Winter

Farmin’ is Fixin’ & Fixin’ is Farmin’

Posted on by Melissa

Hubby has one solid complaint about farming. There’s always something that needs fixin’!

Get one thing fixed and something else breaks down. It’s always something. Now some things are higher priority than others, and many times our plans for the day are changed by something that needs fixed.

One job that’s needed done for awhile, is changing some knives in the TMR. We have been waiting for a warmer day (so we didn’t have to freeze our fingers off!) to check this one off the list.

Well, that day came this week.

We’ve had our TMR since the year Kayla was born. Dan bought it new back in ’95.

TMR

A TMR is a type of equipment we use everyday to mix up our feed ration for the cows. (TMR ~ “Total Mixed Ration”)

Now I love to bake, and I really love mixing up for the cows too.

I think of our TMR as my big Kitchenaid mixer! It has a scale on it that helps me get just the right mix to help our cows get all the nutrients they need.

So naturally, it’s really important to me that this particular piece of equipment stays in good, working order.

You see, cows like to eat the same thing EVERY DAY. And that means this machine and I have to work together to get the same feed every time I mix up. I follow the recipe (ration sheet) and I’m careful to mix it long enough without over-mixing it.

It has a series of augers inside that turn and roll all of the ingredients together to mix them up. The first auger that the ingredients make contact with has triangular knives on the edges to cut things up into smaller pieces, like hay.

Over time, these knives get worn and dull, or get weak and break off. An errant flip of the bucket could also shear off a bolt or knife, allowing it to shift so it doesn’t cut anymore.

Well, our warm January day brought this task to the top of the fixin’ list this week. Reed had a day off from school for the holiday so we had a little helper too.

Reed in TMR

In the magnet tray you can see the triangular knife we were changing out, along with the bolts, lock washers and nuts.

Unfixed TMR Auger

Yep! Looks like it could use a little work!

We changed out many of the knives and straightened up a bunch too.

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I helped put the new knives on too, but of course, no pictures to show for it. !)

It went pretty good, and in about an hour we had her good as new!

TMR Fixed
Ready to “chew” again

I sure was glad to get this job off the list.

And it’s always good to hear Hubby say “That’s a good job done!”

Perfect 10 in the Half Pike!

Posted on by Melissa

Winter visited while we were sleeping last night and spread a blanket of heavy, wet snow in our neck of the woods.

The trees that fill the horizon every way you look were a snowy white, with a glittery shine. We had gotten a good 2 to 3 inches on the ground.

As I carried a sleepy boy down our front yard to the barn this morning, who knew that I was secretly training for the next winter Olympics!?! Not even I!!!

Where the grass meets the gravel there’s a slight ledge. And a downhill slope. And that…  should be enough information for you to guess what happened.

I hit that sucker like a banana peel and up in the air I went!

I’m pretty sure I landed perfectly horizontal! A perfect 10!

Reed wasn’t so happy with my landing. As I was perfecting my form, I probably squeezed him awake before we even hit the ground! He looked at me like “What the heck just happened?”

And I let out a loud groan…. Crap.

It was too early in the morning for me to ask Kayla, who I had seen over by the condo as I was coming down the yard, to score my landing. She rushed over to help me up, but I convinced her that I was just going to lay there for a couple minutes.

After I rolled over, curled my spine, and listened to see how many vertebrae popped, I thought maybe I could make it to the barn to tell my Olympic tale.

What a way to start the day. Well, at least it got better…

Dan, Reed and I headed to Fredericksburg to serve frozen yogurt at the schools today. (Click on the red words to see pictures)

We had great help, which always makes it lots of fun.

We also stopped by the Mennonite School near our house and served the kids and teachers there a dish of frozen yogurt. The appreciation you get from everyone sure makes it worth doing!

We had about an hour to relax when we got home before we had to start chores. We headed outside a little early so we could get to our Dairy Promotion Board Meeting tonight.

While my feed was mixing in the TMR, I had a couple minutes to play with Reed in the snow.

Reed and sled

There’s a spot in our yard that has a deep hill and the snow was packed just enough to make it really slippery! I tried not to repeat this morning’s performance as I showed him how to start at the very top to get lots of speed!

He giggled and giggled and had a great time sledding all through chores!

Reed on Sled

It was funny to see how his sledding progressed… He started sledding on his bottom at first, then drove it down the hill like a chariot, holding the reins. By the time he was done, he was snow surfing!

You’ll have to stop by my Facebook Page to see the video! (Click on the red words)

As the night gets late, I’m starting to get a little stiff from my (Perfect 10!) landing. Ya know, it’s too bad I couldn’t have gotten that on video!

But then again… I like to think there’s a reason for everything !)

Saturday on the Farm

Posted on by Melissa

Today turned out to be one of those days that livestock farmers hope to get in January. A day to haul manure!

It’s been warming up this past week and today it made up into the 40’s. That means that the housework waits and we spend the day in the skid loader and tractor, cleaning out our lots.

This morning after chores we worked at home and got the Monster pile in the cow yard hauled out. I loaded with the skid loader and Dan spread it in one of our nearby fields.

