Dang me

Advisor · #1 10-21-2002, 10:11 PM

next thing ya'll be talking 'bout is how to stump train a heifer.
Gasp!

Keith_Hixson · #2 10-21-2002, 11:45 PM

WE trained the milking cows. They had an establish milking order. It never changed! However, we never could get them potty trained. I shoveled more manure out of the milking barn than I even want to remember as a kid growing up on a dairy farm.
That's why I am so good at shoveling it verbally.

Keith

P.S. Anything you want to know about heifers and fillys. Same difference except one is a bovine and the other a horse.

Boats · #3 10-22-2002, 05:16 AM

Keith,

My Uncle Chuck and Great Uncle had dairy farms in LeRoy MI. Used to go there as a kid. Those were some real happy days. My sisters and I used to run in the fields play in the hay and get up real early. At my great uncles we used to ride his only horse it had a sway back and was real wide. We could lay down on him three abreast.

Dairy farmers never get a day off. Milk cows 7 days week twice a day. Very hard work. Uncle Chuck got me good one day had me follow him out into the field one early morning on his tractor. He was pulling a cart. Suddenly he turned it on the cow manuer came flying out everywhere and of course I was initiated.

They are gone now but the memories are still there. Those were those real lazy quite days - sure miss them every now and then.

JeffL · #4 10-22-2002, 07:04 AM

While dairy farmers never get a day off, they do pull down a couple of hundred a day.

Boats · #5 10-22-2002, 07:21 AM

Jeffl

I never said Uncle Chuck was poor. He was a B25 pilot during WWII.

JeffL · #6 10-22-2002, 07:25 AM

My attempt at humor went right by ya, Boats. Sorry. Pulling down referred to hand milking and pulling down on the cow's teats.

I used to spend summers at my grandmother's farm near Howard City, which is not too far from LeRoy.

Seascamp · #7 10-22-2002, 07:40 AM

As a tyke in northwestern Kansas, we had dairy cows but for the greater part we did wheat, corn and barley farming. One deal I remember was going out with my older cousin Darlene to round up the cows. There was this critter horse named Comanche and my cousin would put me up behind her and away we?d go riding like the wind with me screeching all the way, I?m told. For reasons I don?t know about there was never a saddle for Comanche, just a bridle. That Stallion liked to bite so I recall sitting Indian style when stopped so as to keep my legs and feet from being nipped at. Shoes, what shoes? Farm kids went barefoot except for winter as I recall.
During harvest the supposed fun deal was to ride the combine grain hopper-shoot down into the waiting truck, climb out and do it again. Farm kids version of Disneyland I suppose. But again, I went but was screeching all the way, as usual. It?s hell being the baby cousin. I was just four at the time but boy do I remember all that and got my paybacks later on. Just after VN service I went to visit the relatives in Kansas and somehow or another Cousin Darlene ended up with a bunch of fully loaded diapers in her freezer. Jasus, I wonder how that happened, hmm. Bet she was surprised when she stared to thaw out for dinner. That package marked chops wasn?t exactly chops as I recall the saga. And of all the temerity, she blamed me, well I never??

Scamp

Hi Joe, hope you are keeping well,
Westman

Keith_Hixson · #8 10-22-2002, 08:54 AM

Growing up on a dairy fairm is great medicine. We had our chores. always up by 5 or 6, chores before breakfast. I still can't sleep in. In basic I'd wake up before the Sergeants came in. I'd be shaved, and ready for the day when they came in. One sarg ask me why and I just said, raised on a dairy farm, you do your chores before breakfast. He smiled and didn't say a thing.

Our neighbor raised horses, I rode bare back 90% of the time unless breaking in a horse for the neighbor. Never did get into rodeoing and horses. When I left the farm I never did get into this cowboy thing. But, you can't take the country out of the boy. Since becoming a minister I've always made it a point to pastor in towns of under 20,000. I just can't stand living in a big city. It's the traffic. I have lived in the Bay Area for one year, Los Angeles Area for two years and in Seattle 3 years, getting an education and summer jobs. But, small towns are the place to live.

But I sure learned how to shovel the Bull, that's what being raised on a dairy farm does for you.

Keith

Boats · #9 10-22-2002, 09:23 AM

Keith,

I agree with you 100%. My wife and I moved to a small town in Colorado about 30 years ago. You could shoot a 105 down main street at noon and never hit a soul.

Any large town was 30+ miles away and in the winter you were isolated until plowed out. Small towns are great places to live and I agree with you its tough living in the big city areas. The pace is too fast and the days are too short.

reconeil · #10 10-22-2002, 09:33 AM

Hate to butt-in (not really), especially about things I know little or nothing about (re. Farm Life).

In fact, the closest I've ever come to Farm Life was after I got out of The Service and would go riding every Sunday morning (weather permitting FOR THE HORSES SAKE) with The Boys,...during which we would pair-off and walk them down an incline, and upon reaching the bottom swing around and drag race up to the top, for a case of bear.

Naturally, and since always a lanky 160 to 70 lbs., appearing more so like a 200+ pounder and always getting a bigger than needed horse, gave me the edge. Never had to buy ANYONE a case of beer.

Regardless, and my great equestrian skills aside Seascamp, I would appreciate some further enlightenment about Farm Life.
And, especially about that: "...fully loaded diapers in the freezer" bit. I know different people have different eating habits. But still, believe a little more explanation is warranted for the ignorant like me.

Neil