Knolltop Farm Wife

It's a very sunny morning here, but looks are deceiving...it's 29 degrees out this morning! I had to dig out my union suit to milk cows! It's almost May for heaven's sake! Al, this global warming is killing me! It was a pretty typical day yesterday of trying to get things done, being interrupted and then not accomplishing what I had planned. After running errands, I was back home and gaining when I heard the front door open, that's always a bad sign when the front door opens. That means whatever it is that I'm working on will be put on hold in order to solve a problem. Yesterday one of those problems was the need for a special socket that I guess he thought was in my tool box. Now tell me, how often do I use sockets in cooking or baking? I don't remember the last time I even used a socket. But those tools have been known to grow legs and walk across the road and into my house. Nope...I had no socket. Sorry As I got back into my work....a call on th...

Good Morning from the sunny Knolltop that was forecast to be rainy. I'm glad for the sun, even though it's cool...I'll be able to mow the rest of the lawn today, it's lookin ' pretty shaggy. Especially compared to Miss Stanna's well manicured lawn. Oh that Miss Stanna ....how does she do it? Yesterday my tractor appeared in it's first ever photo shoot. The kids FFA chapter officers wanted to take pictures in front of an antique tractor and then in a modern tractor for a project they are working on for their officer camp this weekend. They have to make a table display for a contest. Because my tractor hadn't been run since Christmas day, it wasn't feeling up to being started. So, Bobby pulled it out of the barn for me so they could stand around it for the pictures. I had them all stand backwards so we could see the school name on their jackets. But now that I look at the picture...my tractor got lost in all the bodies! Then we went down the Mr. D...

Good Morning from a cool and sunny knolltop. Okay..now is the time for the contest results. It's time to see who wins the 17 pairs of white pants, 23 pairs of mittens and 19 pair of pilot's overalls! Are you ready? Let me say first I had to laugh at the fact that the people who should've known this, those who are steeped in the dairy industry were the furthest away with their guesses. And for Matt Nunes who thought she was a steer....steers haven't been that tall since the mid 80s Matt! In the beef industry today we are back to the belt buckle cattle of the 50s and 60s. Although dairy steers are pretty big these days. And Dallas Burton said the picture was doctored...well....I have no idea if it was or not so we'll have to take Frank as his word since he's never lied before. According to Frank, Jo Dee Jetway Klondike is a little over 71 inches tall at the shoulder. She is owned by the Copini family who had champion Brown Swiss cow at World Dairy Expo in 2...

Good Morning from a breezy, cloudy kind of sunny Knolltop. It's amazing what 24 hours in bed can do for a person. After I got done blogging yesterday morning, whatever Bobby had, hit me like a ton of bricks and laid me flat out in bed! I didn't cook, milk, feed calves, do laundry, nothing. I didn't even answer the phone! All I did was lay in misery in my bed and wait for whatever the bug I had to run it's course. When I got out of bed this morning at 6:30 it was amazing how much better I felt! So I'm back among the living and I know my children are glad to have two functioning parents again. Jake got up to feed the calves for me this morning so I haven't even been outside yet. Those farm kids are great! I can't say enough good about how they just step up to the plate and start swinging! Okay, now I've got a contest for us. Frank Robinson sent me this picture. And now we all have to guess how tall this Brown Swiss heifer is. So, get your guessers tuned up...

Another beautiful day here on the Knolltop! From yesterday's post from Julie, my Chicago suburbanite girlfriend, I can see that you can take a girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl! I thought I was the only girl who loved the smell of diesel smoke, fresh turned dirt and grease! It's wonderful to know that I'm not alone! I was working outside yesterday, burning some brush and the wind was blowing slightly...no, my fire didn't get out of control...I leave that to the neighbors! But the wind was carrying the scent of the fully bloomed Magnolia tree and boy did it smell lovely. I don't think there are any better smells than those flowers and trees that bloom in the springtime. Lilacs, apple blossoms, magnolias, lily of the valley...does it get any better than that? I've got to get a new battery for my mower this morning and try to get a column written before I head outside and mow. I can sense that Miss Stanna is getting r...

Good Morning! It's cloudy here on the Knolltop and we got a slight shower, but it's going to be a very beautiful day! Okay, let me address the comments from yesterday's blog. First of all, thank you, threecollie for your kind words. Tim was very special to all of us, as you would expect, I'm just glad we're past the really raw, difficult stage of grief. Secondly, Pat and Francis....you asked when Tim got his pilot's licence....anyone who knew Tim at all would cringe at the thought of him as a pilot! Can you just see him being arrested by the government for flying his airplane over the White House or in a no fly zone saying, "Since when was this a no fly zone?" He was constantly getting into fender benders with his trucks. He was an accident waiting to happen. The great thing about Tim was he wasn't intimidated by much and was willing to try anything. Taking his courage in hand, he would jump in with both feet and then ask questions later. S...

