Get Along Little Doggies

I didn't get to spend as much time back home as I had wanted after my Grandma passed away.  It just didn't seem right that I had to rush out and then rush back home.  So the kids and I headed back out 36 hours later to spend a few days just being in the sunshine and fresh air.

Wyatt and Grandpa on a bike ride

When you live in a very small town, one of the big pleasures as a kid is to ride your bike pretty much wherever you please.  I took Wyatt's bike with us so he could experience the same.  He doesn't ride it as much as I would like at home and I think its just not as fun when you have to constantly be watching for cars and you can't just take off and ride without Mom two feet from you to keep you safe.  Plus, they just don't build sidewalks anymore like we have a Grandma's!  He had a blast!  Grandpa got on his bike too and off they went.  My small hometown has a wonderful museum with fantastic sidewalks that are pretty deserted in the evening and they rode circles and chased each other all over that city block.  I so wish he could do that every day!  There is a huge main street that runs through town and is one of the "funny" things about Logan if you ever visit.  Yep, we park in the middle of the street!  So cars create a median of sorts down the middle of town and then park on either side too.  This makes for a big ol place to ride your bike.  You just have to watch for the occasional car, golf cart (that's you Miss Barb!) or tractor or other implement and you are good to go! 

Lorelai taking her baby for a walk in the yard

I was so excited to find out that we were to be working cattle while I was there.  Most might think I am crazy, but this is absolutely one of my most favorite things to do!  First thing we got them all moved to the pens which actually went relatively smooth.  If any of you have moved cows, there is always a renegade in the group that does not want to go with the others!  We got lucky and had them all where they should be in an hour on the first day and much of the same on the second.

Good looking mama cow

My Dad and Uncle Marc waiting for a mama cow to find her calf in the bunch

We worked around 90 head of mama cows and their calves over the two days.  Vaccinating, ear tagging and notching, banding the boys and treating for flies.  Then sorting them all to their new pastures.  I had planned to leave the kids with my Mom while I helped but she ended up with the flu so they came along.  I'm sure I am not the only mom that has sorted cattle with a 30+ pound kiddo on her hip!  Lorelai was NOT happy with the loud mama cows the first day.  As you will hear in the video, if you separate a mama cow from her calf, just like us humans, they start bawling and bawling and bawling until reunited.  Then put 60 head of them doing this all at once and it can get pretty loud.  Wyatt's job the first day was to run the boy calves from the chute to the pen where their mama's waited.  The second day he ran them up the alley to the holding pen after they were ear tagged.  He did this job with gusto.  Then he would sit in the weeds and wait for the next one to be ready.  Those calves played a game with him and would run up into the holding pen, wait for him to sit down and not pay attention and then creep back out into the alleyway.  He wouldn't notice them until they were standing right next to him and he would hop up and back they would go.  It was pretty funny!  The little man sure saved us old folks from having to walk that alleyway over and over.  He even got to spend some time doing it with his cousin.  Two peas in a pod!

Ooops!  Sleeping on the job and the calves are out!

Lorelai's favorite spot.  Outside the pens and safe in the Ranger!

Grandma's feeling better!

Because my Mom was sick, we just hung out at the farm most of the two days.  I took the kids into town for story hour at the library and we just wandered about in the fresh farm air.  I spent some time looking over all the photos my Grandma had hung on her wall above the fireplace over the years.  Lots of love in that family of hers.  There was also the book she had made for us kids when we were little.  She took a photo album, the kind with the pages that peeled back and you would put pictures underneath and smooth the page back down, and filled it with pictures she cut out from magazines of animals and things she thought we would like.  Some times its the things that you can't buy that bring you the most joy.  I imagined her flipping through her farm magazines and thinking us kids would like to look at the picture of that cow or duck or kitten. Forever. And she took the time to make that book.

The last night I promised the kids I would take them to see some kittens.  Wyatt loves cats and since his Dad is allergic, I try and take every opportunity I can to let him play with them.  A friend of mine had kittens they were taking to the 4-H fair soon so we went to their farm and the kids got to play with them. It was pretty special and I was so thankful Janet and her family took time out of their busy evening to let us see them.

It's a pretty busy time on the farm right now.  Grandpa is busy finishing planting milo and then it is time to harvest wheat.  Not to mention more cows to work, grass to mow, and other things they are all trying to catch up on.  I would love to be there to finish those cows and I have always loved harvest time.  If you have never had the chance to experience wheat harvest, look up a farmer and ask for a combine ride.  There is something about being a part of harvesting the grain that becomes the bread on your table that you just don't forget.