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maryjane
7074 Posts
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 Posted - Sep 03 2021 : 5:16:42 PM
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Enjoying, no, LOVING the cooler weather we're having. Still no rain though. I'm having fun finally getting my finally finished B&B ready for some guests.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2021 : 07:56:54 AM
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 Good morning! The pictures of your B&B and surrounding landscape are so beautiful. Makes you want to stand and take in a big breath of fresh air. I'm sure your guests will be delighted. We have been getting rain off and on and it is sooooo welcome. I hope you get some soon. All is going fairly good here for the moment. Nothing we can't handle anyway. Darla and Millie are so big, they are feeling the enormity of it, I can see why. As wide as they are long. Estella is doing great with the milking, you'd think she's been milked for years. Don't even need to use the side rail or leg strap. Strange how different each one is.  Enjoy the weekend! |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Sep 15 2021 : 06:35:15 AM
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That's great news about Estella.
We have some rain predicted. The sky is clear and there are a few clouds forming. I'm hopeful. Our annual rainfall is 21 inches, Jan. to Dec. So far we've had 2.90 inches, two of those in Jan. and Feb. We should have had 13.13 by now.
My nectarines have come and gone, a beautiful crop. My peaches are coming on next and they are GORGEOUS this year.
Buttercup and Daisy are in the parlor giving milk every day. Plenty of cream. Soon I'll know if Daisy and Rosetta are pregnant. We AI'ed Rosetta twice during her last heat because I think my first attempt was premature as I observed her heat maturing.
How are Darla and Millie doing, Janet? Jasper is still the love of our lives. He follows me everything, even on long hikes. As soon as he hears my voice out and about, he comes running.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Sep 15 2021 : 08:05:00 AM
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Good morning MaryJane!  Beautiful peaches! None here this year, but hopefully next year. I'm blessed with raspberries, raspberries, raspberries and roses. Made a raspberry/ricotta cream swiss roll last week.  Raspberry pies, and many pkgs. for the freezer.  There are still green ones to ripen and the little bumblebees are still pollination the little flowers. I'll be picking into October it appear. Darla and Millie coming along okay so far. Darla,  Both due Oct. 4th. Rest of the gang,  Grady is growing like a weed. It's gonna get a bit crazy in October. Tree leaves are turning colors, autumn is here. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Sep 16 2021 : 06:19:09 AM
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Your Swiss roll makes my mouth water. Beautiful. I've quit picking raspberries I have so many and still have some of last year's in the freezer.
Your girls are looking great. Of the three in your last photo, who is who, right to left??? |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Sep 16 2021 : 06:50:41 AM
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Good morning!  Two new blooms this morning amongst the orchids. Okay, the cows from right to left, Millie is on the ground front, Nellie is behind her, Estella is standing with Grady right behind her on ground. Nice and cool this morning but to get to upper 80's today. Yes the raspberries are prolific this year. Mine were all used up so I'm picking until there's no more. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Sep 20 2021 : 11:39:12 AM
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Sure was nice to get some rain, .33 inch. Just the look of wet made me happy. I'm sure the deer that are grazing the wheat fields will soon appreciate nibbling on the berries that sprout because of the rain.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Sep 21 2021 : 01:44:18 AM
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| So glad you received some much needed rain. Hopefully more will come your way soon. We had a little shower yesterday morning but nothing measurable, happy to have it. Such a lovely view from your place. I see what looks like your orchard, and greenhouse. Golden field and hillside. Nice to stop, take some time to see the beauty surrounding us. Breathtaking. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 11 2021 : 7:26:25 PM
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I was some distance from the farm today and suddenly I was surrounded by bluebirds (sort of rare around here). I followed them to their home, really a large high rise, full of bluebirds coming and going. I kneeled down to get a photo of them either leaving or entering and they completely disappeared. Camera shy I suppose. Anyway, there's a back story on the snag. I mentioned to Nick that it had burn marks on it but doubted there'd been a fire rage through where it stands. As it turns out, he burned the grass out of the nearby ditch dozens of years ago and accidentally caught the tree on fire and killed it. At the time he felt bad about it, but now that it's habitat for birds that are on the decline, it all worked out in the long run.
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And somewhere nearby is another snag full of honeybees. They left their manmade hive sometime in July, but are still here in full force everywhere I look. I won't get the honey but they sure have been busy pollinating every possible blossom.
