Last evening, I left the chores to JW and his friend and headed to the Godfrey Farm for the 37th annual Godfrey Farm Urban-Rural Picnic. Each year Richard Godfrey hosts the annual event and invites some bigwig to come speak along with all the politicians. The focus is to connect the local urban business men and the farmers together for an evening. Now the unusual aspect of this picnic is that there are very few women invited to this event…it’s basically a men only event. The usual women who attend are the wives of the politicians, Jody Pollock, the head of the Michigan Corn Growers Association, her assistant Amy, me, only because I cover it for the Farmers Advance, and a couple of other wives. I think I counted seven women there out of about 75 attendees.

Richard’s wife and daughters usually serve the meal and it’s a great one. We enjoyed pork chops on the grill, baked beans and all the trimmings and big bowls of ice cream for dessert. The speaker last night was our U.S. Representative, Tim Walberg. I had a great time visiting with friends but I missed Luke’s game. Although they lost both games to Homer, I still would’ve liked to have been there.

Today we will clean out more calf pens, work in the garden and run to Jonesville for some supplies. I think Sarah will go to a friends house, JW will take the starter from his tractor to Litchfield for repairs and maybe I will go poolside with Jake and Luke…it’s going to be a good day for it.

Last evening, I left the chores to JW and his friend and headed to the Godfrey Farm for the 37th annual Godfrey Farm Urban-Rural Picnic. Each year Richard Godfrey hosts the annual event and invites some bigwig to come speak along with all the politicians. The focus is to connect the local urban business men and the farmers together for an evening. Now the unusual aspect of this picnic is that there are very few women invited to this event…it’s basically a men only event. The usual women who attend are the wives of the politicians, Jody Pollock, the head of the Michigan Corn Growers Association, her assistant Amy, me, only because I cover it for the Farmers Advance, and a couple of other wives. I think I counted seven women there out of about 75 attendees.

Richard’s wife and daughters usually serve the meal and it’s a great one. We enjoyed pork chops on the grill, baked beans and all the trimmings and big bowls of ice cream for dessert. The speaker last night was our U.S. Representative, Tim Walberg. I had a great time visiting with friends but I missed Luke’s game. Although they lost both games to Homer, I still would’ve liked to have been there.

Today we will clean out more calf pens, work in the garden and run to Jonesville for some supplies. I think Sarah will go to a friends house, JW will take the starter from his tractor to Litchfield for repairs and maybe I will go poolside with Jake and Luke…it’s going to be a good day for it.

It was sooooo cool this morning, like 45 degrees cool! If it weren’t for the green corn and golden wheat, I would’ve thought I was waking up to October 1st.

Last evening after chores, the kids were out working with their heifers and every year I like to get pictures of them. The older boys were getting pretty goofy, as you’ll see in the pictures below. Jake has trouble getting his heifer to behave, but when Luke gets on the halter she’s all business.

We dehorned everything on Saturday, that is a relief to have it all done. This morning the bull calf that we pulled last week will go to the sale barn. Holly still isn’t 100%, I’m just not sure she’ll make it to the summer show….but I keep praying for her.

The boys are out changing the inflations in the milkers and then they will roll up wire that isn’t being used anymore in the pasture. Jake and Sarah are headed out to work with their heifers. I put my foot down yesterday and said that anyone who doesn’t work with their heifers every day until the show will not go. I hope I can stick to that! 🙂

It was sooooo cool this morning, like 45 degrees cool! If it weren’t for the green corn and golden wheat, I would’ve thought I was waking up to October 1st.

Last evening after chores, the kids were out working with their heifers and every year I like to get pictures of them. The older boys were getting pretty goofy, as you’ll see in the pictures below. Jake has trouble getting his heifer to behave, but when Luke gets on the halter she’s all business.

We dehorned everything on Saturday, that is a relief to have it all done. This morning the bull calf that we pulled last week will go to the sale barn. Holly still isn’t 100%, I’m just not sure she’ll make it to the summer show….but I keep praying for her.

The boys are out changing the inflations in the milkers and then they will roll up wire that isn’t being used anymore in the pasture. Jake and Sarah are headed out to work with their heifers. I put my foot down yesterday and said that anyone who doesn’t work with their heifers every day until the show will not go. I hope I can stick to that! 🙂

Last evening, Luke played a double header against Reading. He pitched the first game and had 10 Ks. They won 2-0. The second game they won 5-4 and Luke caught the whole game. Jake and I were doing chores, Sarah had a game in Reading and JW had a basketball tournament. Shortly after the cows were milked, Bobby called and said they won the first game. At that point with the cows milk and all the rest of the stock were fed and watered, the rest of the chores could wait and Jake and I high-tailed it to the ball diamond to watch the second game. If there’s anything Bobby and I hate is missing even one of our kids actitivities!

