Co-Workers

So it's been a while since I've blogged about the new adventure I've been on, dairy farming, so I thought I would give all of you an update.

I have a ton of thoughts running through my head on a daily basis while helping Jeff at the farm.  Good and bad thoughts, some funny, some stupid and well, I'm sure some people may think I'm half crazy when done reading this but seriously, I think these things.

At the farm we milk about 110 cows two times a day.  And although, due to their size, many people are extremely intimidated by cows and scared of them, overall the majority of them are very calm, cool and collected and I find them to be kind of like really big dogs in a sense.

Some of the girls looking at me in the barn.  They are such nosy animals and the second they see you coming the majority of them will watch you the entire time to see what you are doing.

Each one of them has their own select personalities just like any one of us do.  Some of are very easy going, we have a few in the barn that I refer to as "sassy pants" as they always have to push my buttons some way or another and then like humans, you have the ones that are divas and others that are just, well, bitches really.

And the more you are around them, the more you figure out each of their personalities and start to recognize each and every one.  Oh gosh, I have a ton I need to get to know yet, Jeff of course recognizes each and every one and knows exactly where they belong when they come in the barn, but I still have a lot to learn.

When I'm working in the barn I consider these gentle giants to be my new coworkers because with the exception of Jeff, I see them more than anybody lately and I consider them a big part of my life and have noticed they are kind of like big "kids" really.

So, let's introduce you to some of my new co-workers.

I don't know her official name but I call her "Whitey" for obvious reasons. She is one of the nicer cows in the group and one of the easiest ones to recognize in the barn as she is mainly white. She is very calm and one of my favorites although when letting her out of the barn she will be sneaky and slip into an empty stall on her way out in-between two other cows and eat more food before you notice her.

I don't know her name either, but I do know she is a sassy pants!!!  If you notice, the top part of the barn has tie stalls and all of the cows in this part of the barn have pretty little necklaces around their necks so when they get in the barn you can chain them into their stall.  Well, this sassy cow will not let you approach her at all from her left to tie her in.  If you even try from that direction I guarantee you will go flying, so you have to come from her right and reach below and tie her in and depending on "her mood" sometimes that doesn't work either and I end up leaving her and one of the guys will eventually tie her in.  Also, she is technically on my side of the barn when I milk, but only the guys can milk her due to her 'tude!

This cow's name is Kathy but I call her "Big Red".  As you can see, she is a rather tall and large cow compared to most and she is a D-I-V-A!!!!  Above is a photo of what she has to do every single time she exits the barn for the night.  You must let the cow to her right out first so she has ample room and then she will back her butt around and use the smaller, center bar between the two stalls and massage her belly area with it.  If you don't allow her the time to do this for at least 5-10 seconds she will buck her head at you and not cooperate very well.  She cracks me up really!!!

I wonder a lot when working around the farm if the cows have "friends" and are clicky like humans are?  I mean, do certain cows hang with the same ones when out in the cowyard together?   Are some cows more popular within their cowyard?  Do other cows look at another one and think "Oh man, I wish I looked as pretty as she does?"  I know, I'm crazy right, but seriously, it enters my mind.  And no, I haven't been drinking!!! 

I don't have a picture, but there is one cow called Martina that is super, super tall and I can't help but think of our daughter when I look at her.  She just towers over the other cows in the barn, just like Sam always has within her class.

This new adventure has been fun.  It's been a lot of hard work and my hands hurt like a son of a you know what, must be from being used in ways I hadn't been using them before, but overall it's all good. 

The views from the barn windows and doors both mornings and nights are spectacular.  Whether its the gorgeous pink winter sunrises I have been seeing the last few morning or the full moon shining so brightly in the night sky as I am letting cows out of the barn, it makes me stop and pause at the miracle of it all.

There is such a peacefulness to farming.  The smells, the sounds, the views, the animals and the gentle nature of it all.  Along with the cows there are the farm cats that are constantly roaming the barn.  Beautiful cats simply looking for some warm milk for their bellies, but don't dare approach them.

And then there is my faithful companion Lucy, who follows me around throughout the barn the entire night, like a little shadow.  She prefers to only attend the afternoon milkings though as she apparently isn't a "morning dog".

This has given me a new appreciation for a lot of things.  I always knew my husband was a a hard worker before, but now, watching what he does all day and knowing how much more he does at the farm once he lets me leave in the morning makes me respect him even more.  He is an extremely hard worker and anybody who would think otherwise is nuts!!!

I have certainly been appreciative of the fact that farming puts you in touch with nature and makes you appreciate the beauty around you every single day.  I always had a keen eye for the beauty surrounding us before, but this has certainly left me with an even deeper awe.

I love that this new job leaves out all of the bullshit of the crazy world around us where too many people are caught up in materialistic crap instead of what really matters.  I may get kicked occasionally by a cow, or have poop all over me when I leave for the day, but I'll take that anyday over being stepped on and shit on by another person who is only trying to better themselves.  I don't miss that kind of bullshit at all!!!