We've had some frosty mornings but the flowers in the cow troughs in front of our store are still going strong.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 12 2021 : 01:35:44 AM
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| Good morning! What a wonderful ending for the burnt out tree, home for bluebirds. I would have sat there all day watching. And the honey bees too. That is such fun. Your flowers in front of the store so pretty. I just love fall. I spent a good share of my day outdoors with the dogs and just walking around the farm Such a pleasant time of year. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 19 2021 : 05:30:53 AM
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I hope your fall is proving to be as lovely as ours. We've had slight frosts but now it's warm/sunny again. Our gardens still have a few tomatoes, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, and flowers and yesterday I ate my last peach. This was the year I perfected peach eating. Once I started to get a few ripening on the tree in August, I picked all of them, almost ripe but not quite, over the course of a few days, putting them on large trays inside where I could watch over them. Each day, those that ripened were put into a refrigerator and there they stayed, with about a dozen taken out every day for eating. You can't get that many perfect peaches, every day for two months, in a store!
Right now I'm processing all my pears as they ripen on trays. Once they turn yellow, I slice and dry them. I'm thinking Christmas presents, small sacks of better-than-candy dried pears.
I tried another AI on Rosetta last Wednesday. The timing seemed perfect, but we shall see. Daisy is pregnant and has been giving milk for more than two years now, so I'm drying her off. That girl loves to give milk and doesn't dry off easily. Her daughter, Buttercup, was super easy to dry off. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 19 2021 : 07:46:18 AM
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| What a beautiful display of goodness MaryJane. Good morning! Yes, grand autumn days with tree colors that are breathtaking. I'm still planting things. Planted two Witch hazel bushes, more hazelnut bushes, and paw paw trees. I have iris and a few bulbs to plant yet and then I think I will be done for this year. Dug up some herbs and put in greenhouse for the winter. Ordered sexed semen for Nellie. She will be 10 this next year and if I want another heifer from her I better do it now. Need to go pick it up sometime this week at Hawkeye Breeders Service. I just dried Nellie up this past week, she has given milk for a year now, and I wanted her dry before we try breeding again. Darla is supplying the milk for now. All of Estella's milk is taken care of by Grady. May wean him at 3 months instead of 4. He is good sized, eats and good on his own so will move him in with the steers next month. That's about it here. Enjoying autumn. And we have a barn owl frequenting our farm which is encouraging. Hopefully take an interest in our owl box. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 19 2021 : 07:57:22 AM
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I forgot to mention I'm bottle feeding 4 abandoned kittens which keeps me hopping between everything else.  We harvested our honey from standard hives on Sunday. Now we have to spin it out and bottle it up.  All those frames are packed full on honey. Getting our honey bees ready for winter. No frost yet and a high of 75 for today. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 22 2021 : 10:03:09 AM
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Ahhh, little baby kittens to nurture. And a cache of some impressive honey supers. That's in addition to what you're setting aside for the bees, right? Banner honey year for you!
I am processing pears, a batch in the dryer about every three days. Dried pears and plums are my favorite snack. The pears I like to dip into peanut butter or eat with walnuts. The plums I like plain ole, plain ole. I enjoy behaving like a squirrel this time of year.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 22 2021 : 2:40:06 PM
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Yes the honey bees should be set for winter. I have some honey frames in the freezer but the bees should have plenty stored up. It will depend on how harsh and how long winter is, so we'll see. We will have plenty. I brought my dehydrator out yesterday and dried pears and apples. My espalier pear tree put on a few small pears, but nothing to harvest. Hopefully next year.  Just one batch. Every time I pass through the kitchen I grab some to eat. I won't need supper tonight. I've been cracking walnuts and putting away walnut meats too. Have most of my herbs dried and bottled up.  It's been a busy autumn so far. Just beautiful to walk around and enjoy the beautiful autumn colors. First frost this morning with 32 degrees. I'm an ole softy and had to get my cuddle duds out, not adjusted to cool weather yet. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
Edited by - NellieBelle on Oct 22 2021 3:58:26 PM |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 23 2021 : 05:34:20 AM
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I'm with you on the cuddle duds. I've been enjoying my baggiest, longest hoodies and stocking caps when I first go out in the mornings.
Janet, make sure you check out a PBS special called, My Garden of a Thousand Bees. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 23 2021 : 08:20:05 AM
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Good morning! Well, you've seen my "chore" attire before and it hasn't changed. The more layers the better. I don't mind being outside when it's cold as long as I bundled up warm. Rather enjoy it. Thank you for the PBS referral of My Garden of a Thousand Bees. I wish I could photograph like he does. Phenomenal.
