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February Blues

{ February 23, 2014 @ 4:49 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Leave a Comment }

Somehow February has a way of wearing one down. The holidays are over, the thrill of snow is gone, the cold is no longer welcomed and you are so anxious for spring which is just out of grasp but oh so close. In January and February I make futile statements such as I would much rather have it hot than cold, When hot, sweaty July comes and I have forgotten the raw, bitter cold I like my winter clothes best!

That saying, it is 25 days until it is “officially” spring and I can hardly wait. A beautiful, warm, balmy day like today beckons me outdoors with my camera. I picked up a few sticks in the yard and scrounged for signs of spring. I found a few.

Daffodils with buds almost ready to pop!

A maple trees with buds pushing to open.

Horses and a donkey grazing in the pasture.

Cattle grazing and lazily soaking up the sun.

This is the baby calf that was born 4 days ago and written about in the blog post “Chaos in the Cow Pasture“.

New calves are being born almost every day and of course they choose a muddy spot!

And the neighbors wash hanging on the clothesline, drying in the gentle breeze and soaking up the smell of fresh air.

Chaos in the Cow Pasture

{ February 19, 2014 @ 1:32 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: Buzzards and newborn calf, cows eat afterbirth or placenta, cows protect each other } · { Comments (4) }

This morning I suddenly became aware of a frantic ruckus in the cow pasture. What caught my attention was the cows bellowing. Cows do not usually bellow unless something is wrong. Then I noticed that a number of cows were running frantically, kicking up their heels and bellowing as they ran. There was a line of cows following behind doing the same thing. My first thought was it was feeding time and they were coming for food! Suddenly it dawned on me that they were going the wrong direction. Instead of coming to the barn to the feed trough they were heading out to pasture and the person who would have been feeding them was near by. I felt a fear rise in my chest. This was not normal behavior and I said, “something is wrong in the cow pasture!”

I watched a few seconds and saw buzzards, not one, not two, but a whole flock-maybe a dozen of them down by the cedar tree. They were swooping down into the fenced walkway between two pastures.

I could see a mother cow was there with her calf. Gene was not home and so I sent Sam to the rescue. She was butting at the buzzards and they would fly up and immediately swoop back down. She was frantic. Apparently she had somehow sounded a distress alarm and her pasture mates were racing across the pasture to her rescue. As they arrived on the scene they joined her in trying to butt off the buzzards.

In the meantime Sam jumped in the tractor and headed to the pasture. He parked a little distance away and walked over to the area. The buzzards immediately disappeared and the cows settled down as they watched him approach. They sensed help was on the way!

Sam found a mama with her newborn bull calf who was only minutes old, still wet and wobbly on his feet.

The buzzards were after the afterbirth that was laying on the ground and they were very aggressive in trying to get it.

The mama had gotten herself backed into a corner with her calf because of the buzzards. Sam walked on the other side of the fence and she eased on out with her calf. You do not get into a pen with a mama and her newborn and especially when she is upset.

The other cows remained on the lookout for awhile. After the mom had gotten her baby to safety she came back to eat the afterbirth (Placenta) but finally gave up battling with the buzzards and let them have their feast. I know that sounds gross, but the afterbirth provides good nutrition for the mama cow.

It is amazing to me how animals help to protect and care for each other. And for now all is quiet in the pasture.

A Side Note: Gene told me that this mama was one of the cows that helped to protect another cow several years ago in the story “The Parable of the Cows”. It never ceases to amaze me how he can remember such things!

Four days later…. this is a picture of the calf soaking up the sun on a warm, balmy Sunday afternoon.

The Wild Whims of January 2014

{ January 23, 2014 @ 10:10 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Comments (2) }

Back in the good ole days, January was cold. Cold. COLD. We would ice-skate for weeks on frozen ponds, glide across ice-crusted snow on our toboggans, and endured bitter, blowing snow that piled drifts over fences, bushes and driveways. The bad snow storms were called blizzards.

