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