Baby It's cold outside...

I know many of you live where it is cold and snowy often but here in Oklahoma snow is not something we are used to dealing with much less ice. If fact we have just about forgotten how to deal with any type of moisture! (We are in year 4 of an exceptional drought--the driest category for a drought.)

The herd is a little weary too! They got up on February 2 and did NOT see their shadow so they think winter should be over with as in at least 40 or 50 degrees.  It is time to have the onions in the ground and the soil should be ready to plant potatoes for Pete's sake! 

Winters are usually pretty good in a cow's life. Acre after acre of lush green wheat to munch on and then the farmer brings yummy snacks of cowcake and of course our much needed  daily fiber of hay.  Not to mention it is so cold no pesky flys to swoosh away.

And hey, how about those warming kisses from the heifers? (single female bovine) Now doesn't that just melt your heart and the snow!?!

Of course their is always one in every herd crying out, "Mom, I want to go in the barn where it is warm!"  #Annoying #calflike  Time to grow-up you steer! (No longer an in-tack male bovine)

But alas there is always the hope and the promise of spring--hopefully right around the corner or the section line or the pasture.

Thanks for stopping by today and here's hoping God's son and his Country sunshine will 

be shining on you soon!

Planting Onions!

I know it has been far to long and I am truly sorry. My only excuse is I have had a Senior in high school, and three other Senior citizens who have been keeping busy.  I know I should still have found time for you but all I can say is...PLEASE Forgive me!

Any good farm has to have a garden. Well it is planting time here in our errant climate. Even with our exceptional drought we still plant and hope and pray there will be enough moisture to keep it alive, growing and producing. 

An expert or at least very experienced gardener starts with a straight line! We (actually my father-in-law) is a rustic farmer and you use whatever is laying around. In this case the board laying there sunbathing is the perfect width for distance between onion rows. The post and blue string make the row straight. There is another post at the other end of the row and pulled tight. 

This is a baby onion. These come in a bunch of usually a hundred. They are usually a little dirty and wilted when you buy them so soak them in a little water.

Each onion gets its own little hole for a home! The hole are dug quite nicely by your fingers. 






Then you cover it up and tuck it in for the growing season!

You plant your row of seasoning giants along side your row marker--the blue string. The blue string by the way is left over from baling hay.  Recycling was invented by farm people.  Nothing is ever wasted! 


              

                                                                                                                               



Onions are a bulb type plant and the fruit grows underground so you want to stagger the planting so the onion can expand and make a nice size bulb.  You can see they make kind of a zigzag pattern.

And when they are all in the ground, they need water and sunshine and a little night time rest to grow. Sounds like taking care of our children.

Wow look how quick that onion grew!!! Just kidding, that is a turnip left over from the fall garden. 







Spring is coming! These ducks are slowly flying back north to their summer home. Thanks for taking me back after my long heinous from reporting. Wishing you large doses of spring sunshine! 

Baby Calves

 

 the "Three Musketeers"

Think you could find this guy in a crowd?

Love those eyes!

Baby Calves are soooo many things!  They bring to the farm what children bring to a home! I love watching them discover the world running on the green carpet of winter wheat. They always seem to remind me of the promise of spring or a renewing of life.

 ( I know sounds sappy--lol@ms)

They  are funny, cautious, full of energy,  always wanting to run, play, eat, and want their Mama.  We have taken calves that weigh in the neighborhood of 400 pounds or more and they will bellar (slang for a loud mooing calf) and cry for their Mama all night long. 

To give you and idea of how large that is, a newborn calf will weigh roughly 75 pounds. They get up and are able to walk within a few minutes.

Mother and child so precious, but soon the Teenage years.

As soon as they stand up, you can guess what they want next--Mama's Milk! They must have their Mama's colostrom for survival.  And Mama cows are ready for them to eat or suck to relieve their pressure!

He is saying
"What chew be looking at?"

Instead of a milk mustache he is going for a milk gotee!

They eat pretty much as often and as much as they want.  Mama has to eat enough wheat, hay, cake, and minerals to keep both her and the calf going. Plus she has to keep up with the active little booger.  AND, AND she has no daycare, no mother's day out, and she would never ever leave her baby with mean ole' onery Bull-daddy!!!

"You kids get back over here"

And then before you know it, they are leaving home! (teenagers!) 


Actually in about 6 months they are weaned from Mom and forced to eat green lush wheat, yummy praire grass, cow cake, molasses, and other delcious cattle delecacies! (again just like their human counter parts--you know Tacos, burgers, and cokes) 

Here's hoping you get to lay down and rest in some green place today too!