60 Year Aniversary For The Farm

This 1950s photo of the farm doesn't do it justice unless you blow it up and get a closer look at some of the amazing details that were ahead of their time back then but still going strong today. Family made it a special farm in those early years and Family is making it even more so today.

Remember, we are celebrating Monday night so don't be late and don't forget your appetite. I don't plan on eating all weekend so I can make like a Turkey and get stuffed. I have heard there is going to be quit a crowd but if it looks like they are running short on food, I believe I can take some of the old folks, maybe lock them in the rest room or outside.....hey, don't judge me, you go to extremes when food is a driver, I once walked 27 miles for a double cheeseburger, in a snow storm, uphill both ways, so I am not opposed to tackling an old lady for a chunk of ham........

I have to go now.......

It is dark, cold, all are home and tucked in for the day, and all is well on the farm once again...:)

Baby "J" is one year and one day today.....:)

Yep, he is the big numero uno, (that is one in french) one year yesterday, and it seems like only yesterday he was a year old, how time flies. And it was only a year ago yesterday that he got his first look at his mommy so it is only fitting that a year later he gets his first look like his mommy, yes, Lori gets the same look on her face when I tell her it is still two hours till lunch, go figure.....:) I think he looks a little worn out from all the partying, I heard from a reliable source (Mom) that he ate half a chocolate cake last night, GO BABY J!!!!!

Well, needless to say, everyone on the farm wishes him a most excellent happy birthday and many more to come.......:)

I'm back........

Well, it is dark, I can not do lights in the dark, do I look like a bat...(don't ask Marie that) and is that a statement or what "I can't do lights in the dark" but can I do dark in the light, go figure.......
Well, things have been a little, how do I say it, screwed up here lately. A lot of trouble with the curtain machines, mill, winterizing underway and today I had to go help get the water switched to one well cause the other died in the night leaving the sows without water. No worries but a headache nun the less. It just seems like when you get one thing fixed something else breaks or goes on furlow (that means not working). Harvest got kinda backed up but I think they are going full bore again so that is good. I don't believe this but I am being summoned again, yep, I'm a popular guy......
Buttttt......as of now, all are tucked in for the day (anxiously awaiting work in the am) and all is well on the farm once again..:)

Halloween is over and the cold commeth......

As you can see, "Baby J" had a fulfilling night trick or treating in his Superman suit, his first Halloween by the way, and I am quit sure he was only interested in ripping everything open Mom was doing the eating:)
Yes Halloween is behind us now which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner and yep, winter and Christmas, yes I said CHRISTMAS not "xmas" or "happy holidays" or "seasons greetings" I said CHRISTMAS, if you can't use the word CHRISTMAS in your stinking advertising then don't expect to sell me anything, sorry, got sidetracked.
I will have to add more later, I have been summoned by the almighty leader (Marie) see I was supposed to be helping her put up CHRISTMAS lights but I sneakeded away to play a little.......
Later Dudes.....:)

Back Home Again

Yep, we came back despite rumors to the contrary and perhaps against our will but nun the less we came back. Is this a beautifull sunrise or what! So quiet you could hear a nat fart, we hated to leave but we did.
Don't know much about what is going on around the farm (yet) so only a little gossip to pass along and that would be about the muskrat. If my source is correct, the muskrat dug himself a whole (elsewhere) and crawled into it, we can only hope, any other news will come later or aterbit as we like to say in this neck of the woods.
Marie and I had a most excellent week away and probably more fun than two people, un-chaperoned, should but we didn't get (caught) in any trouble or cause anyone any undo harm or grief (depends at what point you perceive that fun and games turns into harm and grief) and we left all in better condition than we found it!!! We got to visit Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky and I must say we liked Illinois the best and visit we did and return we shall.
Haven't heard anything out of Lori so I am guessing she made it through the week in one piece, the buildings all look intact so that is one plus.
Well, it is Sunday afternoon, a little cool, everyone is presumably home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again.....at least for now.....:)

ITTABITANUTTIN...

