Out of my mind.... Back in 5 minutes.

Mandie

Hello  all!

It’s been a while since I actually wrote last. Ya’ll probably know that better than me. J As you know I’ve been working full time over at the meat shop and have been quite enjoying work there. My only problem is I took on another horse for training and I was having trouble finding time to train him. I had him here for 2 weeks and had only put 2 days of work on him. I was so stressed out over it one day I actually gave myself quite a nice headache. L But Mom suggested the other day that Martha and I each take a milking and then I can work with Smapp (the horse) when I’m not milking. We only have two cows milking right now but have two more freshening within the next week. So now I milk both cows in the evening and while Martha milks in the morning I work with Smapp. Hopefully it works for the long term. We put the milking machine on Sally and milk Lily by hand. Lily is only going on ‘2 cylinders’ (2 quarters working) so we can’t put the machine on her. I think she is going to the auction this next week though. When it is rainy she gets really ornery, won’t come in the barn, won’t leave the corrals to go back out, and she kicks, so with more milk coming on anyways we’ll just ship her. She was just a short term project to keep us in milk until Sally freshened.

Martha and I brought Fandango down to our neighbour’s to get bred to their black/white tobiano  stallion about a week and a half ago. I think that was the last time I rode.  Every time I look out and see Coyote or Smapp I feel guilty. Maybe I’ll be able to get my days in order soon and be able to fit in Coyote on the weekends. Smapp I need to work with every day.

Later…

Vanilla calved on Sunday the 26^th. She had a reddish/blackish heifer with a wide belt. The calf is Cilla’s birthday present from Mom and Dad. So Cilla named her Mandie.     Caresse was due on Sunday, she’s looking pretty close now. Maybe she’ll calve today or tomorrow. 

This morning Dad, Mom, and Ellie helped Cool Springs Ranch move their cows (950 yearlings {custom grazing} and around 50 head of their own) 7 miles down the road.  It went alright I guess. I got up around 7:30 (went to bed at midnight) and after breakfast, churned 4 gallons of cream into butter. Around noon I went out and worked with Smapp. He’s coming along nicely. 

Smapp

Priscilla's birthday cake