Category: Uncategorized

  • Cleaned up and happy

    Well, yesterday I whinned about all our troubles…and today I’m feeling so free! Why is it that cleaning something that has needed attention for a long time feels so good? My back room is where we come in from the barn and take our barn clothes off. Needless to say, it can get pretty raunchy out there at times. It’s also my “collect-all” place, if I don’t know what to do with a shoebox, but I don’t want to throw it away because it will make a great cupcake transporter or a display box for a tractor collection at the fair or a barn for an indoor farm set up…I just put it in the back room. Well, you can imagine how that can get from time to time. But today it is beautiful!

    My garage was also a great place to put unwanted things….now that is clean! I can actually put my van in there! I’m feeling so free, I will now go to my closet and get a little freer feeling today! Then when guests come and Jake gets the impulse to show them every dirty nook and cranny on our farm, I won’t go into hysterics trying to come up with some excuse why they need to stay seated at the table while I casually give Jake the “If you take them out of this room, I cut off your toes” look!

    Off to perk the coffee!

  • More like summer

    It’s supposed to be more like summer these next few days. So all the sweaty work needs to be done early in the morning…which is what I have planned today. We will continue to haul junk…the boys will again miss out since they’re on their way to the neighbors to work in the hay. I know how disppointed they’ll be so I’ll save the heavy stuff for them…I’d hate for them to feel left out.

    In two days I will have a teenage driver in my house. JW will get his license and I don’t know how to react. He has to buy his own gas so that will keep him from wandering off too far. He hates to spend his own money.

    Okay…when it rains it pours. Keep in mind, I only tell you this because I know that if you think you have it bad, all you have to do is look around and know there is always someone worse off than you. I told you yesterday that the ceiling was leaking in the bathroom…conveinently over the tub…how cleaver…yesterday I went out in the back room and found the freezer unplugged and has been for a few days…yes…it’s all that bad and worse….and across the road in the barn, one of the fan motors on the milk compressor is bad. A cup of warm milk anyone? Yes, two milkings worth of milk will have to be dumped..but we will get paid for part of it. So we are currently trying to get that fixed and I will clean out the freezer today…anyone want to come help?

    One the brighter side, we had a heifer born yesterday afternoon, her name is Marnie and mom already cleaned! All my kids are healthy and the sun is shining yet another day. God is still on control and will continue to be so I don’t have to worry about that too. Now if anyone would like to pray for us…that would be a great thing!

  • More like summer

    It’s supposed to be more like summer these next few days. So all the sweaty work needs to be done early in the morning…which is what I have planned today. We will continue to haul junk…the boys will again miss out since they’re on their way to the neighbors to work in the hay. I know how disppointed they’ll be so I’ll save the heavy stuff for them…I’d hate for them to feel left out.

    In two days I will have a teenage driver in my house. JW will get his license and I don’t know how to react. He has to buy his own gas so that will keep him from wandering off too far. He hates to spend his own money.

    Okay…when it rains it pours. Keep in mind, I only tell you this because I know that if you think you have it bad, all you have to do is look around and know there is always someone worse off than you. I told you yesterday that the ceiling was leaking in the bathroom…conveinently over the tub…how cleaver…yesterday I went out in the back room and found the freezer unplugged and has been for a few days…yes…it’s all that bad and worse….and across the road in the barn, one of the fan motors on the milk compressor is bad. A cup of warm milk anyone? Yes, two milkings worth of milk will have to be dumped..but we will get paid for part of it. So we are currently trying to get that fixed and I will clean out the freezer today…anyone want to come help?

    One the brighter side, we had a heifer born yesterday afternoon, her name is Marnie and mom already cleaned! All my kids are healthy and the sun is shining yet another day. God is still on control and will continue to be so I don’t have to worry about that too. Now if anyone would like to pray for us…that would be a great thing!

  • One step forward

    It’s another sunny Sunday here on the Knolltop.

