Farm Hand of the Year Award

Sheeesh!!  I'm so far behind.  I've got so much to tell you to get you caught up!  So much for the simple farm life...it's simple but it's so....daily and time consuming.

Cows are food, not friends {frown}

Well...where to start....I had to jab 2 giant pills down the throat of a calf while his mom ogled me suspiciously and threatened me with her heavy breathing and hoof stomps.  That was a first for me.  Cowboy  pinned the little guy between 2 gate panels and held his head firmly while I used some freaky contraption called a balling gun to shoot pills the size of magic markers down the calf's throat.  I amazed even myself.

balling gun in my hand for
perspective

balling gun

How much I've learned this past year!!!  

This year's "Farm Hand of the Year Award" goes to ~~~rrrriiiipppp~~~ The Farmer's Daughter!!!!!

Thank you, I'm sooooo honored!

anyway...back to reality.....

We finally got some rain...an inch and 4 tenths!!!....early Sunday morning.  The wind was blowing so hard that it woke me up....the dust was hitting the house with such force!  I was confused in my half-awake state...."Is this the desert?  Am I some sort of Bedouin nomad?"  The lightning was a constant strobe light.  

Then.....no electricity!!! ...... for 18 hours....eighteen....eight more than ten... hours!!  Actually, it was fun (for me)....when evening came and the light became mellow and dim, I lit the oil lamp like Ma Ingalls would have...and I worked on the sweater I'm knitting (that's another story)....till REMC came out and ruined it....no, I mean, fixed the problem .. jettisoning me forward to 2012...air conditioning, refrigeration, electric lights.  

While out of power, we drove around inspecting fences and looking for storm damage.  Well, Cowboy looked.  All I did was daydream.  I can be forced to be all practical...but only for a while.  This farm situated in the River Valley is cut by some very deep ravines.  The trails connecting the fields were blazed right along the ravines at the edge of the hay fields (Cowboy will skin you alive if you drive through the hay fields...STAY ON THE TRAIL!)  We traveled the trails; Cowboy scanning the fields for downed trees and other damage...me?  I was caught up in sight, sound and smell.....

The wooded ravines are fringed with sprays of these wild
sunflowers

From the dank crevices a musty aroma arises from the basement
of history.  A few feet farther and the aroma changes to the sweetest
floral fragrance...I've yet to find the source....weird!

After our reconnaissance mission, Cowboy went to work on the skidsteer while the dogs and I went for a leisurely cruise on the red gator.

The lower west pasture

The lower west pasture above the creek

One of my favorite spots is this entrance to the lower west pasture....it overlooks the alfalfa field where I first drove the tractor.










The trail runs between the alfalfa field and the pasture along the creek.  It leads out to the abandoned road. A wonderful concept for someone with a highly productive imagination (me!)

The abandoned road

The woods' reflection in the still water of the pond

Doesn't it look like early fall in this picture?

The amazingly beautiful woods

A lovely view of the upper part of a ravine

Looking down into a ravine (this is the stream where
 I panned for gold this spring.....back when there was water!)
http://hoosierfarmersdaughter.blogspot.com/2012/01/gold-hey-it-could-happen.html

This is what I get to look at every day.... oh, the torture!





Talk about down to earth!!































I've gotta go feed the cattle now....then I've gotta feed the Cowboy....I've got more news to share.  I'll catch ya later.

~FD