Third time is a charm!

Howdy y'all!
I'm back in the saddle again... figuratively for now, of course. After an incredibly rainy week, corn is coming to the farm. Which means once more I'm chasing The Shack's shadow with my chair, weighing trucks, & taking dry matter samples. For those of you new to my blog, (or those who would like to reminisce) go read my other publishings to catch you up on life on the farm. They are entertaining. 
I was actually ready to start working at the farm this go round. Since school finished up, I had a few days to switch gears to farm mode, see people, and watch some movies before I became interned at the farm.
However, corn is a fickle friend. It did not wait for me to finish school before it returned. In fact, the all time record of most trucks weighed in one day (held by the Bossman) was demolished without me. The new record is now held by my buddy, Curtis, at NINETY-SIX trucks! That's a lot of corn. I think it is around 12 tons that has been brought in without me. It would've been more if the summer monsoons didn't have to ruin the parade.
Not much has changed around the commodity barn. Still smells like yucky fermentation and that hit my sniffer like a sack of garbage. The good news is my nose acclimated quickly. The same guys are around and we have the same conversation we had last year. Here are some of the questions I get to answer: "Mendy, how are you?" "Where you was?" "Long time, things good with you?" "Boyfriend?"
There are a few new faces and a few faces no longer around. The one I remember most from previous summers was the driver who always brought me things... mangoes, subway, cokes... Yea, he hasn't made his appearance yet. I'm holding out hope though. Maybe he just doesn't like Mondays.
Mr. Ray just told me that a fat cow doesn't produce as much milk as a skinny cow . I feel like I should double check that fact from the Bossman himself but I might be enrolling myself in nutrition 101. I'll keep you posted.
I finally got a new dry matter scale but the Bossman still disagrees with my results. Looks like I'm a bit rusty on the old squeeze test. The only other real exciting thing happening is one of the pit walls is under so much pressure it is bowing. Badly. And it is like so much concrete. I'll post a picture of it. We're putting corn in that pit now and Tony was funny telling me how nervous he was about that wall.

Pictures:
1. My slick new dry matter scale in all its clean glory.
2.-4. Snapshots from Pit 4. See how the concrete wall is bending! It is crazy. 

B Team

I have to say of all the things I've done on the farm, working cows will always be my favorite. No contest.
Even if I have to wake up before the sun, I'll do it! Riding a horse and hunting for cows is the best thing.
Now, before I go any further, you should know that I am in no way a professional cowhand. However, I have been along for the ride a time or two, so I'm not a complete goober either. I'm going to do my best to tell you what I did this morning, but if you are a professional cowboy please don't laugh at me too hard.
Today we had to get some cows that were in a pasture with a lot of woods. The woods make things tricky because the cows will split up and run into the woods which means getting them to where we need them that much harder. I was prepped beforehand.
"Mindy, we want them together in the open. If one darts off, stay with the group. Keep them together. We can always go back and rope the one. We can't rope all of em." (Or something like that.)
The group was spotted as we were coming in with the horses and we got our game plan, which was to swoop around them and keep them together. And BAM! They were off! Those guys (boss man and Lupe) took off like a shot. Racing around to get the group. I, of course, had to go race with them. One went wide. One went short. And I went through the woods more or less. Haha. But those guys were good because all the cows were pinned on the fence line. The use of the fence is brilliant because that is a whole side you don't need to cover. We kept them mooooving down the line until we got them where they needed to be.
After that we went back through and checked for stragglers. I was sent down the tree line with specific instructions looking for cows. It was a nice jaunt. The only problem being that there were so many different stands of trees I wasn't sure of which line to stick to. I did my best to look for cows and follow directions. No cows were found so mission one complete.
The next mission was to move a big group down the road to a home with lush grass. Because of the pros I was working with it went really well and we didn't have to chase any of the ladies down.
Boss and I went to get the truck, while Lupe checked some fence. On the way, we moved a bull to the next pasture over. Once we got him pointed in the right direction the bull kinda knew where to go on his own. We got the truck and Lupe. Next we unsaddled the horses and let them find some shade and water to cool off. By 10:00 it was just about boiling outside.
Unsaddled horses doesn't mean work is over. In fact it had just begun. Time for grunt work. Here's where I have to say that I am a terrible grunt. The job was to fling bags of mineral into the back of the truck. 50 lbs bags into a bed that is to my collar bone. I got one in there. I bore my ridicule like a champ though.
After like 45 mins of opening gates and moving trucks and putting out mineral in mineral boxes (again I did one... this was more because I was slow at manhandling those heavy bags than anything) and even moving a mineral box (which was cool because it is like a sled), we were nearly finished.
All that was left was to show the fence guy what fences needed mending. It was a full morning of good work for the B Team. The A Team are those guys who work for the boss that are real bona-fide cowboys. Sometimes he doesn't need the whole cow crew so he calls on us. The faithful B Team. We may not be as skilled or have mounts that have top of the line cutting horse bloodlines but we do have a whole lot of heart. Haha. That and a strong desire not to get kicked off the B Team.
Anyway, I came back to corn after a morning in the Creek. We are getting green stuff finally! For the passed few days it has been dusty brown corn, which is not great. All in all an awesome day and I will sure sleep well tonight.

