Heifers, Chicks, and a Diploma

Our oldest daughter, Kate, graduated with her bachelor’s in biology in May. David, Hadley, myself, and all four grandparents flew to Kansas to watch her walk across the stage and get her diploma.

P.S.-check out David’s hat. That is our cattle brand! The kids had it made for him.

It was a very quick trip to Kansas to see her get that diploma. All the elders of our family were extremely excited to find a small town cafe near her college that sold coffee for 95 cents a cup!

It was very exciting.

Here is David stuck between the two grandpas-wishing he chose a better seat at breakfast.

Kate is taking a year off from school to study for her MCAP and get ready for medical school.

Hadley, now 20, is living with David’s brother, Alex, and his family for the summer and possibly longer. She is working for a landscape company and saving up money while she tries to decide what she wants to do. So, we are missing her. She is a good 5-6 hours away from us right now.

The boys are working like crazy. Word has spread quickly throughout our community and they are in high demand for work of all kinds that is outside and requires muscle and energy. They leave the house most days around 5:45 am and return around 3pm. It is at that time that they would like first dinner. Then they head out again to do their lawn mowing business and don’t get home until 7-8pm, which is when they would like second dinner.

I am spending my summer cleaning, doing laundry, reading, making food for the ravenous workers, playing with my dogs, and wondering what happened to the days of loading up towels and sand toys and snacks and spending the afternoon at the beach.

Little Dude (ha) has turned 16 and now has his driver’s permit. So that’s fun.

Here is is obligatory picture with his Kit Kat Cake.

Total goob.

I finished off another year in the fabulous first grade, and am planning on teaching first grade again this coming year. I do have to move my classroom, which fills me with sadness and despair. This past year, we successfully hatched 11 live chicks at the end of May, and here it is August and I feel the need to boast to you all that all 11 are still alive.

!

Our school does this little “see-you-later-edu-gator” thing where teachers take pics with this small alligator for the kids to see what their teachers are up to over the summer. Here was my picture for my students on the day I moved them out of my kitchen and into the coop.

Glory!

And if you have ever had a brooder box in your kitchen, you too would be shouting glory.

Stand down, Chicken Police!

I know these little friends are too little to be out in the wide, wide world. I moved them to a coop within the coop complete with heat lamp and protection from sassy, big hens. If you must know.

Did I tell you all 11 are still alive?

Amazing.

Oh. Also, I turned 43. I was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean when that happened. More to come on that.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .

One morning, we received a call from a neighbor that several cows were at their place, and lo and behold, we found out that our entire herd had escaped in the night.

Are you surprised?

David came home from work (!) and we hopped on the side by side to try and hunt them down, but they were long gone and being quite elusive. Eventually David had to go back to work, and so I found myself at the house with all the gates open wondering if the cows would just decide to saunter back home.

In the afternoon, I received a call from David that the neighbor had spotted the cows again and they weren’t too far away. David called me and gave me some very important instructions. And, Reader. I could tell in his voice he had little hope that I would be able to accomplish this task on my own. So, I did as I was asked and got the side by side ready to tow a big container of grain to try and lure the cows home. You know. Like the Pied Piper. And because I am me, I took a picture in case no one would believe me.

Here’s a fun fact. These aren’t even OUR actual cows. David took all my cows, including precious Ruby away to eat grass in a neighboring field. Kind of like summer camp for cows. And as part of some deal he has worked out with a dude, we are caring for these heifers and letting our bull breed them.

I know. Nothing over here makes sense. Please just accept it.

My point is, these heifers are much more wild and skiddish than our normal gals, so that is why it was so hard do locate and lure them.

Let’s move on with the story, shall we?

I approached the herd with caution and shook the bucket of grain in the most tantalizing and appetizing way I could think of. I believe I even tossed some grain into the wind hoping they would sniff it out. Well, those hungry heifers surely did notice me and my tempting grain, and wouldn’t you know it, I was able to trick them and lead them home.

I would like to announce that I, yes, I, Taylor Maliblahblah, got 28 heifers and one bull back to safety without the assistance of David or any of my offspring.

Do I consider myself a hero? Yes.

Will this prompt David to finally buy me that Number One Wife t-Shirt I so greatly deserve? Probably not.

David and I have now been married for 24 years, if you can believe that.

This picture is brought to you from the shores of Mazatlan, Mexico when we were on a trip with my entire side of the family. I shall discuss that trip in another post soon-ish. I hope.

Happy Thursday!