Update

With multiple jobs and no time to spare, I find myself missing the blog world more and more.  I wish I had the time to comment on all the great blogs I read (in a few spare minutes that I should be doing something else...like cleaning my house).

I thought I would take the time to do a quick update...

Tabby Bar Leo (my favorite horse in the whole world) is sick.  Still running tests, but she has dropped so much weight that I hardly recognize her.  The vet has been out repeatedly.  Obviously we are going to keep working on this until she is feeling better and gains back her weight (this is a must before we get a full blast of winter).

My husband and I are still working off the farm and on the farm.  This is frustrating for me as there is still never enough money to go around.  The kids are back in school...my youngest is in the 2nd grade, my middle child is a senior and my oldest graduated 6 years ago.  I don't understand how so many moms out there can be so happy when their children are gone.  I still miss my son so very much and am already missing my daughter as she is always so busy with work and school.

For the first time we raised some chickens (for meat) and just brought them home from the butcher.  I am looking forward to baking one in the near future.  Now we have three little pigs that we are raising.  This is also a first for me.

Well, it is time to head back out...hope all is well with all of you out there.  Feel free to leave how you are doing in the comment section.

Miss you all!

Manitowoc County Culver's Futurity 2010

This year has been so hectic for us that we did not bring our usual numbers to our county fair.  We did, however, participate in the futurity show.

Our futurity show is for 3 year old cows that have hopefully calved for the second time.  For those of you who have never been involved in a dairy futurity we will be registering our babies, born this year, to show in three years time.  The thing that seemed the most different for me is that all the people leading the cows are dressed in formal wear.  At our farm, we usually sign up as many of our babies as possible, so that when they are 3 we have choices.  You are not required to send every animal that is signed up, however, you can not take a 3 year old that wasn't signed up as a baby and now looks great.

One nice thing is that we sold 2 cows to a young couple that are just starting out.  Since they are just starting out, they would normally not be able to show until they have babies that are registered and have grown for three years.  In this case, both cows we sold them were entered in our county as babies and will be eligible to show for them next year.

My sister-in-law, Brenda, is just starting her third trimester so we were all a little concerned about her leading a cow, but as usual, she did a GREAT job!  Our cow, Cava-Lanes Durham Mary stood third this year in a group of 26.  Below are a couple of pictures from our futurity and county fair.

Brenda leading Cava-Lanes Durham Mary

Luke with Cava-Lanes Durham Marika

Our youngest child with Cava-Lanes Pronto Shantel

Tribute to Kenai

This is a hard one to write…

My tribute to Kenai

Kenai was our beloved King Charles Cavalier. He loved life, chasing Koda and warming my feet. Kenai was my faithful companion and always shared whatever space I was in. My mom always said that he had all knowing “old soul” eyes. Those eyes were always following the action throughout the house as he laid on the couch. Kenai did not think that playing “fetch” was a thing to do…he left that for his friend Koda. Kenai felt his place was on the end of the couch until I came home, when it was time to sit on my feet or lay his head in my lap. My true and faithful friend.

We will (and do) miss him forevermore…

Staying with my youngest when she was sick

Kenai with Koda

Waiting for me to come home

Time Off

I took Saturday off from the farm to clean the house for my daughters' Junior Prom.  She invited her friends over for a dish-to-pass dinner and then they were off to prom.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful children.  My only sorrow is that they grow up so fast.

I will hopefully find time to update everyone on all the changes on the farm, for now...have a great weekend!

Hectic, Hectic, Hectic!

So many changes and so little time.  For the winter we had to drop from milking over 60 cows back to the low 40's as we do not have enough space in the barn for everyone.  This was done by drying a few off and sending them to another facility to winter and selling a few.  Over the winter we had so many calves born that we had them everywhere.  I even put a few upstairs in the hay/straw mow.  We have now moved back all the dry cows and have three bred heifers left to bring back home.

Eric (our milker that took over for me) has decided to move on to a larger farm and we have had to find a replacement.  Our first replacement was just not for us and thankfully Eric gave us enough notice that I had time to try out another person.  Jason is our newest member, and so far a GREAT fit for us.  He has a great attitude and loves the farm!  We wish Eric all the best in his new endeavors.