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Dan’s sister, Teresa, stopped in around lunch time so we got to take a nice break. We haven’t seen her for almost a month so it was good catching up with her, and hearing how her Christmas and New Year’s went.

While we were in the house I made some goodies for the Community Awards Banquet tonight. I made a cheese tray, a beef stick tray, and a batch of snowballs. They will be served during the Hor d’oeuves portion of the evening.

Last year I worked at the Chamber and helped put on this great event. Community members nominate volunteers in 5 categories to be honored at this Banquet. It’s a great honor for the volunteers and also a fun social night out.

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Dan and I at the Awards Banquet

We were also happy to see a good family friend of ours be honored, Lester. He is a very giving person and does a lot for the community.

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Lester was so happy and humbled to be honored

Hats off to you Lester! And to all of the others who were honored tonight!

A good day, all in all.

Mittens… Serious Business Round Here

Posted on by Melissa

If you asked me what I can’t live without these days, I wouldn’t answer the way I used to. There are just certain things that are a “must” now that I’m a farm girl.

This morning in the skid loader I got to thinkin’ bout my mittens… and how much I love them.

As soon as the aisles at Norby’s Farm Fleet get double-wide stocked with winter gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, and the like I turn my cart down the aisle for some serious shopping.

I have made the mistake the last couple of years to pick up just ONE pair of mittens for myself and the crew. BIG. MISTAKE.

See here? This is the result of only buying one pair of mittens.

Old Mittens
Sad, but true

This pair got totally blown out when I was pumping up a low skid loader tire. There must have been a weak spot in the sidewall because it exploded and blew me on my butt about 4 feet back.

Holy smokes! I thought my contacts were permanently glued to my eyeballs! I count myself lucky, but… my poor mittens. It blew one of the straps clean off and ripped the stitching out of the end of the other one.

But when I got up, they still dusted my butt off. That next week I went back to the store to get me another pair and guess what?

Hmmm…

Notice I still have them. (And in a safe place too, just in case there’s a mitten emergency!) They survived that season because I couldn’t live without them.

Now, this year I went all out. I found a pair of mittens that I am currently in love with. They’re heavy, warm, pretty much waterproof, have a rubbery grip and even have fleece between the fingers! Score!

In fact, I loved them so much I bought THREE pairs! (One for chores, one for good, and one on reserve for someone I really love or in case of a mitten emergency!)

My Mittens
My current Must-Haves

My husband and girls have a favorite kind too.

Axeman Leather Mittens

We have a trusty supply of back ups of these too!

So on this windy, cold, morning my hands were warm.

And that, was a blessing.

 

A Honeymoon!

Posted on by Melissa

Ooooooohhhhhh! It’s so exciting! Well, not for ME. For THEM!

Chelsey and Jason, that is. They left this morning for their honeymoon! Thank goodness the snow was finished and they could get on their way.

Their wedding took place Labor Day Weekend and was quite the shin-dig! We had a great time celebrating with family and friends from all over. Here are a few pictures of the newlyweds…

Chelsey and Jason were excited to get their picture taken with our 4230 on their wedding day!
Chelsey and Jason were excited to get their picture taken with our 4230 on their wedding day!
Here they are at the reception. Don't they look happy? I love this picture!
Here they are at the reception. Don’t they look happy? I love this picture!

In true farmer fashion they plan on visiting some farms on their trip, haha. I thought that was pretty cool.

And we’ll be missing them while they’re gone. Chelsey helps us with milking most everyday and we like having Jason stop by. He tends to make brownie points with his father-in-law most everytime he comes. See, he likes to fix things. Which is a bonus for us. There’s always something that needs fixing around the farm.

Anyways, I hope they have a great honeymoon! They sure deserve a break. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but I can’t tell you which direction they were heading. I wouldn’t want them to be disturbed 🙂

Do any of you want to share with me where you spent your honeymoon?

Dan’s New Toy

Posted on by Melissa

One sunny day last summer, my husband was on a mission. He had had enough during the past long, hard, snowy winter and raised his bidding number over and over and OVER again until he had bought something on his bucket list.

This is my husband's idea of fun!
This is my husband’s idea of fun!

As you can see, the dogs like it too. We have 2 dogs… Cosmo and Brooklyn. Cosmo is our black lab and is close to 8 years old. Our yellow lab, Brooklyn, is his daughter and is about 3 years old.

Brooklyn especially loves to chase things that fly, like snow from a snow blower! Both dogs also enjoy tennis balls, bale spears, welding sparks and the worst of all, flying manure.

Let’s just say she stays a lot cleaner chasing flying snow. 🙂

So, if you’re in the neighborhood, you may be seeing Dan going from place to place, using his new toy! He’s good like that.

 

It was a double-sweatshirt kind of morning!

Posted on by Melissa

Brrr. Well, I’m not sure that covers it! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! There. Each r represents how many degrees below zero it was this morning.

However, the wind wasn’t blowing (which is the thing I hate the most about working outside) so it wasn’t too bad. And God made up for the bitter cold with a beautiful sunrise.

And he threw in a one sided sundog for good measure!

January 5, 2015
First snowfall of the year measured about 4 inches in the tire tracks this mornin’

Hope you’re staying warm today!