Well, a whole lot of something and a little bit of nothing has been going on at the Farm the past few weeks. A little bit of nothing being lunch time and a whole lot of something being the rest of the time, (it made sense to me). Lori and I are still running our selves ragged trying to make the flow go with a rather large surplus of mommies in the barn waiting to receive our attention, although some of them decided to NOT wait and start well, you know, whether we liked it or not but even in those events we were successful in thwarting off the evil loosenpiginbarn demon that we dread so much and make the flow go still a go at least to this point in time. We are maykin baykin big time and running out of places to put it (tell all your friends to say, yum yum gimmy some)! On top of the surplus mommie scenario it is also 4H breeding time which adds a lot more work and a lot more mommies to the mix and even with Steves' help and some new streamlining it is still a little hectic and hopefully worthwhile, but almost over with. Hectic is going to be the key word for Lori next week, not only am I going to be gone the whole week but Steve will be gone Thursday and Friday leaving her in charge on the busiest day of the week. A mommie in charge of all those mommies, isn't that redundant or is it just plain scary, either way if you thought her hair was frizzy now wait till next week!
As you can see by the photo, (that is if you can see a photo, I can, therefore it's there, at least I perceive it to be there so I am telling you to see it so therefore your perception after reading this is that there is a photo so there it is) baby Jonathan got to meet his first ittybittypiggy and I must conclude from the info I received (and the photos) that it was a most excellent meeting and both the pigglet and Baby "J" left grinning from snout to ear. Perhaps another most excellent pork producer is in the works! He also got to spend some quality time with Susan whom (and I have photographic evidence of this) proceeded to teach Baby "J" the proper method of eating the tassels off the rug, yes and now we have one happy baby and a lot of happy friends and in my opinion more babies should be eating tassels off of rugs instead of sterilized junk but that is another story and that is all I have to say about that (for now)!
Onward, or, how do I say this without being perceived as mean or gossiping! How about a short story, a beaver story!
Once upon a time, (now) there was a herd of beavers all working together harmoniously on one of the biggest and bestest dams in the whole daggone state! All the little beavers worked extremely well together and looked out for one another, cause that's what you do in a herd, you take care of each other, and then one day one of the head beavers said,"I think I will hire some extra help to work on the dam, not that we are short of help, but in case we get a sick beaver or one goes missing or we just misplaced one or something". These intentions were all well and good and cool with the herd (cute rime huh) so the head beaver hires what he THOUGHT was another quality beaver. Well, it was only a short time before all the beavers were confused by the new beavers actions, seems he doesn't even act like a good beaver should and as a matter of fact the beavers find out he is not a beaver at all, let alone a good one, but a muskrat in disguise and is actually becoming detrimental to the harmony of the beavers and their dam and one beaver even heard through the grape vine that the muskrat has, how do I say it, ok, GLUE on his big paws and this is not good! Well, needless to say, all the head beavers put there tales together and.........ending yet to be written!
I must go now and prepare for my excursion next week. I had planned to lay by the TV and eat myself into a comma but Marie called me Shamoo the other day (I do like fish) so I guess we will go WALKING (like I don't do enough) in the woods and by the water for a week, can you get a whole ham in a back pack?
But for the time being, everyone is home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again....:)

Baby "J"s first John Deere

It's not actually his first John Deere toy just his first "I can ride it and I can push it" John Deere toy and MoM and Dad, it will be quicker than you think and he will be asking to drive the real thing but wait, Dad doesn't have the real thing, he has a.... well, I wont spell it hear so you don't have to say it but it's NOT a John Deere so I guess he will have to come here to the farm to ride a REAL tractor a REAL John Deere...........:)))

Benji Flys

This is my buddy Benji, he is having fun in the water as you can see. Although unbenonced to him it is all a plan by Susan to give him his bath. She just covers him in liquid soap and throws a stick in the water and away he goes! Three or four times and, as you can see, he is as white as can be. She does Kim the same way but she uses jelly doughnuts and not a stick which had been working fine until they were on vacation last year walking past the fountain in Central park and a little kid drops his jelly doughnut in and yep, you guessed it, in goes Kim. The police did fine him but he didn't care, he got the doughnut...........:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is Marie's Birthday so if you see her give her a big HAPPY 35 BIRTHDAY HUG or just say hay.....you might also tell her that her clothes are undone....:)

Baby Jonathan Is On His Feet..

