Fall Farm Festivities

That's a mouthful.  Well, we are burning the midnight oil here, or as I described it as "the Hail Mary Pass" to someone that asked about it this morning. 

We're getting ready for the Annual Fairchild Pumpkin Patch.  I make it sound like we have done this for years.  It's only year 2.  =) 

After last year the wheels have been turning in my head faster than ever.  I don't know if it's my competitive spirit, my "gotta be perfect" hosting skills or what...

I'm obsessed.  This year we are having the coolest pumpkin patch ever.  Our haunted trail is being turned into a magical story called  "Alice In Halloween Land".  It's a spin on The real story written by Lewis Carroll back int he late 1800's. 

We are also having a barrel train, corn box, tire mountain, gift shop, and many other things (including a potato sling shot).

It's going to be cool. 

Sincerely,

Crazy Fairchild Farmgirl (who moonlights as a Fall Festival planner, which tomorrow I will be back to my normal job as cattle wrangler as we work 300+ head tomorrow.)


PS...I'm not going to tell you what these two last pics are of, that way you can come and find out for yourself.

Sunday Shorty: The Day The Circus Came To Town

It's hard to believe that these little angels could be naughty in church isn't it?  Well, after the priest started his wonderful sermon, I felt pushing into me.  Rachel and Grace were actually in a fist fight. 

Most embarrassing moment?

When Maggie took the money from the collection plate when it was the kids offering and brought it back to me.  The priest looked dumbfounded, and Grace started chasing her down the isle telling her to give it back. 

Finally, a discouraged Grace says, "whatever, just keep it."

OUT LOUD.

Yes, I did put it back in the collection plate, when it went around. 
Things didn't get much better after the modern day Robin Hood incident, more hitting, "Boobyhead" calling, followed by, "I HAVE TO PEE" and the most familiar hitting of the head on the pew with wailing.

Kara and I looked at each other and said, "Next time, dad babysits!"

Once Upon A Prolapse

Hey everybody!  I hope all is well with you as we all journey into the fall season.  =)

I don't now what brought that on, but I digress...onto the blog.

So yesterday morning I get a call from Ron he's down in the yards looking at a cow we got in last night that got turned back from the packer.  She had a prolapse.  A bad one.  A really bad one.  We were the most convenient stop for the trucker...the lucky one I guess.

By the way, above is my vet in training...Maggie.

Now, let it be known that I always tell you that I drag you, the reader, with me in my farm life.  I show people this stuff because it's not a piece of cake working with livestock.  Also, how it is to work with your spouse...love you honey!!!  I could tell you about how Ron and I worked cattle yesterday and I as I was trying to push them down the chute I met a hoof about 12 inches from my face.  To those of you who have worked cattle with your husband you'll know about this;

"Get in front of them!" REALLY?  The dust is whirling in my face since the sky forgot to rain for about a month, I can't see as it is and I'm supposed to jump in front of a white cow barrelling down on me and I have to try to make it stop?

-OR-
"Chase'm, get 'em goin' down the chute!" Hence hoof kicked clear up by my head.  Our prod broke in two when Ron took over my job. 

Just sayin'.

SO back to my story about the prolapse.  Look away if you must...oh just look it's interesting!

This cow got rejected from a USDA inspected plant.  But, she's just fine to bring to a local butcher.  The only thing is, a prolapse can bring on a fever.  We had to temp her.

Back to the phone call from Ron.  "Can you come temp this prolapse?  I don't want to get my hands dirty.  Smart @$$.

"Sure," I said. "I'll just finish those cupcakes for you when I get up to the house.  After. I. handle. her. guts. with. my. bare. hands.  You see, I can be a smart Alec too and I'm not a glove fan.  Not because I enjoy touching slimy warm gut stuff, but because in certain situations, you can feel what's going on much better without. 

That's her gut pile coming out from her "lady parts".  Women can prolapse too after giving birth.  What the past feedlot should have done before putting her on the"sale barn bus" is give her a spinal so she wouldn't have pushed it out so bad. 

That's yours truly at 8 AM temping that poor cow.  Thank you Big D for not photographing the pajama shorts that I still was wearing.  I had to make sure her temperature was at or below 102 then she was fine to butcher.  After all, this is no quality of life for any living thing.  AND it was nice that we could still use her and not have to put her down and waste her life. 

101.5...she's good to go.

Ron took her to the butcher after I did the deed. 

I did get him back, however, it wasn't EXACTLY me.  It was one of my henchmen...or henchwomen I suppose.

Don't you agree he shouldn't leave the his shop door open?  Now that Sweetie thinks she's the family dog, she walks around all over the farm.  Sometimes going to the feedlot and sneaking some rations of the older cows.  Anyway, to make a long story short, she must have eaten a pretty hot ration because she had the poops pretty bad. 

To make a long story short, she took (gave) a big diarrhea poop on his shop floor.  I did not tell her to do this!

OOPS!

Sincerely,

YOU ARE NOT SELLING MY HEIFER CALF BIG D! Fairchild Farmgirl

"Sunday's Shorty" What's That Smell?

