There, I got that covered. Suzanna and I spent three days a MSU and the weather was just plain GROSS. We arrived Wednesday afternoon and it was at least 90 degrees out with 100 percent humidity. Of course, I had to park the car about a half mile from the dorm.
Suzanna took a dairy judging seminar and her classroom was air conditioned, so she got a little relief there. I took one about making ice cream. It was so hot the ice cream wouldn't freeze. The class host said it took double the ice from the previous year.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the evening entertainment. To begin with, the Wharton Center was air conditioned, and we were able to sit in cool comfort and listen to a group called "Fiddlers Unstrung". They were outstanding! It is a group of 17 high school students from Saline, MI and boy could they play.
Thursday was spent in seminars. We managed to visit the museum and tour a little bit of campus. I could show Suzanna my dorms from when I lived on campus. Thursday evening was the State Awards Assembly. We went to cheer on the four nominees from Hillsdale County. I am happy to report that we had the State Dairy winner. Congrats to Matt!
A check-in with daddy on the way back to the dorm provided the exciting news that Penny had calved sometime that afternoon and it was a heifer. Suzanna had already picked out a name, so the heifer will be known as Paige.
Friday was one more opportinity to attend our seminars. Suzanna's second session was on Historic Michigan barns. She now rides in the car, identifying was style of barn we are driving by and its condition. I took a class on Sheep Showmanship in an effort to help Kathryn out. I learned a lot and hopefully will remember it long enough to teach her a thing or two.
Needless to say, with a new heifer at home, Suzanna was ready to get home. We had to stop at the barn first on the way up the drive and meet the new heifer. What a cutie! We took Penny to her new home at a local dairy farm in the afternoon.
Kathryn impatiently waited until 6:30 when we finally went over a picked up Lydia, her new lamb. Believe me, the whole family spent a nervous night, praying that all was safe in the "beefed up" security of the sheep pen. Kathryn went out a couple times in the night, as did daddy and momma and Thomas. All was well at each check and we have been able to relax a little. Kathryn has spent time in the pen and the lamb is beginning to get used to her and the treats she has too.
Just a quite weekend at the zoo. This week we push on. With the nicer temperatures, the heifers are getting worked. Dairy Days is just a few short weeks away.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Dorm room......22 years ago
That would be the last time I slept in a dorm room. I am about to change that though. Suzanna and I are on our way to Michigan State for 4-H Exploration Days. She and I are roomies for the next three days. She is excited about this new experience. She has the chance to take to "classes" and spend time with fellow 4-Her's from around the state. I am the chaperon!
I will report on our adventures when we get back.
I will report on our adventures when we get back.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Property values.....
An acre of land around our area sells for more than $3,000. A farmer can get $60 or more cash rent on an acre of land. But I know an acre of land that is special and worth nothing to the "world" because it isn't earning any money.
Suzanna began playing softball in the Christian Softball Fellowship league when she turned 5. It was organized by a family about 10 years before she started playing so that kids could have a place to play ball that was just for fun. Great fellowship, recreation and with other believers. Thomas and Kathryn were thrilled when they reached 5 and could join up. Last year, the family that had originally organized it handed the reins over to myself and a friend. Our kids were devastated at the thought that there would be no ball, so we are continuing a tradition that has been going on for at least 20 years.
The games are played on a field in the country. The man who owned it passed away this past week. A friend went to the visitation yesterday, and was told by a family member that he believed that acre of land was the most valuable of any he owned. Wow! He recognized that the families that spent 6 Monday nights each year there were more important than the all money that spot of land could have earned him in the last 20 years. Amazing, huh?
So how do we value what we have? Do we consider the moments we take with our kids to be a burden? Taking us away from some important task? Or can we slow down and realize that sometimes the most valuable things in our lives earn us no money, no fame and no reward? Mr. P had it figured out and today he is in Heaven with his Lord.
Oh, and his family wants the games to continue, right there in that yard. So those Monday night games will go on.
Suzanna began playing softball in the Christian Softball Fellowship league when she turned 5. It was organized by a family about 10 years before she started playing so that kids could have a place to play ball that was just for fun. Great fellowship, recreation and with other believers. Thomas and Kathryn were thrilled when they reached 5 and could join up. Last year, the family that had originally organized it handed the reins over to myself and a friend. Our kids were devastated at the thought that there would be no ball, so we are continuing a tradition that has been going on for at least 20 years.
The games are played on a field in the country. The man who owned it passed away this past week. A friend went to the visitation yesterday, and was told by a family member that he believed that acre of land was the most valuable of any he owned. Wow! He recognized that the families that spent 6 Monday nights each year there were more important than the all money that spot of land could have earned him in the last 20 years. Amazing, huh?
