The End

Well, corn is over at the farm(s).
All the fields have been chopped. All the trucks have been weighed. The dry matter has been thoroughly tested. Storms have been sat through. The numbers have been put in the computer. The silage mountains have been built and packed. Tractors have been pushed to their breaking point and beyond (not by me). And much knowledge has been acquired.  
Yesterday was my last day at the weighing corn. I wish I had some sunrise/sunset montage all Lion King style for you but I do not. We had a late start and an early end. I only had 5 trucks total yesterday.
When I turned in the laptop to the office The Main Guy asked me what I was going to do with all the things I had learned this summer. To be honest, I didn't really have a good answer for him. I think I said something ridiculous like "I'm going to store it in my brain." I still haven't come up with a clever answer. "Take over the corn silage world." Nope. Nothing.
I had no "purpose" in working corn this summer. I, merely, wanted the experience. I wanted to check off 'working for a farm' from my life list. It is next to work at a bookstore (seriously, one would just be so happy working in a bookstore with the smell of fresh books everyday), visit all of the continents, and own a horse. My list goes on, but as long as I check things off when I have a chance to check things off I think I am being productive. I'm just this abnormal person who loves doing all kinds of things.
I know I worked a lot this summer and didn't have the typical teacher summer but that's fine by me!
The best news of all is I might still get to participate in farm life again sooner than later. What I won't miss about corn is having to pack and unpack a cooler everyday. Ugh! Seriously. They need to make ice packs that are forever cold! Forever.
Thanks for reading my crazy ramblings during summer silage.
And hey! to the DairyBusiness writer reading... The story you write about me doesn't have to be forever long like the ones about soy and cheese prices... I just need to get in the publication once to be promoted to the board. Thank you in advance!

 This softshell turtle would come out during a storm. I saw him multiple days wandering up and down the road.

 This is the poor little kitten I tried to befriend. By the last day we were playing together... I would have a long weed and he would swat at it. Still wouldn't let me pet it though... I don't understand cats. You feed and play with a dog, they will be your friend forever. Cats. You got me. I feed him and played with him and just sat to be still so he would get used to my presence. Nope. I will never be a cat person. Sorry cats.

 There were some pretty gnarly storms this past week at this little farm I was at... A couple of times I was worried The Hut would blow away or get struck by lightning. By God's grace I am still alive.

The cows behind me made me think they were trying to be hippos. They would just go in the pond and sit. Silly cows.

These are not the cows that will be enjoying the corn silage we brought in but they are the only ones I have a  picture of. They have their own piles of silage they will enjoy throughout the year.

A Whole New World

Here's the sitch...
I'm at a different dairy using their ANCIENT scale to weigh the trucks. They come in get weighed and then go to the small farm two miles or so down the road. I have literally stepped back in time fifty years. No cool computer print button scale. No air conditioning.  No shack with a desk to do my computer entries. Just a hut with a huge balance and a single hanging light. It was like I was in a nice room at the Hampton but then had to go to a Motel 8.
The guys at the big farm would talk to me and of course there were my tractor guys in the pits. Here there's no one. I am the new female, which I guess means stay away. Different. Actually, there is one guy who has talked with me. He told me that the hut and scale were installed in the 60's. See, you thought I was kidding about fifty years back in time. He also gave me his number to tell him if anyone messes with me. So that's comforting?
There are lots of cats. Most of the run away when you approach them. I saw one cat limp by me with a very broken front left leg. It was sad. I should've been a vet. The cows are close at this little place. Every now and then there's a breeze which is divine. I'm not athuorized to drive any machines here (which honestly I haven't seen anything cool here... remember time warp). Depending on the bug factor this evening I might be reconsidering my wardrobe. Jeans and rubber boots are heat holders. Though it might further isolate myself from the population here. I'll have to make a pro/con list.

 Just waiting for the sir to show me where the new place is this morning. Had my banana in my chair in Old Norman's bed. Pretty sweet set up.

 This is The Hut. Less regal than The Shack and hardly casts any shadow.

Before computers did the tallying of the weight the balance did the job. In the heatbox that is The Hut it definitely will try your patience making that thing even.

 This is the kitten that I'm trying to befriend. He/she is cute.

