Knolltop Farm Wife

Well, yesterday I whinned about all our troubles...and today I'm feeling so free! Why is it that cleaning something that has needed attention for a long time feels so good? My back room is where we come in from the barn and take our barn clothes off. Needless to say, it can get pretty raunchy out there at times. It's also my "collect-all" place, if I don't know what to do with a shoebox, but I don't want to throw it away because it will make a great cupcake transporter or a display box for a tractor collection at the fair or a barn for an indoor farm set up...I just put it in the back room. Well, you can imagine how that can get from time to time. But today it is beautiful! My garage was also a great place to put unwanted things....now that is clean! I can actually put my van in there! I'm feeling so free, I will now go to my closet and get a little freer feeling today! Then when guests come and Jake gets the impulse to show them every dirty nook ...

It's supposed to be more like summer these next few days. So all the sweaty work needs to be done early in the morning...which is what I have planned today. We will continue to haul junk...the boys will again miss out since they're on their way to the neighbors to work in the hay. I know how disppointed they'll be so I'll save the heavy stuff for them...I'd hate for them to feel left out. In two days I will have a teenage driver in my house. JW will get his license and I don't know how to react. He has to buy his own gas so that will keep him from wandering off too far. He hates to spend his own money. Okay...when it rains it pours. Keep in mind, I only tell you this because I know that if you think you have it bad, all you have to do is look around and know there is always someone worse off than you. I told you yesterday that the ceiling was leaking in the bathroom...conveinently over the tub...how cleaver...yesterday I went out in the back room and fo...

It's another sunny Sunday here on the Knolltop. Yesterday we junked a lot of stuff and got a lot of work done. We cleaned out some areas in the barn then we moved some cows around. We've got a lot of dry cows right now, so we kicked them out to pasture and moved the milk cows around. Big Daddy was so pleased with all the work we accomplished in such a short time he was feeling great....until ....one of the kids came in and said while they were taking a shower the other night when it was raining...they spotted the ceiling leaking in the bathroom. Like Bobby said, "One step forward, two steps back." I'm not sure how God is going to take care of that one....milk prices are up, but unexpected problems like that aren't in the budget! But God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He knows our need and I'm sure He's got a great plan, we just have to follow it. In the mean time, those boys cleaned their tractor barn last night...they swept and got rid o...

Good Morning from the sunny, clear, beautiful Knolltop! Early this morning I had to quit milking and take Sarah to the neighbors so she could babysit. Then after chores, I took JW to meet a cohort so they could head up to MSU for their first Dairy Judging workout. JW was lucky enough to make into the top 25 at the state contest so he got an invite to compete for a spot on a 4-H dairy judging team. They will have several workouts at different dairy farms around the state and Ohio and then they will select who goes to what contest. He could go to Harrisburg, PA, Madison, WI or Louisville, KY. I hope he goes to at least one because I know they will need a chaperone......:) Right now the kids I have left, Luke and Jake and I are headed out to the barn to move cows around with Big Daddy. Then we'll continue to haul junk from every corner of the farm and fill the big dumpster we have. Then, hopefully I'll get a chance to mow!

It finally rained on the Knolltop last night. As we were settling into our popcorn eating and Agriview reading, we got more lightening and thunder than we've had since last summer I think. And then he clouds let loose and we got RAIN! This morning the grass is just a little bit green, I might even have to mow tomorrow! I'm so glad because my pumpkins were looking pretty sorry last night as I checked them. And the corn? Well, those nasty good-for-absolutely-nothing coons have feasted on my sweetcorn instead of my poison and they've gotten a lot of it. The past couple of weeks our horse, yes we have a horse..his name is "Bud" I know, it's so original. Well let's get technical, his registered name is Doc's King Peppy San, that means so much to all of you, I know, but really, to the Quarter Horse enthusiast that means something...I think. Anyway, Bud has been getting used by my daughter and one of her friends who comes over, almost daily. They saddle him u...

Last evening I played dispatcher again, dispatching my kids out to work...I really think I need a pay raise or maybe just a percentage of their pay, afterall, they get paid more than I do! What do you think? The boys were called by another neighbor to unload hay...I think...and Sarah was called to babysit for Saturday. This morning Jake is the only one home and to his dismay he had to do dishes all alone. But I've heard no complaints from him, yet. They say it might rain today...I'm not counting on it, I'm going to go out and roll my windows down in the van to see if I can bring it on. Right now, I'd better get writing..so I can get back to cleaning, oh joy.

Today, I was listening to an audio clip on one of my newest favorite blogs done by Amanda Nolz called www.chewingthecud.org . Amanda, a college student from South Dakota State University and ranch kid who served as the National Beef Ambassador, is a wonderful advocate for the beef industry. Recently, this young 19 year old had the priviledge of interviewing cowboy poet Baxter Black. I'm sure most of you know who Baxter is...he writes and recites cowboy poetry, writes a column about ranching adventures and is incredbly funny. The first time I ever heard of him was when he spoke at the National Block and Bridle meeting in Denver. I fell in love with his humor, bought one of his books and have been a fan ever since. His column appears next to mine in the Farmers' Advance and every time I hear Big Daddy laughing I know he's reading Baxter's column. He usually feels compelled to share and he reads it to the rest of us. The next best thing to Baxter himself has to be my south...