Warmer Week

We are having a pleasant period of warmer than normal weather.  I think we broke a record a couple of days.  We got up to 75° and the norm is 47.

We had a scare  with Max's 97 year old mother last Thursday and Friday and spent most of the day in the ER with her.  They removed a drug (a beta-blocker) and her heart rate came back up to normal and she is back home and doing well.  We will go with her  to the  doctor (8:15AM) Monday just to be sure.  That means leaving here around 7  AM.  Rush, rush!

I was all primed  to do  some outside work yesterday  but ran into some normal first of the season issues......needed new spark plugs for tillers, one needed pull rope replaced (a shop job), trimmer needed a new primer bubble. I needed some WD-40 for my Martin house pole.  So, we loaded up  the tiller, made a list and headed out.  It usually takes us a few days to get all the equipment going.  We left the tiller but found all the other parts.  I will  go out later and try to get the big slasher tine tiller going.  I need to till the west end of the garden and make a pass over the part I tilled earlier in the fall.

I find I am having to build up to do much working outside.  I am still having lots of PMR issues, if  that is what it is. I am not taking  prednisone any longer.  It certainly didn't help me this time like in the past.  I hope warmer weather and some activity  besides cooking and reading will help.

Speaking of cooking, I was out of bread but wanted a coarser, nuttier one for toasting and fell back on King Arthur's easy one bowl Oatmeal Toasting and  Sandwich Bread. I noticed the bread was wetter  than usual and realized I had used a cup too much milk....not quite a recipe double but went back and added almost double other ingredients.  Made a huge loaf in a casserole dish.  I think it was still a little light on flour but it makes wonderful crunchy toast.

I also added 1/2 cup of steel cut oats for a nutty taste.

If you have never made bread, this one is a good first recipe.  You dump every thing in the mixer and go.


Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week.  It will be cooler for us.

Jewel Calved

Up at my usual 3 AM.  Read in chair until Max got up and turned on the coffee.  He sets it up the night before but I wait until he is up because I want it fresh for him. 

Today is sunny and will be warmer than yesterday.

We had MIL out for Max's birthday dinner.  He requested a fried chicken dinner and that is what he got.  Chicken and gravy, mashed potatoes, peas, cole slaw, deviled eggs, hot rolls and chocolate cake.  I will not be cooking today! or maybe all weekend. 

She was ready to leave by 2:30.  I think she is now more comfortable at the assisted living  place than anywhere else unless it is a trip to Branson or some restaurant.  Whenever their bus goes, she is ready.

FARM
 
Max told me Jewel, the Jersey milk cow, was starting to calve.  She is in the lot on the west side of the house. She was finished l0 minutes later with a dark red bull calf this time.  She had a heifer last year.  She must have bred back on her first heat.  I never see her in heat or bred so it is a guessing game.  Baby was up and nursing within minutes.


That large red head in the background is her last year's huge heifer calf looking on.  So far, she hasn't attempted to nurse but we will be watching her closely. 

This shot shows her last year's calf and the baby nursing on the far side.

We have two in that lot that need to be de-horned (thanks to the Jersey breeding).


I took my first walk since the Prednisone has worn off somewhat.  I walked west down to the pond near our west border.



Took some miscellaneous shots of the cows that are currently grazing some stockpiled grass by the pond and in the north field behind the pond area.



Tried to catch Max checking the cows in the truck but couldn't see with the sun on the camera so barely got him in the picture



 This is what cows always do when  they don't turn tail and run when someone new shows up.  They turn and stare at the strange new thing (me).