Dogs in the Milk
The flood waters.
The creek that is really a ditch has so much water in it that it looks like a long skinny lake. I wonder what our beaver does when he is flooded out like that. The water is literally lapping under the bridge. We had a huge amount of rain in that last storm there are reports of between 4 and 6 inches. Everyone has water in their basements and I had to move the cows on the West side up to the concrete, they were sloshing through my fields. You will remember that this land was swamp, we are the lowest area for miles, in fact before they started digging drainage ditches a few generations ago this was all reeds and swamp trees and birds. Reeds so high you could hide stolen cows in here in the Wild West days, evidently. So it will flood. The basement floods more than once a year. The fields are very wet here. You cannot fight this you just move with it. It is the way of the land. It is so low that all the drainage the corn farmers put in is as good as useless until the ditches start to flow. All the water settles in here then drains from here. It is the way of the land.
Half way through milking I decided to take a photograph of the greens that the cows eat when I am milking them and discovered that there were two dogs sitting under the cow table waiting for Lady to come in.
Usually only TonTon is on duty during the milking time but I decided to trust BooBoo and see how he went. He was very good. Perfectly well behaved and Lady Astor did not seem to care so he stayed. Usually he has to wait outside the door until I am finished, this has been his routine all his short life, but now I am milking two cows so when he comes into the milking room after the first cow (like before) he is confused and in the way and ejected. So this is how he has solved that problem. He still comes back in at his usual time but goes under the deck with Ton and waits. Then when the pump goes off he and the cats come forward for their milk. Ton always drinks last, after he has seems all the cows out to the field. Dogs in the milk.
Carlos the Tiny is always very interested in what is going on the milking shed. He will pick up his huge head and roar at me from out there. However he is still respectful and moves when told to. And it is good training for him to be told to move frequently. Naomi had her blood test on Sunday to see if he has bred her so we will know by the end of next week if he is doing his job.
A pair of doves have taken up residence on the farmy.
Now that we are over that cold snap and entering a very humid hot period the chicks have been moved back to the turkey house. There are thirty of them so they have two Table Mamas, these little Brinsea heating units are so much safer than a heat lamp and use less electricity. I should do a review on them actually because I really do recommend them for raising chicks.
Of course Vandal is sleeping just outside the Turkey house in case a chick escapes and needs “helping”. She just happens to be sleeping hidden in the bottom of a storage box.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
36 Comments on “Dogs in the Milk”
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What good dogs!
I love to hear all about the farm going ons. Here, summer has finally hit with a vengeance, 38 degrees today! But, we do not get much rain at all in summer and my grass is already turning brown.
Sneaky little critters. I am sure Vandal would be absolutely delighted to be of assistance to a lost chick.
Stunning reflection capture in the flood waters, Celi.
I was so struck by that beautiful double image too. It’s a vision Vincent Van Gogh might have seen many a time. How marvelous that Celi with her artist’s eye came along with her camera at just that moment so we could see it too!
Ditto for me…in spades! Much love, Your Gayle
Oh Vandal. What a cute kitty even if he has ulterior motives. That first picture is amazing of the water. Wow.
The Farmy sounds like the smallholding where I was brought up. The cottage dated from the early 1800s and the cellar flooded every single winter and had to be pumped out, and the 5 acre bottom field was bordered along one boundary by a river that also flooded every winter, resulting in the field being under water for days. We had to bring the stock in off the grazing, but we got good silt deposits to refresh the soil. The grass had never been ploughed and we got cowslips and wild orchids and all kinds of wildflowers as well as multiple varieties of grass. One of my summer jobs was to pull up all the ragwort and thistles before they flowered and multiplied.
Sounds like the stuff of stories to be written, Kate. I know you can do it! Much love, Your Gayle
Sadly, I feel I lack the talent, as well as the inspiration 🙂
Lovely picture of the creek that is really a ditch…… And Ah Boo….. Good boy. He really is maturing and loosing that rowdy teen attitude….. I’m sure it shows up occasionally.
I drove past a pasture of sunflowers yesterday. They are growing right up to the area Wal-Mart that is out in the middle of no-where that is becoming a somewhere – near my home. The sunflowers are about 8 ft tall and they are the small wild variety. They were lovely and I can’t wait to watch the swooping huge groups of swallows when they arrive to eat…..