I hope Mom realizes that this is the beginning of a nonstop foot race between her and Baby "J" for anything and everything that he can see. All those little things that he has been focusing his little eyes on for the past 7 months, which by the way he will be "8" months old this week, but had no way to get to.........TILL NOW...:))))

Itty Bitty Teeny Tinny Baby Kildee Bird.....

Just wanted to share this photo....I almost chewed him (her) up with the mower this afternoon....it was in the far corner of the yard running for all it was worth and it's parents were in the opposite corner of the yard looking for it and it's brother (sister) so I scooped him (her) up and within the hour they were all together and happy and all is well on the farm once again......:)))))

Week Is Over......

Yep, it's over again and the weekend is here..kinda redundant isn't it, weekend, week is over, oh well, what do I know... Thursday went well, even with the visit from the Vet who thought only a few minor adjustments needed to be made, and all was accomplished in a timely fashion as usual. What a load.... Lori and me's lucky streak in regards to our flow-go was broken by a mommie who obviously didn't set her clock back an hour and wound up on Southern Wrong Gestation Time and started, well you know, right in the middle of everybody and everything....lucky for us her starter was stuck in start and we moved her into the correct time zone and more suitable accommodations where she proceeded to have 11 well, you know, and we were as happy as two bugs on a bean....Randy did get to shower in and walk through with the Vet and even see the new feed system, I think he should do that more often....(I mean shower)....:)
Well, if you look back through the archives you will find a photo of "JJ", our new teaser boar to be, that Lori adopted a while back. We finally got to introduce him to his "harem" today and he was impressed with them and they were pleased with him!!
I hope he doesn't get on the computer and read this it will give him a big laugh...
yes, I know what you are thinking, a pig on a computer and yes we encourage them not to for safety reasons, but it happens, they do get online, cause you never know what a hog will do when it gets "boared"...
Yep, I'm done...the Sun is fading, everyone is home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again....:)

Thursday.....:)

Yep, it's Thursday again but despite that it really turned out to be a rather nice day even weather wise. Sunny, 70's cool breeze, what more could you want. Marie was weeding, Lee was mowing, don't have a clue what Randy and Ronda was doing, we were all maykin baykin, as usual, and despite our unreliable help we got everything done right on schedule. No breakdowns or breakups, still running a surplus of mommies and we are going to as long as we can make the flow flow (get it) we got all the little piggies moved and the room washed and we were sweating bullets about getting the mommies in before they, well you know, but we made it once again without an episode and Lori and I are just tickled orange in that case, ahhh don't you just love it when a plan comes together or at least looks like it, Luke Skywalker would be proud, (that being me and Lori would be Chewbacka, you've seen her hair)......:)
Well, needless to say, I should shut up now and see if I can find some way to be a little more destructive......
The day is over, everyone is home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again...

Baby "J" Likes To Eat

Just wanted to share this photo of Baby "J" that I found in my inbox with everyone. Funny thing is, I think I have one just like it of Lori, difference is it was taken only a couple of week ago... NO kidding aside, John or Linda, if you have a photo of "Little Lori" like this I will pay good money to get my hands on it......:)
Happy Eating Jonathan......