So how do we value what we have? Do we consider the moments we take with our kids to be a burden? Taking us away from some important task? Or can we slow down and realize that sometimes the most valuable things in our lives earn us no money, no fame and no reward? Mr. P had it figured out and today he is in Heaven with his Lord.
Oh, and his family wants the games to continue, right there in that yard. So those Monday night games will go on.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Finding God in the darkness
It was a very dark weekend at the zoo.
Kathryn has been impatiently waiting for us to get everything ready for her sheep project. She had expressed an interest in raising sheep, but not the "kind they eat". So after a conversation with a fellow fair board member, we decided on Shetland sheep. They are a small, easy to raise wool breed and would be a great introduction to the world of shepherding.
We took possession of three freshly weaned lambs on Friday night. By Saturday morning it was all over already. Two neighborhood dogs got in with them in the night and all three died as a result. In addition, they also seriously harmed the kids market bunnies and the momma bunny too. Darkness was at the zoo.
As my hubby and I dealt with the vet, sheriff's department and comforting our children, I truly felt God in the midst of it all. In the heat of the moment with adrenalin pumping, it wasn't so easy, but as I began to reflect on the morning, it was obvious.
First, those dogs were still in the sheep pasture as Kathryn discovered that the lambs were hurt. She NEVER went inside....what the dogs might have done to her?? who knows, but she was protected. When I contacted 911, I was told that it could be awhile, since there were only two deputies patrolling the county and the State police were on duty at the racetrack. Yet, the sheriff's deputy pulled into our driveway within 15 minutes of my call. A call to the vet emergency line yielded a callback with about 5 minutes. He had just finished a call and would come to us next. He was there within minutes and was so kind to Kathryn as he explained to her the sad news that the third lamb would not live.
The biggest lesson I learned was how deep Kathryn's faith is at 10 years old. We sat together in the pasture for awhile after it was all over, the tears were flowing from both of us. And she asked the question that I had been asking, "why did God let this happen?" Obviously I didn't know the answer, but told her that despite the sadness we were feeling, God was still there, giving us comfort. I let her know that God allows things to happen, KNOWING that we grow closer to Him, and trust Him even more. She looked up and said "kinda like Job, that book is full of troubles, but he still trusted God." Wow, what more could I say?? She was already learning and growing, even through the tears she was shedding.
Shortly after we were married, our Pastor encouraged each family in the church to choose a verse and claim it for the year. That year, Mike and I chose Hebrews 13:5, which says "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He had said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." How many times have I gone back to that verse in years since choosing it. And yet again on Saturday and the days since, I have remembered it again and again.
Kathryn has been impatiently waiting for us to get everything ready for her sheep project. She had expressed an interest in raising sheep, but not the "kind they eat". So after a conversation with a fellow fair board member, we decided on Shetland sheep. They are a small, easy to raise wool breed and would be a great introduction to the world of shepherding.
We took possession of three freshly weaned lambs on Friday night. By Saturday morning it was all over already. Two neighborhood dogs got in with them in the night and all three died as a result. In addition, they also seriously harmed the kids market bunnies and the momma bunny too. Darkness was at the zoo.
As my hubby and I dealt with the vet, sheriff's department and comforting our children, I truly felt God in the midst of it all. In the heat of the moment with adrenalin pumping, it wasn't so easy, but as I began to reflect on the morning, it was obvious.
First, those dogs were still in the sheep pasture as Kathryn discovered that the lambs were hurt. She NEVER went inside....what the dogs might have done to her?? who knows, but she was protected. When I contacted 911, I was told that it could be awhile, since there were only two deputies patrolling the county and the State police were on duty at the racetrack. Yet, the sheriff's deputy pulled into our driveway within 15 minutes of my call. A call to the vet emergency line yielded a callback with about 5 minutes. He had just finished a call and would come to us next. He was there within minutes and was so kind to Kathryn as he explained to her the sad news that the third lamb would not live.
The biggest lesson I learned was how deep Kathryn's faith is at 10 years old. We sat together in the pasture for awhile after it was all over, the tears were flowing from both of us. And she asked the question that I had been asking, "why did God let this happen?" Obviously I didn't know the answer, but told her that despite the sadness we were feeling, God was still there, giving us comfort. I let her know that God allows things to happen, KNOWING that we grow closer to Him, and trust Him even more. She looked up and said "kinda like Job, that book is full of troubles, but he still trusted God." Wow, what more could I say?? She was already learning and growing, even through the tears she was shedding.
Shortly after we were married, our Pastor encouraged each family in the church to choose a verse and claim it for the year. That year, Mike and I chose Hebrews 13:5, which says "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He had said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." How many times have I gone back to that verse in years since choosing it. And yet again on Saturday and the days since, I have remembered it again and again.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
End of an era....
