Eulogy to a Cow

Now that harvest is over, I thought I am finally able to relax and take my time eating breakfast. Yesterday, though, our neighbor phoned and informed us that we had a cow that died overnight.  Our neighbor was very worked up over the dead cow, and I decided to go calm her down.  We went out to see the old cow, and something didn't seem quite right; it looked like there was a bit of a struggle when she died.  I called our local Fish and Wildlife office to have an officer come investigate.  It turns out that she was dead prior to the coyotes finding her, and it was probably young coyotes that started feeding on her after she died, which was why I thought she was taken down by a predator.  Our vet came out also to make sure it wasn't a disease she died of.  After spending a lot of time around this cow yesterday, and getting more request for blog posts (I'll spare you of pictures on this one, trust me!), I wanted to write a short but sweet eulogy for her.

Eulogy to a Cow

As you lay down and close your eyes 

Forever dreaming of green grass and blue skies.

You were tagged 108 and were a large Simmental.

We didn't know much about your past. 

We spared you an early ending as a young cow when we

bought you from the auction market.

For many years

We provided you with lots of green grass in the summer, 

Hay in the winter.

In exchange you gave us a calf every year, and for that we are forever grateful to you.

Rest in peace old gal, 

Forever grazing on the green grass under the blue skies.

Harvest in Pictures Day 16

Well, finally, at last, the time as come!  Another harvest in the books bins.  Last night at 6 pm the last swath of canola went through the combine!  Our harvest is complete.  We are very grateful that the weather held.  We had a few rain showers over the weekend and earlier this week, but nothing significant enough to shut us down.  It might have been slow going with only one combine, but the old saying, "Slow and steady wins the race" really applied.

Yesterday, I worked more on the last of my garden harvest.  I have 24 tomato plants in my garden, and I'm slowly but steadily working on harvesting them, too.  With our frosty mornings, I had to find a different fix for covering them, the small blue tarps were not working anymore.  Fortunately we had an old bale tarp lying around, so that will more than do the job.

This project was fun and now that it's over it's bittersweet.  After today, I probably won't be posting every day.  This got me into the habit of blogging more frequently, though.  I am going to continue with the picture format, as a picture is truly worth a thousand works, but move on to weekly posts as we prep for winter here on the farm.

To everyone who read and viewed our Harvest in Pictures, THANK YOU!  Here are the photos from our final day of harvest, enjoy!

Old Faithful unloading into the truck

The last few swaths going into the combine

Last field harvested

Canola is a very small seed

Last of the canola being augured

Shoving the last of the canola into the bin

Tomatoes harvested from our garden--this is just from 2 plants!

Harvest in Pictures Day 15

We are still at work on the canola, but there is light at the end of the long, dark, tunnel!  Last night my father-in-law figured he only had 4-5 hours left today and then we'd be done.  Having one combine instead of two, has really made for a long, drawn out harvest for the canola.

I've been busy with our two kids.  This morning it was booster shots for our daughter and when I got home with her, I had to run to our son's school and help serve their monthly hot lunch.  If anyone told me a year ago when I quit my career that I would be busier now than when I was working, I would of told them they were full of it!  There are some days I don't leave the yard, and it's still a challenge to get supper on the table.  I don't know how I did it when I worked!  To all you working parents out there, that still find time to volunteer and take your kids to activities, my hat is off to you!

Yesterday I put my husband in charge of photos, so here is some pictures from yesterday, from the farmers' perspective, enjoy!

Plugged air filter to the combine.  One of the reasons it had to go to the shop

The last canola field

The combine working on the last field

The trucks waiting for loads to take back to the bins

Harvest in Pictures Day 14

Yesterday the guys continued on the canola.  It is still very slow going.

During harvest, the geese begin to make their southern migration.  The fields around here are inundated with geese gathering and eating the chaff from the harvested field.  Last night, the honks from the geese was deafening.  We had over 100 gathered in the field next to our house.  I wasn't quick enough to capture them in the field, but I was able to capture some of them after they took flight over our house and farmyard, enjoy!

Harvest in Pictures Day 13

Yesterday we were still working on the canola...still...  It seems that the last field (or crop in this case) always takes the longest.  If the one combine wasn't broke down we would be done.  Hopefully tomorrow our main combine will be fixed, and then in the next day or two we can be done.  Hopefully!

Our son's birthday was yesterday; eight years old now!  I still remember the night I had him.  My husband was moving an auger and I told him that we should probably go to the hospital.  He asked me if I could wait until he got the auger moved!  Fortunately, his mom was out helping and made him leave!  We have a good laugh over it now.  We celebrated with family & even the combine stopped for his birthday!


Today has been a whirlwind.  My family was here from Montana, I had yoga, and our son woke up with a cold.  I've finally found some time to share pictures with you of yesterday.  I had to climb the bin the other day, and the view was spectacular, but I didn't have my camera.  So last night I climbed it again, and snapped a few pictures, enjoy!

