Saturday actually, a couple of days ago. Need to mark it every year so we can remember.

They got enough for a test Saturday and got rained on. Sunday was HOT and they got started again. We, the kids and I, went in to church came home rested then went over for a ride. As we pulled up to the field 8 saw the combine and started saying lala lala, he was unable to contain himself. I was barely able to get the pickup door open before he pushed his way out it and was off running for the combine.

I was able to catch him before he threw himself into the header. After being forced to a stop he stood and stared in awe. Inside he insisted on sitting on lala’s lap where he sat still for once and gazed upon the wonder that is a combine in the field. The Goblin Child got to have her go at helping drive to but the call is not as strong for her. I bring her tablet and she is happy to sit and play.

8 is his fathers boy. He cries when it’s time to go to work in the morning, wants to do everything his father is doing, all the time. It gets a little difficult but it sure is cute.

The Goblin Child has found a new little friend in the neighbors niece. We invited ourselves over for supper the first real day of combining and found her there to play with. We keep inviting ourselves back so they can play more. It’s nice to have a girl to play with so close, as fun as all her little boy friends are a girl is good for some variety.

We may not be doing much riding right now but we go out and visit them. Coyote has been giving lots of pony rides and I’m trying to get out and ride him once in awhile. There is an interesting sounding show coming up and I’m thinking about giving it a try. It’s not strictly practical, any spare time I’m able to squeeze right now has been going to riding! Rusty and I don’t think I can fit anything else in. but it’s fun to think about.

It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. Early in the week my husband asked if I wanted to try another family trip to the hills. I did of course. We enjoyed our trip last year and when we find a good thing we like to stick to it. So we did the same things as last year. Mostly.

We went back to Legion Lake again. It was great again. Despite our knowledge of its folly we rented a paddle boat again, as usual it was a bad idea.

Afterward with children, amazingly, still alive we ate lunch then played around the lake. The Goblin Child found a friend from Minnesota and they played happily. 8 ran around, and crashed.

Then we went into Keystone and rode the tram. It rained. But it was still fun. We ate.

After all that we still squeezed in Reptile Gardens. The rain had stopped it was beautiful. They didn’t think the tortoise was alive, scared them half to death when it moved.

We stayed the night at a hotel in Rapid that we had stayed at after The Goblin Child was born. We loved it that time, this time it was still nice, the children were awful. No one slept and everyone was up bright and early the next morning. We had promised The Goblin Child that we would go to Storybook Island and she was really looking forward to it. It was pouring rain. We went to Perkins for breakfast hoping it would stop. It didn’t. So we looked for other things to do. We found a cave. I remember my dad taking me to caves as a little girl and loved watching The Goblin Child go through with her Lala. I carried 8.

It was still raining when we got out we wavered on what to do and wound up at Chapel in the hills. It was beautiful. I explained to The Goblin Child that this was her heritage, it is all very Norwegian.

Then despite the rain, which had let up considerably at least, we went to Storybook Island. She loved it again, especially the merry go round. It was pretty cool, I think I liked it best too.

I spend my life terrified.

What more can I say. He loves Daisy and her food.

We got you a present unfortunately stupid Amazon’s 2 day delivery does not mean our area apparently. So it should, hopefully, be here Monday. I should have ordered it sooner. We’ve been so busy and I didn’t realize Fathers Day was this weekend. Oops. So here’s a picture and maybe it really will be here tomorrow.

Happy Fathers day anyway! You’re a great dad. The kids are crazy about you, I love the way their eyes light up when you come home.

To my dad too! You’re great! Wish we got to see you more often. The Goblin Child loves her Different Papa. And Justin, such an awesome dad. This family seems to be blessed with an abundance of great fathers, how very lucky we are.

Not artificial intelligence, artificial insemination. Warning graphic content.

The neighbor and usual good help, Clint decided to AI his cattle and asked if we would be interested. We thought and talked about and decided to go ahead and try it. He has so far handled all the details with us only needing to show up. He arraigned for the needed supplies from a nice looking Short Horn bull for most of our herd and one straw from a black bull for our already very colorful Blue.

Yesterday we brought the cows in and sorted the calves off, then Clint arrived with a couple more head, an expert and supplies. Not to AI yet but to get ready to. I had no idea what was going on sometimes it’s best just to do what you are told. But for the sake of writing this I thought I should find out so I can tell about it without sounding like an idiot.

So, they inserted CIDR inserts. CIDR means controlled internal drug release. They are plastic and T shaped, coated with hormones to bring the cows into heat. They are used along with a shot of GnRH,  to synchronize the cattle so they would all come into heat at the same time. Now in seven days they will pull the CIDR out and give an injection of a prostaglandin F2. After that they will be ready to inseminate in around sixty hours, less for heifers more for cows.

What are all these things? What do all those letters stand for? I don’t know and really can only do so much research, children and all that. Maybe I’ll look into it with the next installment.