Yesterday was not one of the best at Knolltop Morgans. Our "senior" broodmare Breezy has had a tough spring in terms of getting on cycle and getting bred. We have taken her down to the stallion twice, the second time she stayed for two cycles, in an effort to get one more foal. She is 23, which is old, but not ancient. It is not unusual to have a foal at that age, but for Breezy, it is the end.
The magic 18 day mark was yesterday, and the vet was out to check her. Unlike the check on trainer Mike's mare last week, there was no fist pump.....just a lot of silence, as he looked and looked and looked with no success. I was in tears with his announcement and he left the barn with very few words. He wanted her to be pregnant almost as much as I did, but it was not to be.
I knew the day was coming, and I am grateful for the beautiful foals we have gotten from her, but it is still sad to think there will be no more "Breezy Babies".
The magic 18 day mark was yesterday, and the vet was out to check her. Unlike the check on trainer Mike's mare last week, there was no fist pump.....just a lot of silence, as he looked and looked and looked with no success. I was in tears with his announcement and he left the barn with very few words. He wanted her to be pregnant almost as much as I did, but it was not to be.
I knew the day was coming, and I am grateful for the beautiful foals we have gotten from her, but it is still sad to think there will be no more "Breezy Babies".
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
A simple 18 day pregnacy check
That's what I thought I was having the vet out for. Trainer Mike's mare has been here for the last two months. He sent her to me to utilize my vet to get her bred. At 18 days, an ultrasound can be done to check for a pregnancy. I scheduled to have him out, and his plan was to get here sometime this afternoon. That plan got pushed back a couple times and he finally arrived at about 9pm. In the end, it was a good thing he was that late. His simple ultrasound stop changed before he ever got to our place.
First, hubby called me on the 2-way radio to say I needed to give Penny's eye a check when I was outside. A quick check revealed potential pinkeye. Then Suzanna's newest heifer, Rhianna, was limping across the pasture. Observation there was that she had cut the back of her foot right at the hoof line. Two more things for Dr. C to look at when he got here.
We started with Libby and as I held her for the check, Dr. C did a fist pump into the air. An 18 day pregnancy on the right horn of her uterus. He predicts a filly. We will know in 11 months.
Next up, Fancy. This is the heifer who doesn't want to be caught. After several attempts to trap her in a corner and get a rope around her neck, we finally used Sami as bait to get Penny across the driveway and into the barn where we got her caught. Confirmation was made that it was pinkeye and it was treated.
On to Rhianna, who dinged her foot in a bad spot. He said it would be hard to get to heal up nicely, because of its location. It was going to keep getting dirt in it and might not look very nice when it came time to show her. So we rinsed it out really good and between daddy, the vet and Suzanna, got it wrapped with some vetwrap to keep the dirt out of it. She will get penicillin for four more days and we will be changing her bandage for a few days until the cut heals up.
Mission accomplished all around. As the vet backed his truck out of the yard, one brake was sticking and as he pulled forward and backed up a second time, his brake pad fell out from under his truck and it was leaking fluid. He got some brake fluid from my husband and headed down the road, planning his route with the fewest stops possible. And that is how a simple 18 day pregnancy check went.
First, hubby called me on the 2-way radio to say I needed to give Penny's eye a check when I was outside. A quick check revealed potential pinkeye. Then Suzanna's newest heifer, Rhianna, was limping across the pasture. Observation there was that she had cut the back of her foot right at the hoof line. Two more things for Dr. C to look at when he got here.
We started with Libby and as I held her for the check, Dr. C did a fist pump into the air. An 18 day pregnancy on the right horn of her uterus. He predicts a filly. We will know in 11 months.
Next up, Fancy. This is the heifer who doesn't want to be caught. After several attempts to trap her in a corner and get a rope around her neck, we finally used Sami as bait to get Penny across the driveway and into the barn where we got her caught. Confirmation was made that it was pinkeye and it was treated.
On to Rhianna, who dinged her foot in a bad spot. He said it would be hard to get to heal up nicely, because of its location. It was going to keep getting dirt in it and might not look very nice when it came time to show her. So we rinsed it out really good and between daddy, the vet and Suzanna, got it wrapped with some vetwrap to keep the dirt out of it. She will get penicillin for four more days and we will be changing her bandage for a few days until the cut heals up.
Mission accomplished all around. As the vet backed his truck out of the yard, one brake was sticking and as he pulled forward and backed up a second time, his brake pad fell out from under his truck and it was leaking fluid. He got some brake fluid from my husband and headed down the road, planning his route with the fewest stops possible. And that is how a simple 18 day pregnancy check went.
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