I have such a plan for your mothers wild flower patch – i did not think of adding sunflowers but they love it here and grow back each year from the seed – thank you for the idea..
Would love to hear more about the Table Mamas. We are still using the heating lamp, but you’re right, it can be dangerous! 😦
Now two more animals…how long before you adopt these doves.??you are a survivor no doubt of that
I love my visits here first thing in the morning. It’s like stepping into another world. I would love to be there and see it all first hand but the heat and humidity would be my undoing. I’m glad you have the constitution for it. You also have the attitude for it. Going with the way the land is and flowing like the water. Makes life so much easier. Have a lovely day too.
I could have said this, except that I just read it–so I’ll let Herself speak, and simply say “Hear! Hear!”
We saw a pair of young doves recently. They sat still, frozen as we walked past.
https://ourviewfromiowa.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/peace-cant-we-act-better/
Hello Jim, the detail shown on your doves is quite extraordinary for someone just taking snaps. They are really beautiful photos, thank you for the link. ~ Mame 🙂
You are quite welcome. They surprised us.
They didn’t move as we left for our walk. An hour later, they froze again as we returned. I went inside for a good camera. The zoom let me ‘get very close’ without disturbing them. It was amazing to see all that detail.
BEEE-YOOOOO-TEEEE-FULL!
🙂
I’ve lived in a farm house with a wet basement. All’s well as long as everything is stored high and aired out frequently. It was just the fact of life. I love the patience all the animals are showing. Vandal’s patience may pay off, but I hope the chicks are a bit brighter than to leave safety too soon. Would you plan a zip line to extend past your high water line on the creek, or is this very unusual? Or have you scraped that plan?
Yes, I have thought about the zip line also, and often wondered why we haven’t heard of any of the young people using it this summer. Are you zipping yet? ~ Mame 🙂
Good doggies!
We fight water in the basement all year, except winter. It sometimes get calf high. We turn on the sump pump and I put the hose in the flower beds or on the lawn. Helps all of us.
Linda
Yes, the photo of reflections on the creek that’s really a ditch is an amazing shot… really a beauty. So much in this post that have thoughts coming to mind: the dogs, the cows, the swamp, the chicks, the kitty, doves and, of course, Carlos. It’s so nice to have mourning doves in residence; their soft cooing soothes an angry day. Hope you have a lovely day too! ~ Mame 🙂
I am sitting here before my laptop yupppping to beat the band. Thanks, Mame!
These are some of my favorite images you have ever shared! As always, thank you for the insight into you busy and blessed world of farming. We always had lots of cats on the dairy and they waited patiently after each milking for us to share with them the spoils of the left over milk intended for calves. The rain has been tough on us, but we have not had to deal with flooding as you have. Best of luck on the receding waters.
Another stunning photo of the creek that is really a ditch! That reflection of the clouds in the water is just beautiful! I love the one of Carlos too being Curious George! 🙂
Well, you lost your swimming pool: hope the creek could be a fill-in ? All of us do things our own way: mine is to ‘click on’ the Illinois weather ere I come visit you! At the moment am keeping my fingers seriously crossed that the ‘severe’ thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow, Friday and Sunday do not raise the water levels in ‘the ditch’ and all other points to do damage . . . yes, raining here too, but at a v respectable inch or so per 24 hours . . .
Your dogs are so good- love all the photos especially your header photo- stunning!
It’s Tuesday night and I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment. someone said yesterday that you should enter your storm photos in a competition – you weren’t sure where.
I think you could easily get them into the local fair – not sure what your local does, but in my corner of the world there is a huge “art” competition divided between photos, oils, watercolour, sketch, etc. etc. Must be something close by that you could enter? Also, perhaps you could email some to the Weather Channel? No pay, but lots of exposure for your photos.
The photos were all fabulous. I’ve seen some pretty amazing storm clouds here in SW Ontario, but nothing like the one hovering over the Farmy. Glad everyone is safe. I think the heat and humidity your storm pushed out is headed my way. Not looking forward to it!
Chris S in Canada
Wonderful images Celi .. Love the last one of Vandal. Handsome
We use the Brinsea heaters for our chicks too – they are great. I feel much safer with these in the shed that a traditional heat lamp. Love the top photo especially – stunning
Hi Claire, I am sold on them for sure – it also allows the chicks some day and night which I think helps their growth.. c
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