It's a warm, sunny day today here on the Knolltop. It's been a rough twenty four hours for the birthday boy. Too much cake? Too much excitment? He's getting old? Whatever the reason, Bobby has been flat on his back since yesterday morning, sicker than a dog. Poor guy! I think it's a stomach bug that has just wreaked havac on his whole body. He is now taking on liquids and keeping them down, so that's a good thing. So with the boss down and out, the kids had to step it up....and they did. Working in the barn until 8:30 last night, the boys got in and I told them I didn't know what I'd do without them! And I really don't! Twenty eight years ago today my family buried my brother Tim. He was killed in a car accident at the young age of 19. It was a very difficult time for the whole family, but I write about this not because I want to lament over it...but because I have now learned that time heals all wounds. At that point in our lives, you could...

Things can now get back to normal here on this Monday morning on the Knolltop. It's sunny, a little foggy and promises to be a warm spring day. Yesterday we headed to Toledo only to find out that there was a miscommunication and Luke's team was not playing in the tournament. We were only halfway there, so we turned around and came back. It was too late to attend church so we went to TSC to pick up a couple of things. I saw a shirt there that I've requested from my children as a Mother's Day gift...although I'm not holding my breath! It was a John Deere shirt that said, "Tractor Queen" on the front. Luke was not in favor of spending any money on anything that said John Deere. He's so hard nosed about his tractor colors! I told him that if Farmalls were so great then why don't they have a line of clothing in TSC? He had no reasonable reply...just trash talk! It's a sure sign of baseball season around here when everyone hustles out of th...

Good Sunday morning from the Knolltop! It's kind of sunny and kind of hazy today. Where do I start? The last couple of days getting ready for Bobby's surprise visit from his mom and sister were extremely busy. On Friday I was able to get the house mostly clean and the laundry done....you could even see the laundry room floor! As I hustled around I made the kids do some odd jobs that they don't normally do, I thought for sure Bobby would become suspicious...but he didn't. After JW's game Friday night, they split the double header and he got to pitch and did a great job...we came home and I continued to do laundry and to make sure they took care of their things before they went to bed. On Saturday morning as we rushed out the door to Sarah's volleyball tournament, Bobby's birthday breakfast was uneventful with the kids barely saying happy birthday, no cards were given and I was all about having the kids do their dishes so the kitchen was clean and telling Luke...

Good Morning from the Knolltop . Another beautiful morning and hopefully a beautiful day! The boys are up and gone this morning for their FFA Spring Skills contest. JW is doing environmental skills, whatever that is, and Luke is going to be soil judging, playing in the dirt. I don't even know how to judge soil! Isn't it great that they are learning all this stuff? I just love FFA . JW has a double header tonight, it should be a real test since all the seniors are gone. Sarah has VB practice today and her first tournament is tomorrow! Oops...I just remembered, I forgot to tell Grandma. Sorry about that mom! I have to run to town today to get food for the VB tournament and material for Sarah to make a blanket. I guess the norm is to bring a blanket and everyone sits on their blanket while they wait to play their next game. Sarah's more concerned with getting a tie blanket made than playing the game...typical for a 12 year old girl. I just got word of a new Natio...

It's another nice morning here on the Knolltop. Spring has sprung around here, with the flowers budding and the birds singing...I think spring is really here! I was able to get lots done outside yesterday. My neighbor has an immaculate yard so I have a very high standard to live up to. I very rarely make it, but I know she continues to hold out hope that I will make my yard look as nice as hers so the farmsteads match. You see, this is a two home farm and uniformity would be a great thing, if I could only keep up. The last two evenings there has been a neighbor raking leaves out of Miss Stanna's flower beds. So yesterday I decided I needed to rake and put mulch down to get ready for our company. I picked the windiest day of the year to rake, so I opted not to start a fire. I didn't think the local fire department would appreciate it. Instead I loaded all the leaves in the back of the pickup and dumped them in the field. The only bad part was that most of my leaves ...

Another sunny morning here on the Knolltop! Boy that moon was bright this morning too! JW's team notched up another mark in the W column last night. They beat Pittsford in a very boring game. It was a shut out, no actually they mercied (sp?) them. It was a nice night for a ballgame, but still cold enough to wrap up in a blanket. JW didn't pitch, he'll get plenty of pitching in on Friday when they have a double header and the seniors will be gone on their senior trip. That ought to pose quite a challenge to the underclassmen. I'm headed out to do yard work today. Those southerners are coming and I don't want my farmhouse to look like Christmas. So I guess that means I've got to remove the Christmas tree from the front porch, along with all the other "used to be" greenery. Hey, don't laugh, we just got done with snow last Saturday and I'm still not convinced we're out of the woods yet! I think Bobby is planning on hauling manure toda...