"Sticky" Thursday

Well it's Thursday again but this one was a sticky one, heat and humidity moved in, and nothing could escape it. The piggies were miserable. You see we don't furnish antiperspirant for them, if they don't bring it with them they don't have any. So they all had a bad case of "PPO"(pig perspiration odor) all day and spent all there time trying to avoid one another. Me, I have to admit I smelled like a rose all day long (rose being the color of the towel I kept with me to soak up all that stinky sweat) and like the piggies, we all spent the day trying to avoid getting too close to one another, our antiperspirant died at 6:01 this morning...power washing may have been the only exception. That 195 degree water felt cool when the fan would blow it in your face.....
Needless to say everything else went rather smooth for a Thursday and we are still batting a thousand on flow control with only a flicker of an accident Wednesday we are back on track for the week. Everybody headed home right on time today and as of this moment all appear to be home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again....:) We did get about .5 inches of rain mid afternoon that cooled things off a tad..........

TGIF....

Finally Friday again....the week has gotten progressively hotter, in more ways than one, and the weekend looks to be hot and "sticky"!!! Good for the fat boys, not so good for the piggys!! Sunday is Fathers day, hope all you fathers, and you know who you are, have a great and lazy day, hopefully somewhere cool.....I am going to mow my yard, work in the garden, and then make an attempt to commit suicide by eating till I drop dead in front of the TV....maybe with cheese puffs or roasted Peacock......next week could be even hotter.........

Happy Birthday Kim and Susan.....:)

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is Kim and Susan's Birthday and we all just wanted to send them a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" greeting!!!!! Any spanking will have to be postponed till they return next week, but we can wait.
Have a Happy Birthday kids, but save some for your anniversary..........:)

Weeks End..........

Well, the week is over and I must say it was another exceptional week production wise, and logistically wise (new phrase) was great also even though we are extremely tight for space. The flow is still a go for the time being. I saw an add the other day that said "you can get hair for $102 a month", go figure, we can't get rid of them around here, that must be one big bunny for that kind of money! Thursday went exceptionally well also even though Lori, for what ever the reason, got an extreme case of the frizzies washing, she looked like she had been "shocked" a little. Actually it was rather stylish when the light hit it just right and made the hunks of wet feed glisten.
The rain halted the planter for a little while but it has been running strong all day today and with these temps they will explode out of the ground in no time. At this time the planter is the only thing around here still cooking, everyone else is winding down for the day, well except for Steve who is in Iowa and Lori and family who are on there way to Chicago, but for the most part the week is over and all are tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again..........:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA........:)

This is a photo of John and Linda, Lori's Mom and Dad, and today, so the grapevine (Lori told) has it, is Linda's birthday and we just want to wish her a very happy day....it's all a lie, I intended on tricking her into coming over so we could spank her on her birthday but alas, it was not to be, Lori spoiled it all cause she forgot till the last minute, oh well, maybe next year.....Lori is right Linda, thirtysomething agrees with you......SMILE AND HAVE A GREAT DAY, SOMEBODY LOVES YOU......:)))

Anniversary

Well it is hard to believe it is Loris 4 year anniversary here at the farm but it is and as you can see she has dawned her best attire for the occasion. John, all I can say to you is, we are sorry, we have only had her for 4 years, how you made it for all those years prior is nothing shy of........
No kidding asside, we are ALL proud to call her our friend and wish her all the best..........HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LORI.......:)

Oh what a.....

Baby "J" is looking rather well I think, and so does the doctor by the way, he just gave him his 6 month check up and he is doing just fine weighing in a little over 17 pounds. Lori and Eric are happy but they are keeping an eye on him cause he is moving into this crawly scootie rolly dragy flipinover kinda thing which gets him all over the place and into anything loose (and so it begins)!!!

Baby "J"

This is a neat picture and I just had to share it with ya'all. How many of you can guess what that look signifies......"do I hear the phone ringing"....NO....."is that my favorite TV show coming on that I hear"........NO........."is someone knocking on the door".......NO......"does someone need to light a candle in the diaper changing room"......OH MY.......THAT would be my guess, not that I have ever had that look.....:)

droopydragythursday...........

