When your day is in the crapper!

It's been busy here this week getting calves clipped, washed and ready for video this weekend. I have a great crew helping me with Ryan and Evan. They are the best and even though they keep eating all of my popsicles I still love working with them. Things are going very well but today I think we were all very weary and ready to call it a day.

I have been busy getting the pasture into shape with weedeating, mowing and making a few changes. Brad and I spent a romantic evening doing some finish work on the new addition to the bunkhouse. We worked in the mud to prepare a level spot under the walnut tree out behind the bunkhouse for the "outhouse"! Oh, quit curling your nose. If you are a steer jock you shouldn't be such a prude! Anyway, it's not really a real outhouse. It's going to house the refrigerator and the power source for our electricity. I just thought it would be more "aesthetically appealing"...or some big word like that. Anyway, I think that this will lend itself to lots of conversation and redneck one-liners!

Define Emotionally Drained

O.K., so I've been a bit absent for the past few days so I am going to tell a story that is non cattle related but just too bizarre to keep to myself. My dog, Darby, whom is my right arm and my constant companion started getting oddly ill on Thursday. By Saturday I had to rush him to Iowa State University because he was falling down and listless. They ran lots of test and tried everything but he became completely unresponsive by mid afternoon. I came home and by 10:30 last night ISU called to tell me that his heart was stopping and that they wanted to know if I wanted them to attempt ressucitation. I told them to let him go. Needless to say I cried like a baby all night long. Yeah I know, it's only a dog.

So this morning my phone rings and it's the ISU vet that was in charge of Darby's case. He talked about Darby for a few minutes and then said that when he came into work this morning that he was shocked to find Darby...not dead...but ALIVE!!! You could have pushed me off the chair with a feather. I now understand the true definition of Emotional Roller-Coaster! Oiy-vay, what a weekend!!! Holy cow, where's the Tylenol!!!

I promise that I will have more focused blog material for the rest of this week...if anyone is even reading this stuff....and/or cares! LOL!!! So stay tuned!

Ooops!

Good news! We are another step closer to having power in the bunkhouse. The electrician came today and we worked on burying a line through the pasture into the bunkhouse. Everything went great except for that little line that used to run to the end of the lane to light the Nelson Cattle Company Sign. My bad. Nothing a little crazy glue and duct tape can't fix! (Just kidding.)

We are also getting all of the tree hula hoops installed today. Yes, even our trees have a good time at Club Calf Paradise!! All of the trees in the pasture will have an electrified hoop around it to keep the little "doggies" from pruning their brances. It's amazing what I can get Brad to do in his tinker shop after hours!

Turn up the steam!

"Wow! What a scorcher today. I guess I can't complain when we spend the day in the barn with fans blowing on us, Cabana girls/boys delivering fresh water and all the great chow we can enjoy. I especially like when the water misters get turned on in the afternoon! Now THAT'S living!!"

That was a conversation you could have caught today if you would have been hanging out with the sale calves. Ahhhh, someday I hope I come back as a show ... heifer.

Very funny Brad!

My dear husband set up my blog account for me and kindly put my birthdate at 1945! I guess it still bothers him that he's older than me! You would think that he would be proud that he got his trophy bride the first time out of the gate!! Oh well, I think I fixed the error although if we count my REAL birthdays I look a lot older than I really am!

New Calves Arrive!

And wow are they nice! Chuck Sandvold delivered his calves today. Most of them are Heat Wave (Yeah, the real thing) and one is a Paddy O'Malley. Even though it stormed here last night and they are wet and muddy they look great. I am excited about getting them settled in and getting started on baths and clip jobs. This is a really deep set of calves.

I also did some ground work on the flashy little Smooth Sailing heifer that Mike Vogt brought this week. She was a little nervous at first but by the end of our session she was letting me slip the halter on and off of her in the pen and I was scratching her legs with my hands. She is going to definitely be a highlight and a knock out market heifer. I really love her freaky front end.

We are happy for the rain we recived last night but Darby (the farm mascot) spent most of the night curled up between Brad and I hiding from the thunder! We are adding electricity to the bunkhouse today so that we can have access for our computer and some lights. If you have visited before you will notice some changes again this year in our "decor". Our friend Dale is building a matching "outhouse" to put under the walnut tree next to the bunkhouse. Calm down, there are no seats inside, its going to house our refrigerator and grilling tools!

Stay tuned!

What's going on at Club Calf Paradise?

We have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of some of the consigned calves. Several calves have already arrived and are becoming acclimated to the new surroundings. We are expecting another group tomorrow from Chuck Sandvold. I can't wait to see them. Chuck always brings us a fabulous set of calves. I can't wait to get started working on them and get them broke and into their sexy clothes. We are really starting to gear up. At least the pasture is green...and no longer a lake! If you're bored feel free to stop by and take a spin...or two...on our lawn mower!

It's Hot In Iowa

It's hot, hot, hot and so are the calves! I mean good!