2-28-2016 - Donuts and Sun

@A.Guy ~ No, she has been very good about following my rules about who knows she is here. So far, the visits have been only professional: visiting nurse, mother mentor, other social workers. The one really hard and fast rule I had was that in order for me to make sure she was safe, NO ONE could know my name or address. [That, of course, didn't include the service providers.]
 
A. Guy said:
OC, I like your cow stories! Do you have a dog to help you herd them? Does your cowboy use a horse, or an ATV? Do you sell the calves, or raise them for beef? It sure sounds like you have a lot of work to do on that farm! !
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A. Guy, thanks! We don't have dogs anymore. Our cowboy uses a horse, but I think he may have an ATV to use if needed. He has a couple of cow dogs. But really, a lot of the "herding" nowadays is done by enticing the cows to follow a truck. We sell our cows at auction. We used to keep beef from our own herd, when there were more family members around, but the two of us don't eat enough to bother with it now. It sure hurts to buy it at today's prices in the grocery store though. :eek: Much of the work is automated now, with hay spikes mounted on trucks, and cube feeders, which dispense the cubes. But there is always the challenge/aggravation of keeping the machines in working order, and also the never-ending necessity to maintain fences. My husband and I used to contract to build barbed-wire fences, countless miles of them, but now I have to hire someone if any of our own fences need repair.

Noel, I have the utmost respect for dairy farmers. Raising beef cattle is nowhere near as labor intensive!

Robin, your words about having the reminder about hamburger meat are kind, but honestly, in this case I can see how ignorance might be bliss. This makes me think of Lovo. She sure didn't like to think about where her hamburger came from.

Squirrel, boy would I ever be glad to turn over the shooting of snakes to you! I'm tired of it. Heck, I would even be glad to have someone to walk around with me outside, just to keep an eye out.

Lil0, I hope that cat finds a new home quick! You've gone above and beyond.
 
When I was a kid, we visited kin that had dairy farms (Wisconsin.). One had a dog that, when told, would run out to the pasture, and bring the cows to the barn. I was very impressed by that. :) What a help some animals have been to us over millennia!

By coincidence, I have an old pair of fence-wire nippers on the back seat floor of my car! :)
 
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No, A. Guy. I think you might be talking about wire cutters. Fencing pliers can cut wire too, but they are multi-purpose tools. Handles are maybe 10" long, thin, like other pliers. The head has "jaws" and is configured in a way to make it possible to grab a strand of barbed wire and twist it or cut it or wrap it around things. Their primary function is to twist a metal fence clip around a strand of barbed wire, which is place up against a metal t-post, thereby securing the barbed wire to the post.
 
Thanks, OC. Fence work sounds like a tough job! I remember that in the western movies, the cowboys didn't like to "ride fences." :)
 
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