Please welcome - Miss Annie....

Hey everyone - I spent most of the day yesterday at my favorite aunt and uncles house. I convinced her to start blogging... SO would you please go and visit here at .... *insert drumroll*

http://leatherandlogssewinganddogs.blogspot.com/ I am sure you will NOT be disapointed.

By the look of the post that I put up last night, I scared ya all away!! Not much to report today, but I hope to be back this evening with some pictures of all of the flooding that is taking place... You dont want to see running water in the begining of February.... that means all of the moisture that the snow would have brought for spring crops, is NOT going to be there for spring crops. It's all ran off. It cant go into the ground because of the frost so - I hope we get more snow for ground cover and spring moisture - as much as I want to slap myself for even saying more snow.... *head hits desk*

Talk to you all soon!!!

From my friend Karen D.....

My dear friend Karen gave me this.... I dont know what you guys dont already know about me - but - I will try to think of 10 honest things.

1. I would love to visit each one of you OR have each on of you visit our home. I truely love the friendships I have made because of blogging.

2. I LOVE to dance and at one time in my life wanted to be a Vegas show girl....feathers and all -but NO STRIPPING! Just the big fru-fru costumes.

3. More than anything else in my life, I want to be the example that God has asked me to be and to do it with grace, mercy and dicernment.

4. I HATE bugs - enough said.

5. I dont brush my hair everyday.... really I dont... long hair can be thrown into a bun pretty easily.

6. I love to be pregnant, that explains a lot doesnt it...

7. I love to get pregnant.... explains even more huh - thought so...

8. I have only slept with one man in my life - and I am SO glad of that. Thats how I know he is the best!!! LOL

9. My boys are my life blood and without them I would wither and die - even if there are days that I want to die because of them.

10. I used to break and train horses when I was younger - like from when I was 13 on I trained. My dad worked for a man that had horses that he used for packing out west. It was hard to train them for packing - because some of them were pretty flighty - BUT I did it and love every minute of it. I could never have imagined that I would'nt have horses one day. I had horses until I was married and then had a team of Percherons, but they both died - now my father in law has the studs from them, but I dont have any of my own anymore... I miss them.

SO there you have it.... more of me than you probably care to ever know! I am only going to scrap a couple of people....

MissAnniesewandsew

Coffeeman

Bayou woman.

Anyone want a couple of pictures to look at???? Here ya go.

Lispy is helping to bed for the cows.. dont look at the wall on the other side of the barn - remember there is NO white wash on the walls..... it looks gross dont it....

I think the Milk Man loves his boys...

Karen my friend - kiss's from Milk Dud just for you - look at those lips...

See you all in the morning!

His Name is....

Finnigan!! DJ you are the winner - Sorry this took SO SO long you guys, but we could NOT decide. We loved them all!! Pinky and Picasso were the next runners up! Aslan, well - I LOVE THAT NAME, however we are saving that name for other purposes that may arise at some point in time... :) dont read into that to much - OK!?!?! Now for the prize - I dont know what to give you, but would you please leave me some contact info in the comments here and I will corespond with you to find out your likes and dislikes??? K? So here is another picture of Finnigan.....



Sorry about the bluriness, but its hard to get a good picture in the barn. The light REALLY stinks and I stink at taking pictures!
Karen, here is your 'postly dose' of MD..

Lispy's picture was thrown it because he was asked to put his long johns on before we went to the barn, he did - however he somehow got them OVER HIS OTHER PANTS!! I have NO idea how he managed this because his LJ's are TIGHT...

I had wanted to take you on a bit of a 'tour' of the barn, but until we can get it whitewashed for the summer - it will have to wait. The pictures make it look SO dirty, I hate it. BUT, there are a couple of cows that I want to introduce to you. This little darling is named.... Mamma Jugs

Mamma Jugs has... nice tits.. *snicker* I probably should'nt say that in public - but its a fact. They are not to long and not to short, they are just right! I will give you a titty tutorial at some time ok, cuz I am sure you all want to know about cow tittys....

>
Last but not least, can you imagine haveing to fix this monster in -10 weather? The tire would'nt seal, Milk Mans hands were getting to the point that they wouldnt work because of the cold.

SO, we had to run it to town to be fixed. That always takes WAY TO LONG. The cows had to wait to be cleaned for because the Farmers Union, is a joke, wait did I say that out loud?? yup I did - the Farmers Union caters to town 'folk' - please dont be offended anyone who lives in town! I am just pointing out the fact that the Farmers Union should cater to farmers. We had to wait for 3 hours to have that tire fixed because of cars that needed oil changes. Now I realize that people have scheduals to follow etc - my issue rests with the fact that they need to have someone 'available' at all times for farm stuff that people need done. Our cows needed to be cleaned out for and that is usually done by 9am - we didnt get done with chores that day till after 2:30pm. Our afternoon chores start again at 4pm... enough complaining already! Sorry, I get on a bender at times!!! My ranting about farm co-ops is a completly differant post!!! Man, did this head south fast or what? I will be back later today with a post about a mustard plaster!!!

The Washers have landed - I repeat.. oh forget it...