    Yesterday we junked a lot of stuff and got a lot of work done. We cleaned out some areas in the barn then we moved some cows around. We’ve got a lot of dry cows right now, so we kicked them out to pasture and moved the milk cows around. Big Daddy was so pleased with all the work we accomplished in such a short time he was feeling great….until ….one of the kids came in and said while they were taking a shower the other night when it was raining…they spotted the ceiling leaking in the bathroom. Like Bobby said, “One step forward, two steps back.”

    I’m not sure how God is going to take care of that one….milk prices are up, but unexpected problems like that aren’t in the budget! But God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He knows our need and I’m sure He’s got a great plan, we just have to follow it.

    In the mean time, those boys cleaned their tractor barn last night…they swept and got rid of a few things…it’s beautiful! I sat down there on the couch last night and it was so peaceful. I was waiting for Sarah to come back with the halter so we could catch Bud and ride. We rode and rode and didn’t get in the house until 9:30 pm!

    Coffee is good this morning…it’s a bit cool and perked coffee is always better on a cool morning. Better get ready for church!

  • One step forward

    It’s another sunny Sunday here on the Knolltop.

    Yesterday we junked a lot of stuff and got a lot of work done. We cleaned out some areas in the barn then we moved some cows around. We’ve got a lot of dry cows right now, so we kicked them out to pasture and moved the milk cows around. Big Daddy was so pleased with all the work we accomplished in such a short time he was feeling great….until ….one of the kids came in and said while they were taking a shower the other night when it was raining…they spotted the ceiling leaking in the bathroom. Like Bobby said, “One step forward, two steps back.”

    I’m not sure how God is going to take care of that one….milk prices are up, but unexpected problems like that aren’t in the budget! But God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He knows our need and I’m sure He’s got a great plan, we just have to follow it.

    In the mean time, those boys cleaned their tractor barn last night…they swept and got rid of a few things…it’s beautiful! I sat down there on the couch last night and it was so peaceful. I was waiting for Sarah to come back with the halter so we could catch Bud and ride. We rode and rode and didn’t get in the house until 9:30 pm!

    Coffee is good this morning…it’s a bit cool and perked coffee is always better on a cool morning. Better get ready for church!

  • JW is off to judging

    Good Morning from the sunny, clear, beautiful Knolltop!

    Early this morning I had to quit milking and take Sarah to the neighbors so she could babysit. Then after chores, I took JW to meet a cohort so they could head up to MSU for their first Dairy Judging workout. JW was lucky enough to make into the top 25 at the state contest so he got an invite to compete for a spot on a 4-H dairy judging team. They will have several workouts at different dairy farms around the state and Ohio and then they will select who goes to what contest. He could go to Harrisburg, PA, Madison, WI or Louisville, KY. I hope he goes to at least one because I know they will need a chaperone……:)

    Right now the kids I have left, Luke and Jake and I are headed out to the barn to move cows around with Big Daddy. Then we’ll continue to haul junk from every corner of the farm and fill the big dumpster we have. Then, hopefully I’ll get a chance to mow!

  • RAIN and cowboys

    It finally rained on the Knolltop last night. As we were settling into our popcorn eating and Agriview reading, we got more lightening and thunder than we’ve had since last summer I think. And then he clouds let loose and we got RAIN! This morning the grass is just a little bit green, I might even have to mow tomorrow! I’m so glad because my pumpkins were looking pretty sorry last night as I checked them. And the corn? Well, those nasty good-for-absolutely-nothing coons have feasted on my sweetcorn instead of my poison and they’ve gotten a lot of it.

    The past couple of weeks our horse, yes we have a horse..his name is “Bud” I know, it’s so original. Well let’s get technical, his registered name is Doc’s King Peppy San, that means so much to all of you, I know, but really, to the Quarter Horse enthusiast that means something…I think. Anyway, Bud has been getting used by my daughter and one of her friends who comes over, almost daily. They saddle him up, ride him down the road and back a few times, take him down the lane to the steer barn and then unsaddle him, wash him off and put him back out to pasture.