Today was just a wanna crawl up on a big pile of fodder under a overhang and go to sleep kinda day, all rainy and cool and just plain yukky, well, at least on the outside. On the inside it was another bright and smiley day for us and all the little piggies, the big ones just wanted to lay around and sleep and the mommies just wanted to lay around and have piggies, and lucky for us they didn't do that until we made room for them in the farrowing house, which is COOKIN by the way, we R "MaykinBaykin" ya, you read what I said.....(for the record I CAN spell and there IS a spell checker on this thing) so it was another good day,week,month, for us little worker bees....buzz buzz, and all the little piggies too.
I was looking forward to a nice weekend to do some outdoor stuff but I don't think that is going to happen. It would have been nice for Lori and family who is planning on visiting the zoo in Indy on Saturday. I think Lori likes Dolphins (she always seemed a little fishy to me) and there is a possible future family member (sisters boyfriend) who works at the zoo and he is going to get her and Jonathan and Eric up close and personal to the Dolphins....I sure hope she doesn't come back with one of those breathing holes in the top of her head like the Dolphins have, I think enough stuff gets out through her ears now.
With that I will shut up. All in all it was a good day despite the weather. Another day has come and gone, everyone is home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again............:)

It's Thursday...........:)

You know what he is thinking, "at least she isn't putting dresses on me", but he is Mommies little dress up doll. Does he look like a little convict caught cattle rustling to you??? You are just getting the "looks" now Mom, he will be talking soon!!!
Well it has been another exceptional week here on the farm, breeding went exceptionally well, farrowings exceptionally well and even today, THURSDAY and weaning went exceptionally well, planting is not going exceptionally well cause the rain has been coming down exceptionally well and the ground is exceptionally wet,( I think exceptionally will be my word for the day) and Randy is exceptionally nervous, except when he is asleep, but staying asleep would be unacceptable so I guess he will just have to do the exceptable thing and except the delay....
as I was saying, we weaned a lot of BIG piggies today,(Lori was tired) got the room all washed, new mommies moved in, some new alterations started in the farrowing house, feed all ground and even some washing in the finisher. The day is over and everyone is home and tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again......:)

Some people (Kim) just won't rest untill they see a GOOD photo of Fez, which I didn't have a GOOD one untill someone (Kim) sent it to me, and as you can see she is resting comfortably after what I would guess was a great meal of worms and corn! Do you see where she is resting....do you think she is "Pineing" for her honey.....:)
And by the way, someone (Kim) asked me if I call a Pheasant Fez would you call a Killdee bird Deary, no, Dee ........come on now, a Deary has 4 legs and antlers, ...someone has been away from the farm too long (KIm).........:)))

Fez........

That is short for pheasant, our new little companion who it appears has decided to stay around for a while or maybe forever, oh my. Marie and I were working around the junipers this afternoon and she came running out of the corn field with her feathers all ruffled right towards us and then just stopped about 5 feet away and watched us for awhile, so we think she considers them her home. Well, that is fine with me if she wants to hang around, it could be worse, she could have been a opossum.....:)
It's been another great Thursday, not a single disaster today, just 2. No, just kidding, there were none, well maybe a couple of sows that had brain farts and thought that reverse was a better direction than forwards, but aside from that all went pretty smooth. We actually had time to get a little re-construction work done in the isolation barn. For those of you who don't know what the isolation barn is that is where we put the team members that don't play well with others. We got all the piggies moved just fine, the room spotless and smelling like.........a pig barn, some new mommies were waiting at the door accommodated, some beans hauled, some grass mowed, everybody tucked in for the day and all is well on the farm once again.......:)
Here is a photo of some of our Tulips in the blowing wind....they look simply marvelous.........

Thursday oh..........