It’s a beautiful morning here on the Knolltop where the work for the day is dehorning calves, cleaning out calf pens and yard work. The wheat is a deep golden color, word on the street is harvest will begin by the end of next week!

Another piece of good news is that Dieter Kreig, publisher of The Farmshine Newspaper in Pennsylania has decided he will run my column! I talked to him yesterday and he said he thinks he has room for it…maybe. (He’s a hard sell!) So look for my column in two weeks!

Last evening, Luke played a double header against Reading. He pitched the first game and had 10 Ks. They won 2-0. The second game they won 5-4 and Luke caught the whole game. Jake and I were doing chores, Sarah had a game in Reading and JW had a basketball tournament. Shortly after the cows were milked, Bobby called and said they won the first game. At that point with the cows milk and all the rest of the stock were fed and watered, the rest of the chores could wait and Jake and I high-tailed it to the ball diamond to watch the second game. If there’s anything Bobby and I hate is missing even one of our kids actitivities!

It’s a beautiful morning here on the Knolltop where the work for the day is dehorning calves, cleaning out calf pens and yard work. The wheat is a deep golden color, word on the street is harvest will begin by the end of next week!

Another piece of good news is that Dieter Kreig, publisher of The Farmshine Newspaper in Pennsylania has decided he will run my column! I talked to him yesterday and he said he thinks he has room for it…maybe. (He’s a hard sell!) So look for my column in two weeks!

Last night we had no baseball games, and no baseball practice, the only thing going was JW’s basketball practice. So after chores, I came in and relaxed! It was so wonderful to enjoy the company of my children…well actually I had to write my column because I didn’t get a chance to do it earlier in the day.

Today I get to go have lunch with a bunch of girls from church. I can’t wait! The kids have to help Bobby clean out calf pens.

My sweetcorn is tasseling!

Last night we had no baseball games, and no baseball practice, the only thing going was JW’s basketball practice. So after chores, I came in and relaxed! It was so wonderful to enjoy the company of my children…well actually I had to write my column because I didn’t get a chance to do it earlier in the day.

Today I get to go have lunch with a bunch of girls from church. I can’t wait! The kids have to help Bobby clean out calf pens.

My sweetcorn is tasseling!

It’s been a busy morning here on the Knolltop. After Bobby, Luke and Jake left for basketball camp, where they have only lost one game…I finished up chores. The vet stopped by to check Holly and to pregnancy check the neighbor’s heifers and he took note of a cow calving. He offered to help pull the calf, but I said, no, we can handle it. I should’ve taken his offer.

After I finished up chores, JW left to go work at the neighbors and I decided to check on this cow. When I reached in to check on the calf, oh my..what big feet I felt! Knowing full well this calf would not be born without assistance I put some string around the feet of the calf and began pulling. Forty five minutes later, I made a desperation call to the neighbor and he wasn’t close enough, so then I called Sarah and she came out to help. We pulled and prayed and finally this huge bull was born…alive! I was so thankful for Sarah’s help and God’s provision of strength!

Now I’ve got to check on mama and baby and then hopefully head down to the basketball tournament. The latest update is they lost their first game by three and now are going to play another team who they should beat pretty handily. Then who knows????

It’s been a busy morning here on the Knolltop. After Bobby, Luke and Jake left for basketball camp, where they have only lost one game…I finished up chores. The vet stopped by to check Holly and to pregnancy check the neighbor’s heifers and he took note of a cow calving. He offered to help pull the calf, but I said, no, we can handle it. I should’ve taken his offer.

After I finished up chores, JW left to go work at the neighbors and I decided to check on this cow. When I reached in to check on the calf, oh my..what big feet I felt! Knowing full well this calf would not be born without assistance I put some string around the feet of the calf and began pulling. Forty five minutes later, I made a desperation call to the neighbor and he wasn’t close enough, so then I called Sarah and she came out to help. We pulled and prayed and finally this huge bull was born…alive! I was so thankful for Sarah’s help and God’s provision of strength!

Now I’ve got to check on mama and baby and then hopefully head down to the basketball tournament. The latest update is they lost their first game by three and now are going to play another team who they should beat pretty handily. Then who knows????