View from the top of the bin

"Aerial" view of our yard

Unloading in the morning.  I love the lighting

Volunteer canola plant I found growing under the bins

Harvest in Pictures Day 12

Yesterday we were able to finish our one field of canola.  Only one more field to go!  We had a little storm blow through last night, too.  My father-in-law commented that was the first time he's ever combined with the windshield wipers on.

We celebrated our son's birthday with his friends yesterday.  I was a very brave soul according to my father; taking 3 boys ages 6-8 to West Edmonton Mall mini-golfing and then out to pizza.  Everyone was very well behaved and they had a blast.  Today is his actual birthday which we will celebrate with family.  In his honour today I'm posting a few photos of him around the farm and of his golf day.  Enjoy!

Unloading at night

Combining at night

He loves crawling up in the Big Top of the combine

Our "Ag-Proud" future farmer

Birthday boy golfing

Our son's almost hole in one!

Harvest in Pictures Day 11

With only one combine, it's slow going.  Yesterday the guys made good progress on the one field of canola.  They should be done with it today if all goes well, and then it's just one field left!  

My husband thought I was boring everyone who has been reading the blog with photos of combines, grain trucks, and augers.  Today, I'm showing some behind the scenes shots.  We have the ability here to moisture test our crops, so last night I took a few shots while we were checking the canola moisture.  With canola, we also have to check the percentage of greens or unripe seeds.  This is done by crushing the seeds and counting the number of green seeds.

Also with harvest comes the appropriate Harvest Moon.  Yesterday morning at sunrise the moon was still up and last night the moon was big and bright.  I've included some photos of that as well, enjoy!

Moon at sunrise

Moon at night

Weighing the canola to do the moisture test

Taking temperature of canola to do the moisture test

Moisture test--our canola was so dry it wouldn't read on the test

Getting ready to do the crush test 

Canola crushed and checked for greens.  No greens present!

Harvest in Pictures Day 10

Yesterday we woke up to a thick frost.  We had to take our main combine to town to get fixed, so we are down to our old pull-type John Deere combine.  We've nicknamed it "Ol' Faithful".  Hopefully it remains that way--faithful!

We were able to get a good start on the canola.  I even hauled a few loads from the field to the bins.  I don't help haul the barley or wheat because I have bad allergies to both of the grains.

Here are some photos of our day yesterday, enjoy!

Frosty morning

Close up of canola in swath

Swathed canola field

Ol' Faithful

The farmers "black gold," canola, going into the auger

A fun shot looking up the auger

Harvest in Pictures Day 9

Yesterday was a cold and dreary day here at the farm.  The guys went to start combining the canola, when the combine decided to break down.  Needless to say, not much harvesting was done yesterday.

With the looming threat of a frost overnight, I was able to finish harvesting the rest of our garden and apple trees.

Yesterday was also the day to move our cows to the next pasture.  We rotational graze our cattle herd during the summer.  Depending on the size of the paddock and how the grass looks, they get moved anywhere from 3 days to 10 days. With all the rain that we were blessed with this spring and summer combined with the lingering warm temperatures, our grass is still green and growing still, albeit slowly now.

Here are some photos from around the farm yesterday, enjoy!

Trying to figure out what is wrong with the combine

Checking out the apple harvest

Helping mom move cows

The pasture they came off of

Checking out the ducks on a small slough while driving to check cows

Harvest in Pictures Day 8

Yesterday we were able to finish the wheat!  It's a great relief to be done with the small grains.  They are more susceptible to grade downgrades when the weather changes.  We just have canola left, and if the weather holds, we should be able to finish that in a few days.

Here are the pictures from yesterday, enjoy!

Fuelling up for the day

Swathed wheat going into the combine

Thrashed wheat going into the grain tank of the combine

Getting a ride with daddy

Swathing the standing wheat

Standing wheat--a small strip missed by the swather

Harvest in Pictures Day 7

We continue to plug away at the wheat.  We only have 30 acres left and the weather is still looking good for today at least!

Yesterday was my first day of yoga for the year (Yes, this farm wife needs to de-stress sometimes!) so most of my morning was spent running around town doing errands.  With the guys busy in the field, I've been the sole cow-looker-after person.  Over the weekend I turned our dry herd out into our neighbours acreage to help them "mow" part of it.  The grass must have really been greener on the other side, because when the cows go out there, they were very rambunctious and broke their waterer.  So I had to go and put a portable trough out for them, and we were filling it with the garden hose three to four times a day, which is a lot of work.  So yesterday, I fixed the problem by installing a float for a garden hose onto their trough.  Now as they drink, the trough gets refilled instantly!  My "helper" had a lot of fun splashing in the water while mom was fixing (I've included that photo too!).

Here are a few pictures I captured from yesterday, enjoy!

My help while I fixed the trough

Still combining wheat

Straw is chopped from the combine to work into the soil to help build more soil

On my drive home--I think fall is near!