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To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 24 2021 : 07:24:55 AM
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The other lovely thing about fall are the colors. Within the last 4 years, I've planted 3 Pacific maple trees, known for their bright red color in the fall. The other maples I have turn yellow, and I have a few bushes that turn a darker red. I'm lovin' my three Pacifics! Can you imagine the stunning display they'll provide in another ten years as they grow taller? Plus, we're finally getting some rain, not even half an inch so far, but it's supposed to rain on and off all week.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 24 2021 : 09:26:40 AM
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Good morning! Glorious autumn colors! Don't you just love walking out amongst the trees this time of year? It's cathartic. It is raining cats and dogs here, (not that I need either of those) ha!, but 1.5" so far and still raining. I went out in the rain and took a few pictures of the trees.  The walnut leaves which were bright yellow have all pretty much fallen already. The last two frosty mornings and now this wonderful rain has put some of the leaves to bed. Even my new little witch hazel bushes are colorful. The hazel nut bushes and hickory nut trees bright yellow as well.  Some of the oaks up north are turning red, but they will have to wait as I was soaked through. Refreshing! All the cows with their calves are bedded down in the weathering pen. Fair weather cows. And this may be a new way of winterizing the bee hives.   Picked a 5 gallon bucket of acorn squash yesterday, had one for supper last evening which really hit the spot. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 24 2021 : 10:05:41 AM
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Sweet, your hen perched with your bees giving warmth. Autumn is my daughter's favorite season, probably having to do with her being born in October. She decorates with leaves, mums, pumpkins, squash ...
Guess what I had last night for dinner? My first acorn of the season w/potatoes from my garden, Desiree (the only potato I grow), so creamy good. And the squash hit the spot. Just a bit of butter on top. Now that I'm eating squash again, it's officially fall:)
Content cows, love it. I'm hoping Rosetta is finally pregnant. Counting the days. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 24 2021 : 10:24:19 AM
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My favorite season also, and Joe and I birthday's in October too. Can't beat squash, it's a comfort food and pumpkin pies, apple fritters, your orange/walnut biscotti, all just great fall favorites. I have one button mum in rich burgundy color and I'm pressing oak leaves in various colors in books so I can lay they out here and there along with acorns that I will be planting soon all over the farm. Nutters! Autumn is a time to reflect and take a little rest and take accounting of all that's been accomplished through the previous months. Winter, a time to start thinking about next years projects, and hopefully able to carry them out.
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To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 24 2021 : 12:27:49 PM
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I have only one mum this year, burgundy, in a planter. I've taken so many bouquets off it this year, it's looking a bit beat up, but two weeks ago it was the perfect specimen of a mum.
Can't believe I'm still picking rose bouquets.
Happy autumnal B-day to Joe and Janet!
Yes, fall is a good time to take a break. Today, I have a Sunday nap calling my name. Just got back from a long walk-about as you've described, also in the rain. I nibbled on fruit as I wandered. Nap, tea for me.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 24 2021 : 1:42:23 PM
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I just got up from a nap. Still thundering and raining. We sure needed it. My roses are still putting on buds, I just threw out some I had in a pie plate. My mum isn't as full as yours, but pretty. It's called Plumberry Purple  This is duck weather and they are all loving it. Can't keep them out of my frog pond. .jpg?v 97463602) |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Oct 28 2021 : 7:48:23 PM
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How big is your frog pond? Do you have any photos of it?
It's still trying to rain here. We've almost hit one inch total. I'm loving how misty and wet things feel. Here's our granddaddy maple tree with its small sits-and-thinks seat that one of my kids installed 30+ years ago.
And a close up of one of my new red maple trees that will someday be as big as my yellow maple.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Oct 29 2021 : 03:16:41 AM
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| Such beauty! Your maple trees are bursting with color. Just love it. And I love walking through the leaves. I haven't been able to take pictures of anything lately as it's been raining non-stop. We ended up with 3.2" last rain and this morning the rain gauge measures 2.5". It's cool and blustery this morning at 46 degrees and still blowing and sprinkling drops of rain. Suppose to clear out by 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. ( I sound like Mrs Bale on PBS, As Time Goes By) The frog pond as I call it is the livestock tank outside that I had my fish in. The fish are in a tank in the basement because of the cooler weather and winter coming on. There's only a foot of water in the tank but the ducks keep jumping in, sometimes they can't get out and I have to help them, and I get a pond water bath. Not good. Anyway the frogs and toads don't appreciate them. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Autumn ... finally!
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