Where Has The Summer Gone?

I finally successfully downloaded photos from my camera from the beginning of May or so.  There were close to 900.  It took awhile...  It also reminded my why I haven't had a lot of time for blogging.  

One of the first sets was from the purchase and retrieval of our milk cow Rosie.  We purchased her from Lyon's Jersey Dairy.  She is pregnant due in October with her 4th calf.  They were selling her because her production was down this freshening.  She should give around 3 gallons a day and we could only coax 1 out of her.  Don't get me wrong, that is quite all right with me!  It was the gentle way to enter the world of owning a dairy cow.  At times this summer we have had an excess of 4 gallons that we turned into mozzarella cheese.   We enjoy the fresh milk, but it is a lot of work.  It is safe to say I have harbored unkind thoughts against Rosie this summer as I have had to make time in my schedule twice daily to milk her. There were times that gained me greater understanding into why Grandpa Ed used such profane superlatives when working with livestock.  I have 6 kids to ride herd on and I'm chasing a cow around the pasture to gain teat squeezing position to extract what seems like not enough milk to lighten my coffee?!

Most days Breadwinner and I tandem milk.  A lot of days he works dawn to dusk then I play solo.  You may wonder why our freshly, in July, crowned 11 year old doesn't draw barn duty.  It took Rosie a long time to accept her new surroundings.  She came from a herd of around 300 living in a barn on sand to our wide open pasture with only the chickens for company.  For the first week she sat in the barn with her nose in a corner.  She was so stressed out that her milk tasted very salty for a few days.  -For the record my weanling loved this particular milk.  What does that say for his experience with my lactation?-  Rosie didn't cooperate well in the stanchion for a long time and still has fits that upset the milk pail if one does not have a quick hand.  We are hoping that after her calf is born we will be able to introduce the girls to the joy of being a milkmaid.

Our first glimpse of Rosie.

An explanation of why Rosie likes to lay with her nose in a corner.

Rosie's old digs.

Eric took the kids into the pit as they hooked up the cows at milking time.  He let them try to milk the cows by hand and feel the suction of the milking machine.

Eric (in black) and Joe Lyon mugging with the fam.  

  

Eric Lyon graciously gave us a tour of the dairy.  He is dedicated and excited about breeding quality Jersey calves.  We were there at the right time of year to see all the cute baby calves and he explained what qualities he prizes in a Jersey calf.

The Lyon Dairy may ring a bell to those of you familiar with the Iowa State Fair.  Duffy Lyon aka The Butter Cow Lady, was Joe's wife.  Sadly, she passed away a few weeks after we brought Rosie home.  Joe shared with us while we were there that she was to be grandmaster of the Iowa State Fair parade as the Butter Cow celebrates 100 years at the fair this year.