing is working for you now.

Lunch today was leftovers but I did make a very simple apple tart with some apples that were getting way past prime.  I layered some apple butter on the crust and then a layer of apple slices tossed with sugar and flour, rolled up the crust edges and baked.  It may not have been prime but we enjoyed it. I do love having the frozen crusts ready to go.  They get soft very quickly laying on my cast aluminum  pan.

Back from my Winter Break

I  stayed away so long, I almost didn't return to the land of blogging.......

There have  been no big events on the farm.  We both are semi-well from our bronchitis but still have occasional coughing bouts .

I have been milking about three times a week.  Getting my usual 3 half gallons and l quart.
 


We have had some very unusual weather.  We broke a record high at 74° two days ago.  Then a front moved in and we got a wonderful 1.75 inches of rain during the evening and night.  We didn't get any severe weather like some did.  It is much colder today and with very strong winds.  It is in the mid-30's now.  I was sure glad I was milking inside a barn this morning.

I have just been doing my normal cooking, made Annie's Honey and Wheat 4-loaf recipe one time and yesterday made DH's favorite white bread, 3 loaves.  The only unusual thing I made was Harvard beets.  I didn't know if DH would eat them or not.  I have had them canned a long time, but the color was still very good.   He cleaned his plate!



I  made one of my favorite cookies.

Cinnamon Cookies (like a ginger snap)

Source: Sis

¾ cup shortening (don't use butter)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup honey

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

Sugar and cinnamon mixture to roll cookies in

Cream shortening and sugar well. Beat in egg and honey. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix well.

Make a one inch ball of dough and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place 2 or so inches apart because they will spread out. Used ungreased baking sheet. Bake 375° for 12-15 minutes.

Random Pictures

I tried all morning to get a good one of Sugar but it was almost impossible.  This is the best I could manage.
This is her favorite spot, especially if I am sitting in my chair.  Note: the chewed  rug.  I decided it was worth sacrificing it to save my ankles....

We had an invasion of Grackles a few days ago.  It was unbelievable how many.  They would fly up and light and fly down again and moved from one side of the yard to the other.  Thankfully. they didn't stay long. They are right up there with Starlings and house sparrows as my least favorites feathered friends.


Note:  I see the gremlins have invaded blogger again.  Please ignore the strange orange highlighted words; they lead to advertising....not of my doing.   They have magically disappeared now!

Yogurt - Our First taste of real milk and other things from the farm

Hot and dry; another 100° day predicted with 82% humidity.

I am milking each morning these days. DH is going to bring his fan from the garage over to the milk barn. The exhaust fan in the barn window isn't working. He will get another cheapie for him. This is a big floor fan that we used when we were operating the dairy.

Willow is slowly coming around. I suspect she is holding up her milk....I am not getting much.

I brought one half gallon down this morning and set yogurt. I never liked it much until I began making mine from my milk. I had to laugh.....I expected this. We have two gallons of store milk in the fridge but DH asked if I had any chilled from Willow....I did and we both had our first glass, nectar of the Gods. He is as bad as I am about it. We feel so fortunate that we can have our cow and I can milk and enjoy the bounty.

I am actually watering a young tree this morning. I could see heat stress on my Red Maple and I sure don't want to loose it. I am using my favorite little cast round sprinkler. I have two now and I use them more than the large one.

Butterflies

I saw this Pipe-vine Swallowtail on a rose bush (note how bad the rose looks; thank you Japanese Beetles). It was so still after taking the picture, I touched it and was happy to see it fly off. The host plant is, of course, the pipe-vine. I don't grow one but it is a native Missouri vine called Woolly Pipe-vine(aristolochia tomentosa) so I am assuming there are some in the fields around the house area.

Perfect Spring Day

and we don't have many of those in the Ozarks! There is no wind! It is 64° and the sun is shining.

A perfect day for working outside and I did for three hours this morning.

I had a backsliding moment this morning early and decided I didn't want to milk and just dump the milk. Everything I own is filled with milk. I have made a gallon and a quart of yogurt and a pound of mozzarella so I decided to let Willow's calf nurse...........probably a mistake. When I separated them this morning she had bawled continually. At least now when I do milk she can't get so antsy for the calf that I am in danger. She is safely confined in the stanchion. So be it!

The dogwood by the drive is now in full white stage of bloom. I am always amazed at how quickly things progress this time of year.


The 'broken' oakleaf hydrangea 'Snowflake' is surviving so far. I remember to water it every time I fill the bird bath. That location was a good idea.