Fast forward to January 2014. The weather channels hype the storms calling them an Atlas or Arctic Vortex and giving them names. We never heard of an Atlas Blizzard or Arctic Vortex before this winter. The mid-west and northern states have experienced some cruel weather this year that should be classified in the extreme weather categories. But Virginia? When we had our first winter blast of arctic cold earlier in the month they said anyone under 40 would not remember this cold of weather! And it was cold. Zero degrees begs to be taken seriously. It is dangerously cold and the wind chill makes it even colder. People and animals can die if not properly protected. We must prepare, take cautions and use common sense. It lasted two days.

My parents generation walked to school. One lady told me last week that she walked 3 miles one way to school every day, including winter. Snow days meant you were walking to school in the snow not sitting at home watching TV or sleeping until midmorning. This week school canceled when the prediction of snow (2-4 inches) was to start at 4 PM and they were only going a half day because of exams. What kind of wimps have we become? It is called fear. Fear of a lawsuit.

January is suppose to be cold. I remember one winter years ago-maybe in the late 70’s- when we had frigid weather most of the month here in central Virginia. The water pipes froze in the ground and with the dairy farm that was a huge mess and problem. We thought winter would never end. Old timers talk about ice-skating on the James River. I can’t imagine how cold it would have to be to freeze the mighty James.

This year January has been unique. In the first 23 days we have had 8 days of rain ( 3.1 “) and 2 snow storms (1″ and 2”). Half of those days were sunny and gorgeous with temperatures soaring to 60 degrees and half were cold, windy and FRIGID! I wrote on the calendar 18 degrees on the 4th, 42 on the 6th and 0 on the 7th. It was a balmy, warm 55 on the 11th, COLD on the 18th and 60 degrees on the 20th. The last three days were cold, snowy and in the teens. And I must not fail to mention the fog, mud, stunning sunsets, gorgeous sunrises, and the thunder and lightning storm.

I think January 2014 will properly be remembered for it’s wild whims and we still have 8 days to go!

A few pictures highlighting the month….

Mud, Mud and More Mud

{ January 14, 2014 @ 7:35 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: April showers, Count Your Many Blessings by Johnson Oatman Jr., March winds, May flowers, Mud in January } · { Comments (1) }

I keep thinking I am going to write a post and then come up blank with nothing to write about!!! That is bad news for a writer. Either you have writer’s block, nothing worthwhile left to say or life is humdrum!

Life is not exactly humdrum right now but neither is there anything very exciting happening except for….. rain, rain and more rain. There is a farmer mathematical formula for this. Lots of rain+animals=mud. Mud on the farm is anything but exciting. It is downright discouraging and has a huge tendency to make one grumble and complain! It sticks to your boots, tractor tires, and tracks into the laundry room. The cattle sink up to their knees in the deep, sloppy muddy areas where they gather to eat and drink. The tractor ruts up the access driveways in the fields while feeding hay and the lane is full of mud puddles.

The other day I was reminded of the song “Count Your Blessings” penned by Johnson Oatman Jr. and have been humming it all week.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
- Refrain:
  Count your blessings, name them one by one,
  Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
  Count your blessings, name them one by one,
  *Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Don’t you wonder what Johnson was facing when he penned those words in 1897? I did some looking on the internet but could not find a story, just bits of a biography about Mr. Oatman. He was born in Medford, New Jersey on April 21, 1856 and grew up singing hymns with his father. When he was 19, he joined the Methodist church and years later was granted a license to preach in the local Methodist congregations. By trade he was in the mercantile business and later became administrator for a large insurance company in New Jersey. Either one of those trades would be enough to make one have to stop and count their blessings. He wrote over 5,000 hymns and “Count Your Many Blessings” is considered to be one of the most beloved and finest of his writings.

So now I need to count my blessings AND name them….