Sayings:
"...Like to throw your/his/her/their lollipop in the dirt..."
Translation : pitch a fit

Pictures:
1. Benny is a good cow hunter. He listens to everything. This was when we were alone looking to cows left behind.
2. This is to show you how huge the pits are. This is pit 9 and it is the final one we are filling (I think).

I'm baaaack!

Admit it: You missed my farm antics.
Corn started coming almost a month and a half-ish before I finished school so I missed a lot. When I arrived there were only two and a half pits left to fill. Last year I had like four or so pits that needed mountains. I'm trying to be star employee again so forgot about blogging. However, when people asked about my blog I assured them I would write. Give the people what they want right? Haha.

Not much has changed around here from last summer... the shack is still stands in all her air conditioned glory. There are a few new faces, in the corn trucks and in the commodity barn feeding trucks. The old corn truck guys were happy to see me back. Curtis said they kept asking him where his daughter was at (ie: me) and he kept telling them I wasn't his daughter. Haha. Curtis and Tony are still pushing and packing silage mountains. Oh! They installed an ice maker in the shop and that is nice when it works. There's a new HUGE feed wagon and tractor that Mr. Ray drives. (There were some feed trucks that caught on fire this year but I'll try to post on that later.)
I still do the same things: Weigh the trucks, get sample, test dry matter, record the information in the spreadsheet, read while I wait for another truck, chase the shadow of the shack around the building with my chair and repeat. Thrilling stuff.
We've had some really smoking days without much rain which makes for a very dusty place. It is so dusty around here it is almost like a permanent fog has taken up residence at the commodity barn.
I had Lesson Number One today on how to "feed the cows." Now let me clarify for those unaccustomed to large farm operations. Even though I say I'm gonna feed the cows doesn't mean I'm going to actually give the cows dinner. It means making feed sheets that the guys on the tractors and feed trucks will use to know how much of what the cows of a certain pen will get for the day. The program on the computer is kinda cool because it does most of the hard work for you.  I'll only have to do a little bit of math figuring. But I've been told I'm allowed to use my handy dandy calculator or even my fingers if I need to so I think I can do it.  Be excited Mom, I'll be doing real life applications math! ;)
Today's lesson was mostly about knowing where the feed was going and how to change a ration's dry matter numbers. Tomorrow, I think, I have to just do it I've learned that learning on the farm means just doing it. So fingers crossed.
Alright, I have a sample that needs weighing so I'll leave you with a saying that I heard last week that tickled me and wrote down for y'all. 

"I have an eye problem... I can't see myself down much more of anything today."

Pictures:
1. That's my friend Tony. He pushes corn in the big tractor. I've even pushed cows with him as a member of the awesome B Team at Cow Creek. He is great and makes me laugh. He likes to say "It's okay." And talk about his babies (who aren't really babies so much as kids).
2. That's Tony and truck driver 284 helping truck driver 735 back up into a pit. His truck is an automatic and he has troubles with it. When I pulled up, his cab was rocking like a sailboat in a hurricane. I felt sea sick for him.
3. My notes from Lesson Number One. If it looks like gibberish don't worry it still kinda looks like that to me too. Good thing I don't have to memorize it... yet. Haha.

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!