Underneath the layers

I've got layers. Like an onion. Only thing is I don't make your eyes burn.

But I'm not being theoretical here. No emotionally touching, soul searching post here.

Nah. I'm speaking literally.

I'm referring to layers of clothing. Chore clothes to be exact.
 
As many of you know (or perhaps you don't? But if you don't, you do now...Anyway, I digress.), we move our cows from our summer pasture and open walled barn to our winter freestall barn and enclosed milking facility every October.

As a side note, this day has coincidentally happened on our wedding anniversary about 4 times in the last 8 years. As an extra side note, this was not one of those years. I'm digressing again.

Back to moving cows. So we move our cows to the summer farm in mid-May and back to the winter barn in mid-October because it's just what works for us. We've got irrigated pasture for the cows to nosh on all summer long but as with most everything else, the pasture goes into hibernation once Autumn arrives and our summer barn isn't very winter-usable. It's pretty much a pole barn with curtains for walls on three sides so it's not quite so fun milking in there when we've got your usual Fall weather. Our winter barn has a fully enclosed milking facility so to go from an open room with curtains on three sides (and thus a teeny bit more exposed to wind, rain, cold, and the general chilly October weather-of which we've had surprisingly little this month so I'm not complaining.) to a smaller enclosed room without wind, cold, rain, or the general chilly October weather (see above comment in parantheses) means the temperature inside said room goes up a few degrees. I've found that moving from the summer barn to the winter barn corresponds with a loss of at least one layer of clothing. Long johns and wool socks go back in the Winter Clothing Drawer for a few more weeks. No more frozen fingers, frozen hoses, or frozen noses til hopefully January. Or later. I won't complain about not having to deal with any of those at all really.

Yes, there will come a day (and likely sooner than any of us would prefer) when I'll want my layers back but for now, I'll enjoy my chores a little bit lighter.

Autumn Arrives

This time of year is the dusty, dirty, long-day (as in work hours not daylight) time of year. Pretty much, it's Spring Planting in reverse. The guys are busy taking crops out of the fields instead of putting them in.

It's also the time of year we start layering barn clothes because the mornings are occasionally frosty and short sleeves just aren't all that warm when the temps are in the 50's.

Leaves are changing color and the days have shortened up noticeably. It's dark when I head out for morning chores and it's dark before we're done milking in the evenings.

Yes, autumn is here and with it comes the hustle and bustle of Harvest Time, the chill in the air as Mother Nature tells us Old Man Winter is on his way, and new baby calves bawling for their milk are a sign calving season is in full swing again. Geese honk noisely as they fly overhead on their way to warmer southern climes, there's the crunch and crackle of dried grass and weeds underfoot as you wander through the fields, and I start dreaming of mugs of hot apple cider in the evenings.

In another month, we'll have harvest wrapped up, the cows will be at their winter home, and the farm work will be winding down. For now, though, I'm just enjoying these last few days of my short commute (across the driveway) and the colors that adorn the hills.