I'll give anybody that finds that dead mouse five bucks it's in the freezer room.  I'll throw in an extra dollar if DON'T show it to me.

Happy trails, can anybody find the Lysol and more mouse traps? =) Oh the wonders of fall!
Fairchild Farmgirl

Being On The Right Side Of God's Plan

Oh my goodness.  That is what I could say over and over again.  It's been 5 hours and I'm still shaky and stomach sick. 

About five thirty this morning we got a phone call.  It was a guy going past our place who called and said that he saw "a lot of cattle on the road, and do you think they are yours'?"

We didn't even hesitate, we got out of bed and ran outside.  I got some sorting sticks as Ron started the truck.  We flew down there and instantly knew it.

They were.

They were surprisingly headed home.  Our friend that called us had told us that he had seen some headlights but didn't see them anymore so that car must have turned around. 

Instantly a sick feeling came over me. 

Ron and I headed down the road a little and D said, "yup, there it is, in the ditch." 

Crap.

We drove up to it forcing more cows into  the ditch with the pickup.  The van was up on the wheels but all smashed in in the front and I didn't see anybody moving.  I got sicker. 

Then from behind the van a guy comes walking up, white as a ghost.  "I crashed into these cows and some are dead. Are they yours?"

"Yes, are you okay?" We both were in the poor guy's face.

He said he was okay and kept apologizing  about it.  One heifer was dead on contact,. but another was moaning and crying.  The worst thing is we had to leave that poor kid with the wreck, the cows and a flashlight so he could shine oncoming traffic so we could go get the neighbors.  The other guy had taken off for work, he didn't know about the accident. 

Cody ( aka our superboy) was already down  getting the wayward cows back in the alleyway.  The neighbor came with his tractor, one of the cows that we had to shoot was extremely wild and made worse by being hurt.  It took them a good half and hour.  She kept hiding in the corn.

The sheriff came after a while and looked at the grim scene.  He was the nicest guy in the world...I'm glad I voted for him. 

After that we got them all cleared off the road thanks to or wonderful neighbor and his tractor.  Then, I noticed one in the ditch and called back home.  The came to get her, she was the first one we had to shoot. 

The next one was a real bummer.  We came up on her and I noticed that she was the one that would come up to me and eat grape vines  when I fed her.  Black, purple tag 22.  You could tell she was hurt since she was doing the belly crawl through the bean field and back out again.  You have to make some tough choices in our line of work, and since we didn't want to see her not being used, I snuck out there through the ditch grass and temped her, but she was already too hot, meaning that she had already had a fever.  We put her out of her misery and noticed that her back leg was broke in half with just hide hanging it together.  That was really tough on me because she was my bud.

So after all this, and the guy's ride came, I gave him a hug and told him that he was on the "right side" of God's plan.  I told him that he should've been dead or hurt and I was never so happy to see someone walk in my life. 

With that said, this was especially hard on Ron since this is the first time it's has happened and he's fed cattle for a lot of years.  It was hard on both of us because its hard to lose an animal for any reason.  We really take pride in our farm, our care and our love of the animals here.

So...happy trails and hug your family...we are so fortunate and this could have been really ugly. 
Suzanne, Fairchild Farmgirl

When Your Passion Becomes Your Obsession

I know...who's this Fairchild Farmgirl?  I can't remember her! =)


All kidding aside, this has been such a busy summer.  I know I have tanked on my blog, but I will get it all back and keep you entertained with my daily craziness...I promise!

So how do you do when your passion becomes your obsession?  (You know this is going to be about our grapes didn't you?) 

You know when you're obsessed when your vineyard looks that good and your prized rock flower bed filled with sedum, marigolds, and assorted other flowers looks this bad.

I wince when people come up the driveway.  Although I probably should obsess more about the obstacle course I mean driveway that they have to drive slowly through.  The kids and their toys!

Come on...doesn't this look like more fun than....

THIS????? Yes,  that is a thistle bush.  I repeat, a thistle bush.

Besides, the new family I have (since I don't see my human family anymore) say, "work in the grapes...oh yeah, feed us all the vines.  They're super yummy!"

These are the Marquettes aren't they beautiful?  You can see all the dark clusters in the background.  There's a lot of picking to be done!

This is Jessica who came along with me to take some pictures.  I think she got that apple off the floor.  I think if I make hamburger helper one more time this year my poor kids will throw it at me. 

Remember, I'm an obsessed vinter.

Last picture...the La Cresents.  Aren't they a beautiful sight?  They would be if you were me and faced at least four hours a day in the hot sun, rain, ice and sleet (wait, is that me or the mailman?) anyway, went through grape disease, weeds, crop destroying birds etc.

To have this.

Errr!!!!!!!!

Listen to me!  I am obsessed!
Fairchild Farmgirl.

Helper Teryaki...not the ticket.

When You Own An Unusual Farm Animal

This is Sweetie.


She's a cutie!

She's also too smart for her own good. 


She can open up her gate by pulling the pins on the gate.

I'm wondering if she's part holstien? Holstien owners know what I'm talking about! =)  curiousity is not a good thing!