It could be snow, snow, snow and that is worse, worse, worse! (Remember 1 inch of rain is equal to 10 inches of snow).
The frigid, cold, zero degree temperatures that we had 2 days last week could have lasted all month.
We did not have any pipes to freeze or break.
In between the rainy days the sun shines.
I have a warm house to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear and electricity.
I have a husband who loves me, children and grandchildren.
We are healthy.
We live in a land that still allows religious freedom.
We enjoy life in the country and on the farm.
We have friends and a wonderful church family.

…..and my list could go on and on.

Hey, what is a little mud? It just means that God is putting moisture in the ground, filling up the streams, rivers, and wells. It means that going into the spring there will be plenty of moisture for the pastures, hay fields and gardens. Living in an area that can very quickly turn dry, this is vital for a farmer.

I am reminded that February often brings snow but then the drying March winds are just around the corner. So for now, I will just count my blessings and dream of May flowers. I will skip the April showers…just for now. It may not be long and who knows, we will be praying for rain again!!!

Fall Roundup

{ November 19, 2013 @ 9:57 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: Fall calf roundup, Farming in Powhatan, Purina Accuration, Purina Preconditioning Chow, Purina Wind and Rain Mineral tub, taking calves from their mamas } · { Leave a Comment }

Gene has been working on his cattle pastures this fall, repairing old fences, building new ones, and hanging gates so that he has more field rotation options and better grouping of his cattle.

Today he brought in a group of young stock weighing 400-750 lbs. He enticed them in the corral area in the back pasture last evening. He had been feeding them at the corral for several weeks so that they would be easy to catch.

He used his cattle trailer to transport them the approximate quarter-mile from the back pasture to a pen close to the barn and his feed lot area.

It always makes me a little nervous when they are working cattle because anything can go wrong. I mean anything. If you remember, I do have my very own bull story and lived to tell it! Because they are enclosed into a small area the cattle are restless and nervous. They are very easily spooked and will do the wildest, most foolish things imaginable! They can go under gates, through fences, over gates, get stuck in a panel or bolt for freedom. You do not want to find yourself in a corner with no way of escape. You have to have everything thought through; all your gates lined up with the trailer properly and easy to close. Gene has given his corral area a lot of thought and the cattle usually move smoothly and without too much trouble. Today was one of those good days and all three loads were moved without incident.

Sam is helping Gene today. Gene works his cattle quietly, moving them gently but firmly. His pen is set up in a circular movement that is natural for the cattle and he can close gates as he goes to keep the cattle from back-tracking.

These two mama cows were very concerned that they could not get to their babies and were frantically talking about it!

As the cattle are moved around the corral they enter a narrow chute area that takes them up onto the trailer.

At this point you want to keep them moving fairly quickly so that they don’t have time to turn around and bolt back off the truck. When they do you have an instantly unloaded trailer and a mess as the cattle are now upset!

When the last one is one the truck the gate is very quickly shut and secured.

Katie, the Border Collie, thinks she is the one who has done all the work! She gets so excited when we are working cattle and forgets to limp on her back leg that she injured when she ran in front of the golf cart and tangled with the wheels. She did not win!

The mama’s watching their babies leave.

When the door on the back of the trailer is open the calves bounded off, kicking their heels.

Gene had the pen ready for the calves with a creep feeder full of Purina Accuration.

A tub of Purina Wind and Rain minerals.

A round bale of hay. They made fast work on this bale of hay. I took the picture several hours after the calves were moved and they had started with a full bale of hay!

And a trough full of Preconditioning Chow to help with their adjustment of being taken from their mamas.

It didn’t take long for them to fill up their bellies.

King of the mountain! Just like kids, cattle love a pile of dirt.

The calves seemed to adjust quickly and did not seem to mind the move. I asked Gene this evening how they were doing and he said only two were missing mama. Most of these calves were older and had already been weaned naturally. I remembered there were only two mamas that seemed upset when we were loading them. We are not hearing any noise from the feed lot this evening. It should be a night of peace and quiet!