Yep, it's Thursday again and yep, we got everything done. Well, done for the day anyway.(that rhymed, cool) Only a few foobars and one I think is Lori's fault. I think instead of going to the office to "send a fax" she tried to send one from room 2 and plugged the pit drain with paper that would have been better used in the "fax" machine. She also got "beaned" in the forehead with a bar of soap, and I am not exaggerating one bit, you could hear that thing thud 40 feet away, made a nice noogie on her head too. There were some better things that happened today though. Ronda saved Kim's behind by finding his key to the Beamer that he lost (is that spelled right or is it Beemore, I'm never sure) Lee and I got our mowing done, yee ha, all the feed got ground, all the itty bitty piggies (itty bitty my bitty, they were pretty big) got moved, the room cleanded and some new mommies moved in, everybody is home, tucked in and all is well on the farm once again........:)

Baby Jonathans First Easter Basket

Here is a photo of Jonathan with his first Easter basket, is he happy or what! Note the bunny..........no, the one in the basket...:)

NEW BABY JONATHAN PHOTO.......

Well I finally prydforceembarrasinated (find that in your Webster) a photo of Baby "J" out of Lori and I must say it is a cute one, although I hope to see one of him in his Easter garb, this one is ready for viewing now. She wanted a photo of him in his Easter basket but the only one he could fit into was attached to a hot air balloon.........just kidding...... a blessed Easter Sunday to all.............:)

GOOD THURSDAY..........

Tomorrow is Good Friday and today was Good Thursday. I know it was because I read it in the sentence just before this one and the title. Only a few of us are working tomorrow and we hope to make it a short day. Everything went exceptionally smooth again this Thursday and we moved another exceptionally large number of itty bitty piggies into their new womb, sorry, room without a hitch, got the farrowing room washed, without a hitch, got all the new mommies moved into their room, without a hitch, but I couldn't hook my truck to the trailer without a hitch, go figure.....
It was a beautiful day outside, the sprinkler going making foul rainbows in the bright sunlight, Lee and Terry scurrying about getting ready to plant corn, Ronda stuck inside, Randy running around on Kim's new toy (I am lying about that) and the low ground alive with tiling equipment and tilers and combined it all gave way to the farm appearing as busy as a New York subway....heaven forbid.....
But in the end, every one and every thing is tucked in and cozy and all is well on the farm once again........don't this weather make you want to go cat fishing.....:)

Great "SUN" day..........

It's been a most excellent day here at the farm, sunny, no wind and moderate temperatures. Marie and I got some most needed yard work done and I even got the mower out and made the yard look pretty. That in itself was very rewarding but it came in second to our visitor. He, or she, came out of nowhere just before noon and as of posting time of this blog was still pecking around the back yard as if it were it's new home. Kim is the only one to see one of these in the past few months so it was a treat for us, hope it stays around (not for supper).
Still waiting for updated photos of baby Jonathan. I think mom has a sleepy camera finger, if you see her, scold her for that......:)
P.S. This lillle booger made several attempts to get to the flag on the pole, maybe it is the color...........???

Today is Thursday.......

All in all it was a most excellent weaning day. We tried to move all the little piggies and they resisted, of course, that is what they are supposed to do. When you try to make kids do what they don't want to do they resist, but it is irrelevant cause we always win, and this kind of child/adult conflict could be useful to Lori who is raising a child of her own. But she is doing a fine job, Eric is behaving rather well we think.
Washed through lunch to get the room done cause mommies were knocking at the door and luckily they all waited till there room was ready so there was no unexpected deliveries in the barn today. Although there was an unexpected delivery in the pocket of one of our hallway curtains the other day. A mother coon decided to start having her young there which was fine until the curtain was raised and dropped her on her head making her seek other accommodations.
But the day is over, everything and everyone is tucked in and cozy, and all is well on the farm once again......:)
P.S. Remember to make fun of Steve for getting the truck and trailer stuck today...Terry had to pull him out with the tractor........:)

Yes it is "T" day.........