Good Morning from the clear, springlike Knolltop! It's been a busy morning here on the Knolltop and it's not even 10 am yet. When I got up to make the coffee at 3:30 am, a truck and trailer drove in the drive over at the barn. Gene VanRhee was coming by to pick up a couple of heifers on his way home from the New York Spring Show. I decided he must be tired so I let him sleep. We got done milking and while I was making breakfast he finally got up and came in to nourish himself with blueberry pancakes, sausage and some strong coffee. We got the heifers loaded and when we got all the socializing done he went on his way. While we were visiting the cows decided to make a spring jaunt..no, not up to Knolltop Morgans, they just busted into the pasture and were having a great time on the pretty green grass. After rounding them up, I finally got back in and still have dishes to do, a shower to take and a run to the store. JW's game went well last night. He looked like a supe...

It's a clear morning here on the Knolltop...much better than yesterday when we woke up to snow flurries! We had a very busy weekend and I'm glad it's Monday! Saturday morning we took all of our warm blankets and a picnic lunch and headed to a baseball tournament in Grass Lake. It was raining one minute, blowing the next but wrapped under tons of blankets with our winter togs on, we were warm as toast.....when our blankets would stay in place. JW pitched a couple of innings the first game, but they lost. Then JW had the winning RBI so they won the second game. He was pretty happy when he got home. We were happy to be home too....where it was warm! In between games we had a picnic lunch in the van. Gramps and Grandma came down and while Gramps hung out in the van and watched from the parking lot, Grandma braved the weather for her grandson and sat with me the whole time in the bleachers. I don't mean to make Gramps sound like a wimp...in fact....I think he might h...

It's cool and rainy here on the Knolltop...but I'm much better here in my warm house than I was yesterday sitting at the Midwest Spring Classic freezing my tail off! When we left, we had just got done doing chores so we were warm and so we didn't take any heavy clothing. Boy were we sorry. It rained and the wind blew and it was down right cold! Lori and I stayed in the barn where the cattle were tied up as long as we could, they were the only heaters around. But then we had to go sit in the tent where the sale was and even the auctioneer, Merv Leffler had to put his dirty overalls on halfway through the sale because he was so cold. I finally sat in front of the corn stove last night til I warmed up and when I thawed out I was able to be productive. The cattle looked good and the sale went well, although I have no idea what the average was...I could barely write down the prices with my frozen fingers. Lori ended up selling a fresh cow and then bought a March calf. She ...

Another pretty morning here on the Knolltop as the sun comes up on a partly cloudy sky. We are headed to a sale today in Fremont Indiana. The Mid-West Spring Classic to be exact. It's being hosted by Mark Sellers, the president of the Indiana Holstein Association. Lori at Knolltop Morgans has a heifer in the sale well, actually it's her daughter's heifer. We will go and see how well she sells and Lori might even come home with something for her daughter. Jake has been on the couch all week with an ear infection and today he finally went to school. He actually wanted to go. Last Saturday night he came to me complaining of an ear ache and said there was all this water coming out! So we went to Urgent Care and got him all fixed up. I haven't had a sick kid....sick enough for a doctor's visit in a couple of years. I will count my blessings! And we can chalk it up to living in a drafty old farmhouse...a runny nose is the sign of good health...at least that'...

It's a windy, warm morning here on the Knolltop. I couldn't believe it when I got up to make the coffee and it was 60 out! I love not having to wear all those clothes out to milk! Last night JW's team won again. This time they knocked off Waldron 6-4. We got the cows milked and got there during the third inning. Yes, it was a slow game. I had forgotten how cool you can get on these spring evenings at the ball park. By the time I got home I was just freezing! JW played a little outfield and then played third base for a while. I can't tell you how he did batting...I know, I know, what kind of mother am I? Since when is it illegal to have a truck without a tailgate? The other night while I was driving home from Ohio a police car came up behind me and I figured since I wasn't speeding he was after someone else. So I kept on chatting on my cell phone with Frank Robinson, who I called on mistake by pushing the wrong name in my phonebook....and I just ignored th...

Go Kansas! No, here on the Knolltop, we were not cheering for Kansas, we wanted Memphis simply because they beat MSU. But I guess since the newly crowned NCAA men's basketball champions Kansas Jayhawks are from a farming state, we'll celebrate with them....just a little. Plus I have a couple of commrades from Kansas who I'm sure are whooping it up this morning and we'll just let them have their moment. But my biggest question is what in heaven's name is a Jayhawk? Must be one of those native Kansas birds that no one else has. We are celebrating another victory, JW's team beat Camden last night 11-0. JW had a couple of hits but one bummer was his buddy, Matt Mann, the guy who plays the violin, remember him? He struck JW out... twice. JW wasn't too happy about that. Tonight JW plays at home against Waldron and I will get to go to that. Then Luke has practice. The weather has finally decided to straighten up and be springlike here on the Knolltop. Yesterday I ...