Our favorite farm dog, Koda, has had some allergy issues and this spring has gotten to the point that I can no longer think that Benedryl is going to help.  I have taken him to the vet for a very expensive allergy test and am waiting for the results on pins an needles.  After his allergies are identified, they (a lab in Colorado) will develop a program of shots especially for him.  I hope this gives him the relief that he needs as this year he is putting holes in his skin.  Until all this is done, we have put him on an anti-biotic and steroids for quick relief.

Hubby is settling into his new position and I am still enjoying my job at the Co-Op.  It gets hectic with the jobs off the farm and then trying to catch up on the farm every chance you get.  The house seems to be the last on the list, oh well as my mother always says...the work will still be there when I get home.

Easter

May you, one and all, have a Blessed Easter!  I will try to come back and catch up soon...

Don't just count your blessings...share them!

Love and Peace to everyone,

Cava-Lanes Holsteins

Rambling, on and on, and on...

There has been so much going on...since my last post "Where's The Beef?".  The steer, Melinko, has gotten out 3 or 4 more times; today being one of those times.  We went to our first sale this season...the River Falls Dairy Club Sale.  Where we sold Diva, a calf by our Debra cow.  Diva found a new home and will be staying in Wisconsin.

We held another Dairy Farm Management Team Meeting and there is so much to do before the next meeting in April.  All this along with the new jobs and cleaning up for spring...whew!  How is your week going?

Where's the beef?

I was sitting at my computer in my living room trying to catch up on reading everyones blogs.  The dogs started barking like someone was in my driveway, so my youngest went to look out the door.  She starts yelling "the beefers are out!"  I look over and yep...both the show heifer and the show steer are looking into our front door windows.

I grab a coat, shoes and bolt outside.  They stand in my front yard just watching me as I run to the barn to grab halters and a bucket of grain.  As I approach them (shaking the bucket of grain), the just watch me and Melinko (the steer) starts to eat my little apple tree.  They let me get all the way up to them, I put some grain on the ground and walk up to Melinko...he takes one look a the halter and walks to the other side of Arianna.  She looks at the halter, puts her tail in the air and runs...oh C#%P!

I decide that if I stay with Melinko maybe Arianna will come back; and she does.  This time she snorts and runs past Melinko, circles back and heads down the driveway to the road.  Melinko takes this as his queue to run with her.

I run for the garage to get the truck; get my phone out and call my father-in-law.  Last time the steers ran on me he was a great help.  No answer there.  I call my Dad; he doesn't know much about large animals, but any help will do right?  Nope, he is out of the area.  The beefers headed west...I only have one neighbor to my west and I just saw them come home.  I call them...their line is busy.

Meanwhile...I get the truck stuck in the driveway AND it will not go into 4-wheel drive.  I jump out of the truck (grabbing the halters again) and run down the driveway hoping they hadn't gone onto the next road.

As I get out of my driveway I notice that they are in my neighbors ditch and turning back towards me.  I called to them and Arianna stareted towards me.

I started backing up, literally walking backwards with Arianna jogging towards me and Melinko following.  As they got to the driveway I walked forward forcing them up the driveway.  I had purposely left the door to the barn open with the thoughts that they might return to their comfort zone.  Which is, luckily for me, exactly what they did.  I followed them into the barn and put them into their stalls.  Believe it or not, they went to their own separate stalls with no help or issues.

I went out to check the fence.  They did not break it...the horses did.

My farrier was out on Monday night and told me that Ellie had a cut on her front left.  No suprise to me, I looked at the fence and it was still up.  Ellie is notorious for going through the electric wire.  Today, however, in the daylight I can see that at the corner by the gate, where the snow is almost over the fence, the top wire is down.  I go over and find that the fence is not only down, but stuck in the snow!  The horses could have walked out at any time over the last 4 days, but just didn't choose to.  They know where the hay is...the beefers, however, thought the grass might be greener on the other side of the fence.

I fixed the fence and all's well that end's well.