Some of these heifers will be replacements to go back into the herd. Some will be back-grounded and some of the bulls will go into the finishing feed lot with these big boys with an all-you-can buffet! We have names for these like Ribeye, T-Bone, Burger, and Chuck-Hertzler’s Finest Beef in the making!!!

Fall on the Farm-2013

{ November 12, 2013 @ 4:09 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: fall foliage, fall on the farm } · { Comments (1) }

Fall is a gorgeous time of year-and is a competitive rival for spring as my favorite! There are so many pictures on the farm to capture from sunrises to sunsets, leaves, and flowers.

Colorful leaves.

Some late blooming summer flowers.

A busy, chattering squirrel enjoying the warmth of a sunny afternoon.

Gene has been busy getting his cattle pens, feeders and fences ready for winter.

Gene put rock around the automatic cow waterer to help with mud during the winter months.

Putting a drain and gravel in a potential muddy area.

Working on a gate post-trying to straighten it.

The cows were all excited about a load of hay coming in. They followed, stirring up dust and mooed!

The cows in the next field all lined up along the fence to watch and wish!

Beautiful fall decorations at church. I love the rich colors of autumn.

Deer in our yard about 60 feet from the house. It is the first time in 41 years that we have seen this.

The sunsets and sky always seem exceptionally awesome in the fall.

Some other pictures around the farm

Flowering pear

The pecan trees are still green with just a tint of yellow. They are the last to bloom and get their leaves in the spring and the last to drop them in the fall.

And today- 11/12/13 we had the first snow flurries of the season!

Never Satisfied

{ November 11, 2013 @ 7:12 pm } · { Life on the Farm, My Faith Journey }
{ Tags: contentment, Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 4:11, Psalms 107: 8-9, Ten Commandment #10, Ten Commandment #8, Ten Commandments, The grass is greener on the other side of the fence, Thou shall not steal } · { Comments (3) }

There is a lot about our human nature that we can learn from animals.

“The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.”

This cow-she is the only Holstein-looking cow in our beef herd- is always on her knees with her head stuck underneath the fence trying to eat what is not in the field. And no, she is not praying! It does not matter which field she is in, she is at the fence line on her knees. I have watched her. She will eat, back up slightly, get up off her knees, move a few inches and down she goes again, with her head stretched out as far as she can reach. And don’t dare leave a gate open, she will find it.

The other day I was watching the cows eat at the feed trough. They were lined up in a row, neatly spaced. There are slats in the fence line to help keep each cow in their spot. Usually the cows will eat at the same spot or close to it.

These two cows were eating their neighbors food. Obviously they have not read Ten Commandment number 8 and number 10. Even though there was still feed in front of the cow, she was stretching her neck and tongue to reach what was not hers. She wanted more. She wanted her neighbors food!

“Thou shall not steal”.

“Thou shall not covet.”

I have been thinking about these pictures and wondering, am I like that? Do I want what is not mine? Do I always want what my neighbor has? Am I satisfied with what is on my side of the fence? Of course I am, it is you that I can point a finger at. Sadly that is not true.

As Americans we have an insatiable appetite for more, bigger, better, and newer. We justify spending more money to save money because it will save us time. Figure that one out!

This spring I brought a new camera. I wanted one that was better than just “point and shoot” like I had. I have been so pleased with my new Canon SX50HS. But guess what? Now I really wish I had gotten the next step up so I can do more!

I really would like an addition to the house so I could entertain…not more but better! If the speed limit is 65, I go 69. If it is 70, I set the cruise control for 74. I push the limits but don’t want to get caught and mutter about the person passing me, secretly hoping that he will go through radar! Sometimes I struggle with liking the best, biggest and newest. I like quality and quantity. I wish, I want, I would like, I need…..! Am I alone?

When I write it on paper it sounds pathetic, selfish and greedy.

