I think we might have to build an ark the way it’s been raining here! I’m not complaining…having the rain come just keeps me inside doing projects that need attention.

Today is the first day of Junior High Football practice and Luke won’t be there. He’s decided he doesn’t want to play this year. The only problem is…there are others who do want him to play and one stopped by the other night. He told Luke that his son won’t play if Luke doesn’t play. Wow….it’s hard for me to believe Jr. High Football is that important to a man….but it is and we don’t even live in Texas. I wonder if Luke will change his mind….I think he’s considering it. I love to watch all my kids play any sport so I would love for him to play…but he says he doesn’t really enjoy football like he does baseball and basketball. I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, this morning JW and Luke will be unloading straw for a neighbor and Sarah and I have to head to town…I’m out of butter and when I’m out of butter, I’m out of groceries!

Yesterday I actually felt like cooking because the weather was so cool. We had baked chicken, new potatoes with brown butter, stir fry veggies and homemade rolls. I just love cooking Sunday dinner. Growing up, mom always made a big Sunday dinner and it was always so good. Right now, I’m thinking we had homemade pie every Sunday, but I’m sure we didn’t, it just seemed like it. And no one in the world can make better pie crust than my mom…no one! If I hadn’t put all my peaches in the freezer, I would’ve made a pie yesterday, but I just couldn’t bring myself to using any peaches that I had just put in the freezer….seems like I should wait until the snow flies or at least until the first freeze.

Better get the pancakes on the table….without butter….that’s practically breaking the law!

I think we might have to build an ark the way it’s been raining here! I’m not complaining…having the rain come just keeps me inside doing projects that need attention.

Today is the first day of Junior High Football practice and Luke won’t be there. He’s decided he doesn’t want to play this year. The only problem is…there are others who do want him to play and one stopped by the other night. He told Luke that his son won’t play if Luke doesn’t play. Wow….it’s hard for me to believe Jr. High Football is that important to a man….but it is and we don’t even live in Texas. I wonder if Luke will change his mind….I think he’s considering it. I love to watch all my kids play any sport so I would love for him to play…but he says he doesn’t really enjoy football like he does baseball and basketball. I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, this morning JW and Luke will be unloading straw for a neighbor and Sarah and I have to head to town…I’m out of butter and when I’m out of butter, I’m out of groceries!

Yesterday I actually felt like cooking because the weather was so cool. We had baked chicken, new potatoes with brown butter, stir fry veggies and homemade rolls. I just love cooking Sunday dinner. Growing up, mom always made a big Sunday dinner and it was always so good. Right now, I’m thinking we had homemade pie every Sunday, but I’m sure we didn’t, it just seemed like it. And no one in the world can make better pie crust than my mom…no one! If I hadn’t put all my peaches in the freezer, I would’ve made a pie yesterday, but I just couldn’t bring myself to using any peaches that I had just put in the freezer….seems like I should wait until the snow flies or at least until the first freeze.

Better get the pancakes on the table….without butter….that’s practically breaking the law!

It’s a rainy morning here on the Knolltop. It’s been raining ever since we got up to milk early this morning. And it’s still cool…yes, it feels like fall.

Yesterday I witnessed a growth spurt in Jake. Being the youngest of four you have to wait your turn in lots of ways. The older boys were gone yesterday so if Big Daddy needed any help, he had to rely on Jake. Bobby was out mixing feed yesterday afternoon and I looked out to see a little person in the tractor. Jake had weaseled his way into helping out with the feeding, which Bobby didn’t object to at all. Then when it was time to go help with another project that involved using the skidsteer, guess who ended up in the drivers seat? Yes, it was Jake.

While I was milking, I saw Jake driving the skidsteer with Bobby riding in the bucket. It was such a funny picture. A few minutes later, I turned from dipping a cow and there was Jake, I almost had to look up to see him…he felt 10 feet tall and looked it too. With a wide grin on his face and a slightly deeper voice he explained with great detail everything he and Daddy had to do.

I asked him…”Isn’t it great not having the older boys here to do all that? Now you get your turn.” He walked away saying “Yep, I think I’d better go check on Daddy.”

Nothin’ but fun at the auction in town. Jake, Big Daddy and I went up to the fairgrounds late this morning after all the sortin’ and treatin’ chores were done. This auction is called the Hillsdale Auction and anyone and everyone brings their treasures and junk up to sell. They have several rows of junk that the auctioneers go through and sell. They also have piles of hay and straw, chickens, ducks, rabbits, potbellied pigs, turkeys you name it they sell it. Other people bring up produce, flea market stuff…just all kinds of junk. One neighbor calls it poverty exchange.

None the less, it’s always an interesting place to go on Saturday mornings and it’s been going since the beginning of time….I think. This morning one interesting item was a black Tennessee Walker that a man was riding up and down the hay isle trying to catch an eye. She was a pretty mare…pretty old…but still pretty. I forgot my camera, otherwise I could’ve shown her to you.

