It's a good thing she is as cute as she is, because she turning out to be as sharp as a marble. I have a pretty good deal going with my dairy farmer neighbor: he keeps my cow, Jasmine, we split the AI costs, I get milk whenever I need it. It's almost perfect. Jazzie's first calf was a heifer - Alice - who also lives at the farm. Then it was a whole long line of bull calves until this last Christmas. Because it's a working dairy farm, staffed by a middle-aged farmer and some less than stellar farm help, calves have to transition from bottle to bucket fairly quickly. This has not been an issue until...you guessed it .... Daisy. I have been toddling up to the farm every morning at 6:30 to work with her, trying to kick up that dim bulb - OH! The BUCKET! This has complicated my already complicated morning. Starting January 4, I have new hours, thanks to the Merger From Hell (MFH). I have to go in earlier, which means ratcheting up my morning game. I already get up at 4A, which allows me some quiet time to knit and read my daily journal entry on my path to enlightenment (right Mama Pea?) This also means the doglets are getting breakfast at 6 (no complaints heard so far), then to the farm, then back for my own breakfast, then out to do chickens and sheep, then back in to do a superfast shower, flash dry, reasonable facsimile of work clothes, then out the door for my hour's commute. This seems to work, although there is no room for glitches. And you know there are always glitches.
This morning I walked into the barn to find the farmer with his hair on end and an armful of tools. The water system that waters the cows was not working on a quarter of the barn, so 15 cows were not getting water. Plus it was the morning the milk truck was coming. I put myself in overdrive and fed all the calves (saving Daisy for last because, well, she's as sharp as a marble). Then I grabbed two 5 gallon buckets and watered all the cows in the dry zone (motivated because my dear Jazzie is in that section). Then I rocketed home, snorted down my oatmeal, threw feed at everyone outside and made it in to find...I had no time to shower.
Since there is definitely a slight but noticeable Eau de Cow Barn about me, I am keeping a low profile. TGIF.
25 comments:
You did the right thing. I hope everyone at work has a head cold.
You're so good to have helped like you did. Sounds like a frantic morning---not fond of those at all. Hope your weekend brings a bit better pace.....
A girl has to do what a girl has to do. You don't mind the eau do cow so let the rest of them live with it, explaining that some of you live in the real world.
Oh my golly, I am sorry if I have to say I got a chuckle at going to work smelling a bit like cow. There have been days when I shopping smelling like smelly man goat. I hope all is well there soon. What a blessing it is for you to have such a neighbor.
Your farmer friend must have been SO happy to have you helping out. Times like that make one so grateful. (The cows were probably very grateful, too.) I can't believe you've added bottle (bucket) feeding a calf to your routine of morning chores. Who cares that there is a slight "different" aroma wafting through your work place today? As Florida Farm Girl said above, some people live in the real world.
priorities, eh?
Life goes on right?
Happy to know you are stinking the place out. Sounds like they deserve it. When can you quit?
If they don't, I'm sure they wish they did.
Sue - He is a good friend to me and, frankly, I'd rather be elbow deep in stubborn calves than at my job.
Amen.
Kristina - He is, indeed, a blessing. And, forgive me, I'd rather be swimming in eau de cow barn that eau de man goat!
Yes, he argued for about a nanosecond. His usual morning help is his 80+ uncle!
I've got mine in the right order.
Yes, it does. Quite odiferously sometimes.
Oh, man. If only.
I am thinking that I like my new exercise program better than yours. Good grief, like you don't have enough to do!
Hope the Eau du Cow is effective at keeping the offensive humans at bay....
Well, then I guess I hope you win the lottery and can QUIT that damn job!
:D
Good Lord, you need a personal assistant! Anyone who complains can spend a day walking in your shoes!
What a life saver you are!! I can just imagine the relief your neighbor felt when you jumped in. We gotta do what we gotta do, no?? (same goes for skipping the shower for a day) And, who knows? Maybe the Eau du Cow could be a new cologne for the city folks wanting a little country feel to their day??
~~Lori
I wanted to ask if you could please edit my new url for Little Homestead In Boise on your blog? Google blew it up along with an old defunct email acct. I have restored it but now it's "The" LHIB address. I'd be really grateful, it's now-
http://thelittlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/ Thanks,Nancy
I'll be happy to do it, Nancy. What a pain! I'll do it tomorrow on a full keyboard.
Ahhh Odur De Cowbarn. I remember picking up a prescription for my father and distinctly smell cow.....then realizing going to the drug store after a trip to the vet may not have been the Best thing to do. What a morning you had....did the water get fixed?
Susan,
Up at 4 AM, and work's (MFH) has the audacity to change your schedule!!! I hope they enjoy your new perfume called Ode DE Farm :-) every now and then. Can you tell I'm not a big fan of mergers? I've been through it so many times, and was always the one who had to make changes in their schedule. Now that I'm retired, I don't worry about mergers, and continue my early schedule to get those chores done.
Hahahaha. Not laughing at the stress, just the image of Eau de Cow Barn in a law office. I once lectured in an auditorium that constantly had strange things going on outside the classroom. The students and I often commented on this. Then one cold day I raced into the auditorium, freshly showered but wearing my one and only winter coat. I sailed passed a chatty student in the front row, who sat for minute, thought a bit, and then announced to the class that "there's something going on again, IT SMELLS LIKE A BARN in here." Needless to say, I bought a second winter coat that day, that I now reserve strictly for my day job. Eau de Barn is a GOOD smell, but it has its place. :)
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