When I go back and look at the pictures I see there are other cows in the pictures that are eating contently even when what they have is taken away. They seem to be tolerating the greedy cow without a whim.

The Apostle Paul gave us some advice from his personal experiences….. “for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4: 11).

The writer of Hebrews (13;5) said, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.”

The Psalmist also had some words on the subject. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry with goodness.” (Psalms 107:8-9)

Contentment brings gratitude and gratitude bubbles forth with thanksgiving. When our longing, hungry, empty, covetous soul is filled with God’s goodness we are satisfied. Yes, we still have needs and wants but there is a check to our desires.

Hay Season Officially Done!

{ October 6, 2013 @ 3:07 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: how many square bales in round bale, Round bales of hay } · { Comments (6) }

Last evening Gene walked in the house and said,”It is 4:47 PM, October 5th, and I am officially done making hay for the season.” I wrote it on the calendar. From that statement you can properly gather that he is very ready, very happy and very relieved to be done making hay!

What a hay season! Every three days all spring and summer it rained-or at least it felt like it. You need 3 full days to make hay. One day to cut, one to dry and one to rake and bale. In spite of all the rain he only lost two small fields of hay and that was because of baler problems.

It takes a lot of hay to feed our herd of 225 brood cows plus young stock-probably 400 head. Gene has to feed hay 6 months out of the year with the amount of cows on our pastures. He makes some hay here on the homeplace but most has to be made elsewhere. He figures he made 1975 bales that weigh an average of 1100 lbs on 367 acres of land scattered over the county, 300 of which he made twice. He had to travel 12 miles to the west, 10 miles to the north and 8 miles to the east. Driving on any road in Powhatan these days and especially Route 60 is not fun for any farmer! You do not go during rush hour and then you just pray you make it home safely. And no, he has not counted every bale-he just knows how many bales he can get from a roll of net wrap! He said to put this into perspective for people who understand square bales… it is like baling 54,000 square bales weighing 40 lbs each or 77 tractor trailer loads of square bales!!! As you can see, Gene was having fun with his stats this afternoon!

Our “spare” inventory of bales has been depleted and Gene is hoping that this gives a “buffer” supply in case next year is dry and the hay doesn’t produce as well.

Gene said that for hay guys reading this blog they will probably notice that the hay yield per acre is not that great. Most of this is on land that is not fertilized. He is just grateful for all the opportunities he had to cut “unwanted” hay!

The other day Sam Powell, our employee who has been very involved in the hay making process, was fretting about getting all these bales home! I told him not to think about the whole picture, just think one field at a time. Depending on which truck and trailer we use, we can haul 16 bales at one time. That is 124 loads of hay. Gene is hoping to have a hay hauling week with extra help and have one tractor loading, another unloading and several trucks hauling. Any volunteers???? I am wondering where they are going to stack all the rolls of hay when they get them home! Gene says they probably will not be able to move them all home this fall but try to get the places the furthest away and where the bales are around people’s homes.

August 2013

{ August 25, 2013 @ 9:35 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Calf nursing, Canadian Geese, Cattle grazing in the pasture, Killdeer, Life on the farm in August, old wrinkled hands, Rose of Sharon, Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Zinnias blooming } · { Comments (1) }

What a delightful month! When have we ever had green grass to mow in July and August? When has there been plentiful grazing for the cattle all summer? When have we had so many rainy days in the middle of the summer that we almost dare to complain? When would a farmer fret at the end of August because he is still working on the first cutting of hay?

You are right…in the year of our Lord, 2013!

The month in pictures.

Working and selling some cattle.

Dozens of Tiger Swallowtail butterflies on the thistle.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Zinnias blooming their hearts out!

Enjoying the grandkids and golf cart rides.

Okra, a beautiful flowering plant, producing in abundance.

What vegetable can top fried okra and onions with fresh tomatoes?

Rose of Sharon bush in full bloom.