Lori and I had to boogie today. Our help decided his sniffles were more important than work so we were left to do it all ourselves but we ARE the "A" team after all no job too big or crate too tall or........to make a long load short we "Got r done"
Although a few times I thought I saw two Loris cause she was moving so fast. All the little piggies are snuggling in new beds with visions of corn dogs dancing in their heads and we had to move in some new mommies tonight cause the little baby piggies lease on their "woomb" was up TODAY (get it, woomb) and we didn't want them being evicted (ejected) in the gestation barn where they would have been cold and alone and couldn't find their mums (we have some around our deck, they are yellow) and that would be unacceptable.
I think Randy was bitten by the March madness bug. He started out to fill a few pot holes in the driveway and at last count (my count) there has been 14 dump trucks in and out of here......talk about getting stoned......if we laid these stones end to end they would reach a long ways .......
Well, despite me and my thoughts, everything is in it's place and put away for the day and all is well on the farm once again...........:)

New Look.....

Just wanted to share a photo I took today of the Brick as it was being beautified with some new plantings which should bring some balance to the landscape. Bentely and Koepke out of Ohio is doing the work and if what Martin says is true about the plants around the house they will be gorgeous spring and fall adding some accent to this beautiful house. FYI, the little guy in the corner is not a plant but a planter.....(get it).......I will do another photo as the plants progress.......:)

Thursmoooooooothday.................

That's baby pig Latin for "smooth Thursday" one of the smoothiest (yep, you read what I said) we have had in a long time. Usually we have to turn up our go gear a notch or two on Thursday to get everything done and even then you sometimes have to compromise on some little things to get the most important things done well. Wellllllllll not today!!!! Everything went as slick as a 4 inch round greased pig through a 4 inch round greased pipe. (oh my) From feeding to breeding to weaning and washing and feed grinding and even had time for some repair work and all without running out of our boots to get it done........What a Thursday....I feel good.....I don't need a hug....I want to give one.........everything is buttoned down and tucked away for the day and all is well on the farm once again.....:)
Speaking of farm once again, Kim got home yesterday so you might want to give him a big "WELCOME HOME KIM" hug when you see him and Susan next week, or maybe just a welcome home hand shake cause you don't know where he's been, can you still get cooties or did they all die in the 3rd grade..........:)

Jonathan Update..........:)

Just an update on Baby Jonathan....he had his 4 month checkup Friday and the Doc says everything looks good, feels good, sounds good, is good and smells good (speaking of smells good in regards to Jonathan, we will have to tell you about that and Lori at another time...tee hee) he weighs 15 pounds 13 oz. and is 24 1/2 inches long....OUTSTANDING......."Go Baby "J"
Here he is being held up by Lori's sister Deb out of college on her first day of spring break.......this is day 4, I wonder who is holding Deb up about now....I bet she is still smiling........:)

Thursday...........again

Got DUMPED on good today.....again, you would think I would get used to it but I haven't. Well, despite that, everything went rather smooth for a Thursday, all the little piggies got moved, the room got washed and is awaiting it's new mommies, whom are moving into their "suites" first thing in the morning, feed got ground, sows got moved and all is well here on the farm once again...well, except for me.....you see Marie decided to get a new bed, and with the new bed came a new spread, and with the new spread there had to be new pillows, which had to be complimented with new shades, and with the new shades came the new curtains which made ALL the other windows in the house sad so "I'll fix you" says Marie and costly and behold came forth new curtains for EVERY STINKING WINDOW IN THE WHOLE HOUSE...........
I hate this day...........I need a hug......:( ......and a loan.........:(

New picture of Baby "J" & Marie

I am not sure who is the happiest in this photo, Marie,Jonathan,or the pig.......My vote goes to the pig even though Jonathan was trying to eat it the whole time he had it....well, ain't that what pigs are for.........:)

Rain and Ron....

