Yes...its really me! I'm back..for good this time!

Has it really been that long since I've written to you? Life can pass so quickly, and sometimes we have to take a pause in a few things, which is where I've been. As you know cows and crops never take a pause and keep on growing, having baby's, munching grass, and thinking its greener on the other side of that fence as usual. Which incidentally did happen the other day with one bunch, what a surprise for us! I dont know in how long something like this has happened. You know when cattle learn a hot wire, they mind it, for some reason the cows seem as anxious for spring as we are and decided to walk through an open gate (that we always leave open when we go through that they NEVER decide to cross to the other side - ever!). Funny thing is..the grass wasn't even green, at least no greener than where they were. Just like us always testing what we dont know that might be better, and usually wrong just like they were! Our calves are coming fast! I like to say they are popping like popcorn all over! With so many cattle we always suffer some loss. This year we have lost 5. But even with so much snow - the most we have had in a long time - its not been due to the weather! We have had over sized calves one of which was born too early, and it was born with an underdeveloped brain. The other had a leg folded. And another had its head folded downward and mom had pushed all night and by morning when we found her the calf was already dead and we had to have the vet remove the dead calf.

Each time we loose a calf it takes a piece of my heart with it. I dont like to loose, and that is how I look at it, like I've lost. especially those that I've brought into my kitchen to warm up a calf half frozen, or one that mom's milk isnt flowing enough to feed, pneumonia, or whatever the case may be.
This is a normal average loss for the number of cattle we have, so we are praying that the numbers are over now. So far we have had only 2 twins born....last year we had 5 sets...it made up for any lost calves...strange only 1 set this year after several years in a row of many more. Maybe there will be more in the others, since we are not even half way there...I think we have 60 calves on the ground at this point. How much fun it is to watch them play!God was good to us last summer with rain, not too little and not too much, just enough at just the right time. We had such a good year. Steers sold good too. The best year we've had in a long time. But farming is always a roll of the dice, never knowing what you get. As the song goes " He just takes the tractor another round, he pulls the plow across the ground, and sends up another prayer, he says "Lord I, never complain I never ask why, please dont let my dreams run dry...." Thats all a farmer can do.
As for me...the last 7 months have been a struggle with my health. I had some really bad days and was unable to write to you and had to put my farm journal aside, actually writing to you and being on the computer was something near impossible except for games or spending small amounts of time, and as you know a blog requires quite a bit of time. I put aside my photography, and pretty much everything. But my health has improved greatly, I have had many more good days than bad, and tho I still have some bad ones here and there, normality is coming back! And I'm excited to get back to my farm life journal and getting back in touch with all my friends I've made. Gee, I dont know if you realize how Ive missed you! I have thought so much about you and wondered what you have been up too!My horses.....Oh my baby's! They are so wonderful! Our baby Jack is not so much a baby anymore, I have so much to tell you about him and I hope to write so much more, but I guess a post about everyone individually would probably just be best! Everyone, critters and all, have just grown in so many ways, not just physically, but so many milestones! Our family too!
Speaking of the family...we are all so good...the kids are doing great, Douglas is taller than me and reminding me every minute he can. Leah is as beautiful as ever and doing good in school as always and just had the chance to shadow her farrier and was so excited about that! Norm has been working hard as usual, has really taken up my slack when I needed his help...I dont know what I'd do without him.
So, I'm back....full force....and I missed you - all of you - and I cant wait to talk to each of you and see what I've missed. Like I said - I have thought about each of you and wondered where you have been in your lives in the last 7 months since my absence! Talk again soon! I cant wait to update you!
~*~Rachel~*~