    Yesterday the girls were out with there faithful steed, well we really can’t call him a steed, he’s not too spirited. But I like that terminology so I’ll call him a steed. While they were out there I kept hearing this loud “Whoa! Whoa!” Finally I had to get out there and see what was happening, Bud’s not the type to run off or anything, but he must have been doing something to cause such shouting. I looked out and it there was Jake on Bud showing the girls his cowboy expertise. Of course Jake is not like his brother Luke. When Luke rides Bud he has to get the whole cowboy thing going…boots, jeans…the whole thing. And when he was little he had a pair of handmade chaps and several western shirts. You wouldn’t catch Luke out there riding without the full cowboy wardrobe! Jake just throws wardrobe caution to the wind and hops on with his shorts and tennis shoes. I’m so glad the wardrobe police don’t patrol our road!

  • RAIN and cowboys

    It finally rained on the Knolltop last night. As we were settling into our popcorn eating and Agriview reading, we got more lightening and thunder than we’ve had since last summer I think. And then he clouds let loose and we got RAIN! This morning the grass is just a little bit green, I might even have to mow tomorrow! I’m so glad because my pumpkins were looking pretty sorry last night as I checked them. And the corn? Well, those nasty good-for-absolutely-nothing coons have feasted on my sweetcorn instead of my poison and they’ve gotten a lot of it.

    The past couple of weeks our horse, yes we have a horse..his name is “Bud” I know, it’s so original. Well let’s get technical, his registered name is Doc’s King Peppy San, that means so much to all of you, I know, but really, to the Quarter Horse enthusiast that means something…I think. Anyway, Bud has been getting used by my daughter and one of her friends who comes over, almost daily. They saddle him up, ride him down the road and back a few times, take him down the lane to the steer barn and then unsaddle him, wash him off and put him back out to pasture.

    Yesterday the girls were out with there faithful steed, well we really can’t call him a steed, he’s not too spirited. But I like that terminology so I’ll call him a steed. While they were out there I kept hearing this loud “Whoa! Whoa!” Finally I had to get out there and see what was happening, Bud’s not the type to run off or anything, but he must have been doing something to cause such shouting. I looked out and it there was Jake on Bud showing the girls his cowboy expertise. Of course Jake is not like his brother Luke. When Luke rides Bud he has to get the whole cowboy thing going…boots, jeans…the whole thing. And when he was little he had a pair of handmade chaps and several western shirts. You wouldn’t catch Luke out there riding without the full cowboy wardrobe! Jake just throws wardrobe caution to the wind and hops on with his shorts and tennis shoes. I’m so glad the wardrobe police don’t patrol our road!

  • Playing dispatcher again

    Last evening I played dispatcher again, dispatching my kids out to work…I really think I need a pay raise or maybe just a percentage of their pay, afterall, they get paid more than I do! What do you think?

    The boys were called by another neighbor to unload hay…I think…and Sarah was called to babysit for Saturday. This morning Jake is the only one home and to his dismay he had to do dishes all alone. But I’ve heard no complaints from him, yet.

    They say it might rain today…I’m not counting on it, I’m going to go out and roll my windows down in the van to see if I can bring it on.

    Right now, I’d better get writing..so I can get back to cleaning, oh joy.

  • Playing dispatcher again

    Last evening I played dispatcher again, dispatching my kids out to work…I really think I need a pay raise or maybe just a percentage of their pay, afterall, they get paid more than I do! What do you think?

    The boys were called by another neighbor to unload hay…I think…and Sarah was called to babysit for Saturday. This morning Jake is the only one home and to his dismay he had to do dishes all alone. But I’ve heard no complaints from him, yet.

    They say it might rain today…I’m not counting on it, I’m going to go out and roll my windows down in the van to see if I can bring it on.

    Right now, I’d better get writing..so I can get back to cleaning, oh joy.