Just sitting here this morning looking out the window at the pouring rain,50 mph winds and 40 degree temperature, I couldn't help thinking of our dear friend Ron basking in the Florida sun (friend, what kind of friend would leave us here to freeze and get wet) I believe at his last report he was fishing in 82 degree weather, he didn't catch anything, I think his worm is bad......
Everyone at the farm sends their best to Ron and Marsha.......Stay well..:)

Thursday............oh my

Another Thursday is under our belts and it was all in all a pretty good day. Had to stuff a few extra piggies into the nursery but that will work ok. Been raining for two days now and I wish it would quit cause it's just blawing (new word).
Randy got stuck in the rain trying to stop leaks into Kim's house but I think he is fighting a loosing battle, and at the very least he got good and wet.
Well, all the little piggies got weaned, the room got a bath, some new mommies put in, and all is well on the farm again...........:)

Updated photo of "Baby J" (Jonathan)

Well, as you can see he is not shy about eating. I am not sure in this photo if he just finished eating or has just made room for more but either way he is as happy as he can be. By the way, his 4 month check up is in two weeks!!
On a sadder note. I just learned from Randy that our friend Ron Olson also lost his father this week. It has not been a great month for family members here on the farm.
And speaking of the farm, Kim and Susan should be returning Tuesday or Wednesday so when you see them Susan could use a hug and Kim, well he needs something to do to keep him out of Susan's hair...........:)

First part of the week just flew by, course we were short of help so things got done in a rush, but I guess Thursday is probably the most important day and also the busiest, second only to Wednesday moving and Monday and Tuesday breeding, which is probably why I report on this day the most. And reflecting back on the first part of the week and a labor issue makes us look fondly at the "Wash Hand" robot for 95% of our power washing needs. That labor issue really got me miffed!
Well, back to reality, the day did go rather smooth. Lots of little piggies got moved, lots of broken things got fixed, lots of feed got ground, (even a little on the ground) Terry is back in the semi, and Randy actually came outside without his hood on today.......It's a Thursday miracle.....
the day is done and all is well on the farm again........:)

Thursday Again..........

Yep, another Thursday and as usual all the little piggies got a new home without a hitch, well that is not entirely true, there were a few hitches (I think I spelled that right) but nothing I haven't had hurled at me before. Steve got a new HUGE baby calf yesterday and it was ok, so that is some good news along with his dentist's report that his mouth is not quite as large as we all thought. Lee and Terry managed to rid the shop of at least one of the "Mr. Stinkies" that had made a home under it. Let's hope that was the only one.
Well, the farrowing room got washed and some new mommies put in and the feed got ground and the bean meal hauled in and all is well on the farm once again................

Let's all keep Susan and Kim in our prayers...........:)

"JJ" and the cold.......

Well, it's been a rather cold weekend here on the farm, in fact, it hasn't been this cold in over a year, 1 degree this morning at 4:00 A.M., but everything and all the piggies seems to have faired it just fine.........Speaking of little piggies, I would like you all to meet "JJ" (Joe Junior), crowned by Lori to possibly be our new teaser boar..............

On a more serious note..........let's all keep Kim and Susan's fathers in our thoughts and prayers....each is fighting his own battle with an illness and can use our support........

Jonathon

Here is "BIG John" (grandpa) holding little Jonathon..........
He is growing like a weed..................:)

It's been another typical Thursday. All the little piggies got moved to the nursery on schedule and Eric got to scare the boogers out of Lori at the weaning hole, which was only one out of five times, about her limit for a day, the room got washed and is ready for sows in the morning, oh my! The new feed system is purring like a kitten, well actually it is more like humming like a bird, but either way it is working just fine up to this point. Steve, Lee, and Terry, ( he is the one who had a heart fart ) got the feed bins switched at Isolation without a hitch, Randy got corn hauled, Marie got houses inspected, Ronda kept all coordinated so all in all it was another most excellent day hear at the farm............:)

13 pounds 12 ounces and 23.5 inches long, feed efficiency and rate of gain are off the chart, days to 220 are shrinking, his 2 month check up was outstanding, he looks as snug as a bug in a rug, what more could you ask for....:)

Baby Jonathon's new look.....

As fast as he is growing, he will be drinking "Boilermakers" before he becomes one......:)