I think the uprooted apple tree is still alive too, at least it is green under the bark....but no buds yet.

I spent the morning planting the order of bulbs I got from the neighbor boy (a school project). I planted 14 glads, 2 Stargazer lilies, and 6 dwarf lilies. I am anxious to see what I have.

Next I cleaned the foundation bed, east and south sides. Mostly dead nettle, and maple and elm salings. I also pulled a lot of the honeysuckle purpurea (which isn't fragrant like they said). I may be forced to more drastic measures on it.

This is the cleaned corner of the bed outside the dining room porch. I think I spotted a couple of 4 O'clock seedlings. Rudbeckia is back, feverfew, and the poppies have self seeded here and there. The Jackmani Superba clematis that I accidentally whacked off last year is back! Everything looks promising.


This is a long view of the front foundation bed. The tall blooming shrub is a viburnum, very fragrant.

and a closeup of the bloom,


I filled my garden cart with weeds which I will toss on the compost pile.


I also did a final cleaning of the Grass Bed. I cut the white buddleia down to about 18 inches, saw some green tips starting. I see the Black and Blue salvia is returning..........and poke. I will bring out the big guns for that (diesel). The burned off grasses are up about 12 inches now and the iris don't show the scorch anymore.

List of flower beds:

Cellar Bed - partly done
Grass Bed - done
Foundation Bed - done
Hyperion bed (in front yard with Little Lamb hydrangea) - done and partly mulched
Garden Fence Border - done
Humming Bird Bed - mostly done (need to kill out a rampant native eupatorium)
Ash Tree Bed - required very little just chopped a weed or two
New Bed - needs serious attention
Driveway bed- likewise (thinking of doing away with these two beds)
Garage wall Border - Dreading this one
Concrete Ramp Bed - drastically cutting this one back.
Annabelle Hydrangea bed - needs mulching to kill out henbit, chickweed and deadnettle
Yellow Iris in back fence bed - ignore!

The trimmer is being stubborn; we are putting in a new plug and hope that fixes the problem. It is a Stihl and usually it is trouble-free and was a week ago.

6 eggs yesterday; the two girls are still on the nests.. Hatch day should be around the 24th of this month.

First Garden Planting - Milking

Still very cold this morning, 30° but a slow warmup is on the way. I hope to get some outdoor work done today.

I did a walk-about in the yard and it is always fun to see new things popping up or beginning to bloom.

First the spirea prunifolia in the driveway border is in full bloom. The younger is blooming much better than the mother plant. I will prune it way down after bloom.

These send out runners and I see one is in bloom. I am going to try to dig it out and replant it out front next to the road....cheaper than buying a new one!



I like how this daffodil changes color as the bloom ages. The older bloom is the peach colored trumpet.


The bleeding heart is in bloom.

and the 'Fire-in-the-Bush', chaenomeles speciosa. It really needs to be cut down and let regrow. In fact the entire shrub border next to the road on the east yard needs the same treatment, but it is much too big a job.


I am happy to report the morning milking went well! Not perfect, but at least I think she let down most of her milk, I will know better from the cream line tomorrow. She started eating at once which is a first, but quit before she was finished. In order to keep her from making a mess in the barn, we are turning her out right after milking and then feeding her grain. I will feel like it is 100% successful when she enters the ramp on her own. She is still going into the barn where I used to milk....we have a sneaky way to fix that....coming up.

After milking, I planted 25 Surecrop strawberries and some sugar snap peas.
By then it was 11 AM and I came in to fix lunch.
I had made the Street Meat from Ilene's blog yesterday for supper and I wasn't too impressed, but I reheated it for lunch today and we both agreed it was very tasty. I really like the rice cooked that way....I think the recipe would even work well using leftover meat, already cooked, of any kind. We used a lot of hot sauce over it at the table. I would do it again after buying all the required herbs. A side was more steamed asparagus with butter. I am wondering why all the stalks are so slender??? I plan to add lots of cow enriched mulch this year.

Dessert was the coffee cake I made yesterday. We like it a lot!

At 2 pm, I went back out. I was determined to get all the strawberries and potatoes planted. I did the other 25 Cardinal strawberries and a 45-foot row of Yukon Gold potatoes. I am pleased. Still a lot more to do for early garden but at least I am started. I finished at 4 pm.

DH is clipping a field on the old farm.

I slipped another green egg under my hen this morning.