It's a sunny morning here on the Knolltop and just the right kind of day for the opening day of JW's baseball season. This afternoon they have their first game in Camden. I'm so excited for JW. I told Bobby I would stay home and milk and he could go to the game....he loves baseball! Well, the cows came home and just in time I might add. They strolled in from their neighborhood jaunt just in time to be fed and milked and then the boss walked in the barn just as we hooked up the last cow. Other than fresh sod between their toes from hanging out over the fence where the grass is always greener....there were no other signs of their escape. Those naughty cows. :) I have to tell you, I had a great time in Stryker, Ohio speaking at their annual FFA awards banquet over the weekend. (Although the ride home was an adventure...which I'll share later) Their FFA advisor, Duane Knisely invited me down for their celebration and boy was it fun. Duane has a great group of kids t...

Good Morning from a very sunny day here at the Knolltop . Before anyone asks...no, I didn't have donuts for breakfast...although I would like one right now with my coffee. I actually had something good for my body, yogurt and raisin bran! Things are going well this morning on the Knolltop without the head honcho. No broken water bowls, the gutter cleaner continues to run trouble free, the tractor starts, the cows are still milking...well, except for those ones I just didn't get to ...I was tired of milking so I just hung up the milkers and turned them out. Sometimes you just have to take a break. I mean, really, work...work...work....it's just never ending. And yesterday I got so tired of fixing fence and I was really hungry...so I just dropped the wire and came in for a snack. I hope the heifers aren't tempted by the opening. They have plenty of feed so it's not like they need to get out to eat. I say, if they get out then it's all their fault! Why d...

Well, it's a cloudy afternoon here on the Knolltop and I've got a really good reason for not posting this morning. Our fearless leader went on a vacation. He's out visiting some friends of ours and so now I've got his responsiblities too. But let me say this: I could not take care of this farm without the help of my four wonderful children! I've said it before and I'll say it again....farm kids are special. While they are not perfect in the least and I have complained about them slacking off in the past, I have to say when they are needed to step up to the plate and make a hit, they usually hit a homerun! They have been great at pitching in and helping out to take up the slack and now I'm realizing they are capable of much more than I've given them credit. Tomorrow night will be a test. I will be speaking in Ohio at an FFA event and JW will be in charge. He can do it...as long as he keeps his mind in check. It's when he starts to daydream a...

I forgot to put this picture that I received yesterday from Frank Robinson..the Bovine Beautician. He's been up in Canadian country the last week and from the looks of it..they still have piles and piles of snow! Snow in April is a really, really, really bad joke!

It's another sunny morning here on the Knolltop. When we were finishing up chores this morning I said, "Boy, I sure could use a donut from Mr. Kaiser this morning." And when I walked across the road to fix breakfast...guess who I spotted walking into my house with a big white box? Yes, it was the donut man....Mr. Kaiser! So I made some coffee and I bellied up to the donuts and had my fill of sugar! I love donuts and coffee. I should've been a cop! I've got plenty to do today. It's a nice day out and I've got to write today and do an interview that I didn't get to yesterday. Grandma is going to bring Jake home today and we will do lunch while she's here. I'd better get to the barn!

It's a beautiful morning here on the Knolltop . The sun is coming up over the horizon and there is nothing but blue sky here. It's a crisp morning, but it will warm up today and be a nice spring day. Yesterday I traded one kid for another. I gave Jake to Grandma and got JW back. So now I still only have three kids and no matter which one you take out of the mix, it's always quieter and somehow it's just not right. I also had a meeting yesterday. It was my first meeting as a board member of the Michigan Holstein Association. And I'm sure after yesterday's meeting, they are wondering why they ever asked me to run for this position! I talked way too much and even got into an argument . But I promised the board I wouldn't tell anyone what happened in that conference room. You know, it's the "Vegas Promise." Don't worry, when we left we were all friends. I've got some writing that needs to get done today. And I've got to inte...

Spring has finally sprung here on the Knolltop! It was a balmy 55 this morning when we went across the road to milk. It felt like spring and it even smelled like spring! I love it....even though it's going to get colder today..I'll take it! The grass is even beginning to get green and my daffodils and crocus are coming up! And I can't forget those wonderful birds that tell us that Spring is finally here! This June some of my children and I are headed to the National Holstein Convention at the Wisconsin Dells. I was looking forward to it before, but now I'm really looking forward to it because one of my bestest friends in the cow world is going to be there! Mandy Nunes(left with her family) emailed me yesterday and told me she and the girls were going to be at the convention and were wondering if we were coming. Well, imagine the excitment as both of us realized we were going to be in the same city for a few days and the catching up we were going to be able to do! Ma...