Cattle grazing in the fields. They seek refuge from the heat in the woods during the day and come out to graze in the late afternoon and evening.

The flies were really bothering the bull -not like that on the other cows.

Gene checking on his cattle.

We have a donkey boarding at the stable. I have been trying to record his braying!

So far no luck but it is a sound like no other!!! The first time I heard it I wondered, what in the world was that!

Mushrooms growing in the field.

Killdeer

Buckwheat planted in the garden for a cover crop and also for the bees this fall.

Fall crop of Blue Lake Snaps.

Looks like we have septic problems!

Contented, happy bees hard at work!

A few pretty spots left in my garden!

Walking in the rain…..this way….

or this way

There are lots of geese this year grazing in the pastures.

Up and away…there they go….honking as they go….too many to count and that is only a portion of them. The next group took flight a few seconds later!

Putting air in the tire on the car.

Noah measuring his foot against grandpa!

The dogwood tree in the fall.

Beautiful skies during the day and also at night….

They called it “Blue Moon”.

Fried onions and peppers for brisket sandwiches at the Farmers Market.

Added funnel cakes to the items we sell.

Dad Hertzler’s hands…at 95 they are worn and tired….

but his spirit is still strong!

And my favorite photo for the month…..

This photo is not altered or trimmed. It is just as I took it and I had no idea I had this keeper!

August has been a good and full month. It has been a delight and now the temperatures are getting cooler and the days shorter. Fall is coming fast.

Chiggers

{ August 14, 2013 @ 9:27 pm } · { Life on the Farm }
{ Tags: chigger bites } · { Comments (2) }

I have been served as a four-course banquet feast for at least 100 hungry chiggers. They feasted and dined while dancing jigs all over my body. I have so many bites on my belly they are impossible to count, plus my arms, neck, back and behind my knees. I have been itching and scratching and have yet to see one of those nasty critters so that I can take due revenge. I have been suffering several days from them and it seems like new welts are still appearing in spite of repeated hot, soapy showers, lotions and even rubbing myself with hand sanitizer, hoping it would kill them. Last night I was miserable and kept waking up to scratch.

(Magnified Chigger)

“Chiggers are extremely tiny, and it is very unlikely you will “see” one unless you are looking for them. You will need a hand lens or microscope to see them well. Their presence is best known, instead, by the intensely itchy welts they leave behind, usually where your skin is thin and tender (ankles, backs of knees, about the crotch, under the beltline, and in the armpits) and where tight clothing proves an obstacle to them (as where a belt or elastic band limits their wanderings). (Mosquito bites, by contrast, are usually in exposed places where those flying insects can easily land.) Chigger bites sometimes have a tiny red dot at the center, which is the remains of a scablike tube your body formed in response to the chigger’s irritating saliva.

Larval chiggers are red and have 6 legs. They are 1/150 of an inch. A cluster of them can sometimes be seen on your skin because of their reddish color. After a blood meal, chiggers look yellowish. Adult chiggers have 8 legs and are 1/60th of an inch and look like several other types of mites”. (http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/chiggers)

I don’t know where I go into them. Over the weekend I sprayed weeds with Eraser and there were some thistles I wanted to get in one of the pastures. I didn’t want to open the gate so I laid on the ground and rolled under the electric fence. I was only on the ground a few seconds. I must have chosen a nest to roll over and they must have screamed “lunch”!

Today I washed my sheets just in case they are regrouping there waiting for me to come back to bed so they can have another banquet, however, Gene hasn’t gotten any bites.

So for now, I have been dined on and I know exactly where each bite is missing! Itch, itch!

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Archive for Life on the Farm

February Blues

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Chaos in the Cow Pasture

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The Wild Whims of January 2014

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Mud, Mud and More Mud

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Fall Roundup

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Fall on the Farm-2013

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Never Satisfied

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Hay Season Officially Done!

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August 2013

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Chiggers

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