My view from the shade of the hanger.

Overall,  not quite a third world country but I still miss the big farm. Three more days. <hopefully>

The thunder rolls....

I had a day off today. Corn for the big place is finished and tomorrow I'll move to a new shack and a new farm for a couple of days. I already miss The Shack and my new friends. Hopefully, the new place is good. I shall keep you posted on it.
Today I slept in kinda. I woke up worried about not getting a phone call from the field but quickly fell back asleep. Then slept as long as Mei Li would let me. The thing about having the best trained dog is that she likes her routines. When her routine consists on going out in the morning around seven or eight, she doesn't really like waiting too long after that to go potty. After she had her romp outside we cuddled back up for some more zzzz's. My bed and I love each other dearly. I have neglected our relationship for too long this summer so I had to make things right.
The rest of the day was filled with running errands with a friend (coming home to find my freshly mowed lawn from my awesome landlords), house work (because that's part of being the only adult living under your roof), prepping food (another curse of adulthood), more doggy cuddles, and definite  TV vegging. It has been wonderful.
Things around my house smell much better than the farm but I missed putting on my boots and working. Mei is like her mom, I guess. I like my routines. I like following the shadow of the shack and all the other farm things. The finish line is in sight and it's kinda a bummer. I'm ever thankful for my experiences and will cherish my last days.
Enough mush. Onto pics.

 The next four pictures are what is going on in the fields. This particular field was SOOO muddy the little tractor with the buggy had to be pulled by the big red tractor to make it. The harvester runs over the corn and chops it up. It shoots it into the buggy that runs next to the harvester.  When the buggy is full it goes into the semi that then comes to me when it is full. Or something like that...

 These are some storm cloud pictures I snapped. One day we had a storm so bad there were funnel clouds spotted. I almost got blown away. Other times, I watch the storms roll all around me and sit in awe watching the rain pour down the road while I enjoy the cool breeze a storm brings. Another time lightning was really bad in a storm. Really. It kept popping, what felt like, right on top of me. Well, later on that day I saw some smoke a little ways down from my shack. Turns out, four fresh hay bales were put out in that pasture and BAM! the lightning struck it. Set those bales on fire! The guy who feeds that particular pasture said the cows seemed to enjoy the bonfire because they were all gathering around. They were probably hoping he'd give them stuff to make smores. Inknow I would. 

 Ok, I know this black picture is terrible but that speck off to the right of the center is a farm cat. I spent a good amount of time one night trying to friend it with sweet melodic mewings. I got close once but of course as soon as I went to get a pic she bolted across the concrete pad. This was the best I got. Cats aren't really my cup of tea anyway.

 This is the last sunset atop of the last silage mountain at the big farm. Goregous.  I'm glad my friend, Curtis insisted on one last ride to the top. Speaking of him... He sent me texts that he normally sends in a day at work... "rain coming" and one about how many loads... I thought he was being funny and sticking with what normally would happen. Nope. He thought I was working at the little farm. Haha. So I've been chuckling all day thanks to my friend. Little farm will be less exciting without him.
                   
This is the last sunset again from The Shack. I know lots of people love the sunsets at the beach and I certainly agree that the water lends itself to being a good foreground for them. However,  I will always love my country sunsets with pasture and trees, barns and animals, the most. Once a country girl always a country girl. It is true... you never forget your first love.

Tie a knot or tie a lot

I've been on hiatus from blogging recently. Not because I dispise the farm but rather there's not been any change in things around here. Same old, same old. And I still love it!
A couple of ideas have been brewing for potential blog posts so be on the watch for those to make their appearance.

For now just some pics and sayings...

I love this pair. They live here at the farm. And from what I have observed have a nice routine about their day. 

In the morning they emerge from their nest for breakfast by the road. Then they meander over around the shop before it gets too busy and loud. Once the shop bustles with action, they walk over to one of the fields for their afternoon siesta. The love birds sometimes make their way to the shack for dinner or sometimes I see them across the road from me. It depends on what they want for dinner I guess. They are omnivores after all. 

They are always together. I think that is one of the things I love about them. They mate for life. When one slags behind, the other calls out to encourage the other that they are not being left. Or at least that's my interpretation of it. It could very well be that when one falls behind, the other calls out to tell them to hurry up. But that is a lot less romantic.  :) I named them Mr. Red and Mrs. Rita. 

