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.

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…

It’s another cool morning here on the Knolltop. And it’s supposed to be this way all week. It’s a good thing since I have two bushel of peaches coming today that I’ll have to freeze, can and make jam out of.

Sunday night Big Daddy, Sarah and I went down to Knolltop Morgans to do their chores while they are away on vacation. Luke, JW and Jake were all gone, so we snuck down to the tractor barn and we had our pick of tractors to ride on! We picked Luke’s Farmall and swore each other to secrecy because no on is allowed to drive his tractor…no one!

I called driver so I hopped on and Big Daddy and Sarah got on the back. We rode down and fed all their critters and then because someone didn’t like the way I drove, they called driver and Sarah and I hopped on the back. As we rode down the road on this beautiful summer evening with the sun dropping over the corn fields I looked over to Sarah and asked, “Is there anything better than riding on a tractor on a warm summer evening in the country?” She nodded her head and said, “Yes….riding a horse!”

Confession: We had to confess to Luke that we rode on his tractor after Sarah slipped up and said something about it yesterday! But I still have all my limbs!

It’s another cool morning here on the Knolltop. And it’s supposed to be this way all week. It’s a good thing since I have two bushel of peaches coming today that I’ll have to freeze, can and make jam out of.

Sunday night Big Daddy, Sarah and I went down to Knolltop Morgans to do their chores while they are away on vacation. Luke, JW and Jake were all gone, so we snuck down to the tractor barn and we had our pick of tractors to ride on! We picked Luke’s Farmall and swore each other to secrecy because no on is allowed to drive his tractor…no one!

I called driver so I hopped on and Big Daddy and Sarah got on the back. We rode down and fed all their critters and then because someone didn’t like the way I drove, they called driver and Sarah and I hopped on the back. As we rode down the road on this beautiful summer evening with the sun dropping over the corn fields I looked over to Sarah and asked, “Is there anything better than riding on a tractor on a warm summer evening in the country?” She nodded her head and said, “Yes….riding a horse!”

Confession: We had to confess to Luke that we rode on his tractor after Sarah slipped up and said something about it yesterday! But I still have all my limbs!

It’s cold this morning on the Knolltop! A whole 61 out this morning…compared to the 90 and humid we’ve been having…I had to wear a sweatshirt to the barn to milk this morning. It’s a nice change, especially since I will be freezing sweetcorn today. Yesterday I went to Mr. K.’s for some corn and found a bumper crop that needs to be picked and put into my freezer. So in six minutes…I’ve put myself on a timer this morning….I’m headed out with Jake to pick some corn.

The only reason I’m on a schedule is because we have to attend a funeral of a neighboring dairy farmer, Carlos Long. He’s been very ill for the last 2 years after his wife Norma died. He and his son Doug and grandson Scott own and operate Long-Haven Farms, home of some very notable Holsteins. I got to know Carlos and the family way back in the 80s when my mom and I exhibited cattle at the state fair.

While Big Daddy and I are gone, my daughter and her friend are scheduled to shuck the corn so when I get home we can start freezing it. We’ll see how that plan works….yes, me of little faith!

Hey Shady Knoll…how’s that perked coffee comin’ along?

It’s cold this morning on the Knolltop! A whole 61 out this morning…compared to the 90 and humid we’ve been having…I had to wear a sweatshirt to the barn to milk this morning. It’s a nice change, especially since I will be freezing sweetcorn today. Yesterday I went to Mr. K.’s for some corn and found a bumper crop that needs to be picked and put into my freezer. So in six minutes…I’ve put myself on a timer this morning….I’m headed out with Jake to pick some corn.

The only reason I’m on a schedule is because we have to attend a funeral of a neighboring dairy farmer, Carlos Long. He’s been very ill for the last 2 years after his wife Norma died. He and his son Doug and grandson Scott own and operate Long-Haven Farms, home of some very notable Holsteins. I got to know Carlos and the family way back in the 80s when my mom and I exhibited cattle at the state fair.

While Big Daddy and I are gone, my daughter and her friend are scheduled to shuck the corn so when I get home we can start freezing it. We’ll see how that plan works….yes, me of little faith!

Hey Shady Knoll…how’s that perked coffee comin’ along?