One of our friends hopped on the mare and took her for a spin, but the man told her not to go too fast…her bridle was loose. Hmmmmm……I wanted to say, tighten that baby up and get going, let’s see her walk! But I kept my mouth shut…mostly because my mouth was full of ice cream that Jake made me buy!

I’m headed to the garden to see what there is that’s ready for dinner.

It’s another clear, cool morning on the Knolltop. I’ve already been to town for supplies and now I’m back and headed out to the barn to help treat a sick cow and sort some heifers.

Luke is with a buddy of his down in Indiana at a bird show…I don’t have a clue…don’t ask.

JW and his buddy Sarah are off on another judging workout. The only problem is…he won’t take a map….testosterone strikes again….and he keeps calling me for directions. He has called four times in a matter of 2 hours because they keep taking wrong turns. I just talked to him again and they are at Taco Bell….getting a snack I guess…getting lost increases your appetite.

Well, I’ve got to get going to the barn since half the crew is gone. After that we’re going to the fairgrounds for the auction…I’ll explain later and hopefully with pictures!

The dishes are done, the coffee was enjoyed…it’s time to get moving.

If I were organized it would be dangerous. I wanted to write a story about the Ohio District 10 Holstein show and when I went to find my show catalog with all my notes in it….I couldn’t find it. I found Big Daddy’s but not mine. I searched the desk, the magazine basket, the Hoosier cabinet where everything important is deposited and nothing! I then took drastic measures and searched the garbage….still nothing. Knowing I would never be able to remember who was what, I flagged Big Daddy down and asked him if he remembered who won what. He looked at me and said, “Oh, your catalog is in by my chair in the bedroom, I was looking at it last night.” Saved! Now I have to write!

When the story is written then I will can peaches. When the peaches are canned the lawn should be dried out enough to mow. The laundry is going….we’re up and runnin’!

While I wait for Big Daddy to get off the phone and for the coffee to perk, I thought I’d check in and say a quick good morning. It’s sunny and clear here and I had to wear a sweatshirt to milk this morning.

Our bull calf population is growing every day. We’ve had three since Sunday. I’m looking forward to Monday when they leave…bottle feeding when you have the rest of the calves on buckets can be a pain!

Jake is calling me for breakfast…he’s waiting for me to eat…such a gentleman!

I’ll be back after breakfast.

Good Morning from the Knolltop! The coffee is perked and really good this morning. I have to say I’m drinking a luxury coffee this morning. The other day when we were in Adrian I stopped at Tim Hortons Donuts. They are a chain and it’s the only one around here. I first experienced Tim Hortons when Big Daddy and I were in Canada selecting cows for our first herd. We stopped there and it was the best cup of coffee with wonderful donuts. It’s a great memory for me. So everytime we go to Adrian I stop and get donuts and a coffee. Well, the last time I was there they had Tim Horton ground coffee for sale in cans. I bought a small can and I have it once a day…I feel like I’m really livin it up when I drink that coffee!

Yesterday Big Daddy and I traveled to Ohio for the Holstein show and it was so much fun. It was at the Henry County Fair in Napoleon. We got there in plenty of time because he’s such a fanatic about being on time…and we had a cup of coffee and ended up visiting with a man who had raised 24 kids! His wife delivered ten of them and they adopted the other 14! Wow! They range in age from 3 on up to 55.

Big Daddy did a great job of evaluating the cattle and it seemed everyone was happy. We left and stopped for dinner on the way home and got here just in time to collect all of our children so they could come home and do chores with us.

I’ve still got peaches sitting..actually dripping..on my table so really I need to get to them so I can get back to writing. I’ve got a column and a story to do today!

We’re off to the Ohio District 10 Holstein Show this morning. Bobby has to judge so I get to ride along and take pictures and maybe write a story.

Last night we lost all of our kids to friends, except JW. Luke and Jake spent the night at a friends house, while Sarah was invited to another friends house where they have a golf cart they can ride around on! That was her highlight.

When I came in from chores last night I had two bushel of peaches to put up. Needless to say, after dropping off the kids and going to a neighbors house to take pictures of her horse so she can get it registered…I started on peaches and didn’t get them all done! I think I have about a half a bushel left to go. They will have to wait until after our Ohio trip. I think peaches are pretty patient.

It’s been sweetcorn days here on the Knolltop. On Sunday, Mr. K. called and said he had more sweetcorn than he needed and generously offered some to us. Jake and I were in the patch by 8:15 the next morning picking and picking. We ended up with four feedbags full of corn.

We brought them home and headed to a funeral. Then when we got home, Sarah, Jake and I started shucking and shucking and shucking. Until the last ear was exposed!

Hauling them all in, we started blanching and cutting and bagging and freezing.

While we shucked, the kittys and the chicken enjoyed a little snack…compliments of Jake.

We had to take a break to eat dinner and milk cows, but got back at it after chores. By 9 pm last night I was done with corn for the summer. Sarah recorded our inventory and we ended up with 30 quarts of corn. That’s about all I’ll get done this summer..unless some else calls and has more than they need! On to peaches…