Speaking of... I learned a lot about different farm things yesterday from the reading I did in my magazines and newspapers.  I wanted to prove that I was, in fact, reading the literature I had been given so when I was visited by the main mister I shared a nugget o'knowledge. It was about beef prices are up while feed prices are down making happy beef farmers. Some where in that talk I remarked on how low the beef cow population was these days which must also account for the high beef prices. Anyway, he told me that it takes 3 years for a cow to be useful... get a cow pregnant, have the baby, and then that baby has to grow and either be harvested as a beef steer at 3 or if it is a dairy cow produce milk around 3. <note to all you real farmers don't be too picky, it is something like that...>

Three years, dude!

Which also reminds me... 

I saw my first dead cow the other day. She was being hauled to the grave in the tractor bucket. I didn't have my phone (but that wouldn't be respectful to take her picture all exposed and what not). When she rode by on her funeral march I thanked her for her service and appreciated all her hardwork. But as the farmers say: "When you work with animals, dead ones are part of it." 

It was also reported to me that a gator at a pond was charging at some cows. The excitement never ends. 

My newest sticker for Old Norman. 

Here's a picture of some of my reading... This is a lot less fraught with pictures and adds. My magazines and newspapers, though,  are much more colorful.  

In a UF Alum magazine, I read that two of the contestants from Survivor, the NFL Culpeppers, are Gators. No wonder I wasn't a fan of theirs on the show. Hahaha. 

Butter and cheese prices are up. If I remember correctly it is because there's a shortage of cream... for butter anyway

 Ice cream and cream cheese makers are making it tough for butter makers buy cream. 

And people! Drink milk! Make your kids drink milk! Since the 70's, milk drinking has gone down 37%! That number includes all kinds of milk. If I were to isolate the different kinds, the most staggering number would be Whole milk's plummet.  Whole milk consumption has dropped 78%! The fact is there are more drink choices today than there were in the 70's. The young American children are simply not drinking milk. Crazy! Growing up, my choices of beverage was apple juice, milk, water, or crystal light (gross!). Now we have sodas galore and terrible energy drinks. There's sugar water disguised as juice. And so on.  I'll save you the shpeel about the health benefits of milk because we all know them. Just go drink your milk. Milk does a body good!

(Also,  if this blog happens to go viral and the people of DairyBusiness happen to write an article about me being a milk activist... I will get to be on the board of directors here. So I raise my glass of milk to the long shot.)

Now some sayings:

You shouldn't try to catch your farts and sniff 'em.
Tie a knot or tie a lot.

**Man, I had some good ones that I can't seem to remember... maybe next time.**

Corn days are ticking down and I know I'll be sad to see them go... that means I will appreciate the time left and work hard to earn that golden star employee status!

Hail the conquering hero!

Yesterday I got to push the ground corn back in its home! That was fun and nerve-wracking all at the same time. I didn't even flip the loader over either.
Then I cleaned the whole pad all by myself.

Before

After... I think I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. 

The clouds were so low yesterday. If they were any lower we would've been walking through them. 

Goregous. 

This morning I found this little guy in my chair. I set him free near the bugs. 

We are FINALLY outta the Stuart fields so hopefully things pick up around here.  

More sayings:

I don't need that like you don't need an elevator in an outhouse. 

Turn on the truck, turn off the brain. 

No plastic-ee. No check-ee.

You're not gonna get your way. Not today and tomorrow's not looking good either.

I'd give a nickle for someone to use their brain. 

He's baaaccckkkk!

Norman is back!!! That's right. My beautiful beast of a truck is back and I couldn't be happier about it. Yes, I named my truck Norman. George Washington's favorite war horse was named Old Norman and I thought it was perfect for the truck.
I tried out Stonewall, Bolt, Dart, Archer, Lil' Grey and so on but those names lacked age.

Looks like a Norman, huh? 

Nothing new to report. We've had REALLY slow days.

There apparently is an ice cream man who drives around the farm! Nothing like a good old fashioned screwball. Delish. 

And a lovely sunset to end the day at the farm.