THEY'RE HERE - THEY'RE HERE!!! I got 2 washers yesterday and I went with the suggestions of *insert drumroll here * WHIRLPOOL! I got a top load for the barn cloths and a front load for my sheets, good cloths, towels, rugs and blankets. I know that sounds extravagant to have 2, but NO ONE would want to wash good cloths after washing crap encrusted clothing in the same machine. I have to wipe the machine out after each load of barn cloths because chaf (small fine hay/straw) is stuck in every nook and cranny of the clothing - like pockets, seams, the fingertips of the chore gloves etc.... and if you wash the next load it just adds up like bad credit...... AND if you want to wash a 'good load' by chance in there - you come out with sweet smelling, hay embeded clothing.... I have pictures, but cant find the camera at this moment. The prayers from all of you helped A LOT! I got a $530 top load machine for $360 and I got a $700 front load for $500somthing!!! I also got 18 months of FREE FINANCING!!! *does happy dance like Elaine from Seinfeld* We dont ususally buy extended warranty because they cost extra $150 but we have went through 2 BRAND NEW machines in less than 5 years..... plus my Neptune that we have had for 10 - but that was only used for good stuff. However after the last 'farm machine' died we started useing that full time all 6 loads not including bedding everyday - she lasted about 6 weeks tops..... then croaked like a spring time frog - LOUDLY. The last load we washed in her, sounded like a jet trying to take off in the basement. The love of my life got them both hooked up and running last night after he got done with milking. He ate supper at 9pm... thats a man - putting his laundry before his belly. *smirk* I plan on posting pictures of the cerimonious first washing, but like I said - I cant find the camera..... I hope its not in the machine... *blank stare - left eye twitchs* The calf contest winner WILL be announced later today and I have a neat prize - at least I think its neat..... but I am partial. Karen D. told me that I can fit Milk Dud into anypost - so here is a picture of him and one of Lispy - Big Son has recently gotten camera shy. It will only last a couple of days I am sure, then the ham will come out again.


This little bugger LOVES to come to the barn to watch the excitment, but its hard being a barn baby and they need lots of rest....
This should be the banner picture for the FFA (Future Farmers of America) it fits the profile PERFECTLY....

And I LOVE the pouty mouth on this 'little jigger' - my grandpy used to call all of us that or anyone that was little and cute.....

Well my friends - I have the morning off of milking. The Milk Man is feeling much better and hopefully will NOT NOT NOT have to have surgery - *Halleluja chorus sung* He is back to milkking, but its very possible that I will be taking over the cows again on a permanent basis. With all of the other work, its getting to be to much for him and Palmer - SO Palmer and I will be milking more together. That means MORE cow shots and info - and graphic pictures of 'tittys' dare I say it. Talk to you all later!

The French Milk Maid.....

The death of my washer....again....

You guys are NOT going to believe this, but my other washing machine gave up the ghost last night. I hate to be a downer, BUT could you all pray just a little bit for me. We have to try to buy a new one today - these two will cost more to fix than buy a differant one. I have been up trying to find a used one, but like Milk Man says - 'You could be buying someone else's junk' and he is right. I have been looking for a used industrial one like The Farmers Wife suggested, but I cant find any - DANG IT!!! LOL Money is tight for most people right now I know, but without sounding like I am whining, cuz I hate to sound like I am whining even if I am - farming is not so great right now..... milk has dropped to a low of less than $12 per hundred weight - we see about .30 of what you guys pay in the store. Sad state of afairs huh? Anyway - pray that I get a good 'deal' at Best Buy today would you? Thanks - I will be back with somthing better to chat about later I promise..... like an Amish Tupperware party....

Mikey, this one is for you - Mrs. Mom you too....

Well - the other day I went to my favorite uncles house to 'help out' *snicker* all I did was hold down a piece of frozen ground for a few hours and yak about whatever came to mind with my Aunt Anne. SO Mikey and Mrs. M here is what it looks like to shoe a horse for winter/logging....


This is a shoeing chute -

Looks like some midevil torture device huh? Dont mind the fat lady shadow, if I would have had more cloths on I would have looked like the Michilan man er, um woman thingy I guess.


This is Ed, original name huh - he is HUGELY tall. See the feller standing by the truck? Thats my favorite uncle Kyle - he weighs 120 SOAKING WET and he is the one who runs these teams. I laugh because he is a big man in a little fellers body! When I say big man, I mean he is a man who stands up for what he believes in, for whats right and always does what he feels will help anyone and everyone - in short, he's a big man. LOVE YOU KYLE!! Got a bit off track with that huh, sorry - I just know you would love Kyle if you met him.

SO, in the chute Ed goes....


SEE how big Ed is compared to Kyle..... wow.....

Joe is the hoof guy - yup thats what we call him - the hoof guy!! The horses dont mind going in the chute for the most part. When you shoe a draft, its HARD HEAVY WORK~~~

This chute helps the Hoof Guy and lets the horse relax a little bit - even if it looks like he is being tortured.....
The strap behind the butt is for horses who are not used to being shod - at times they try to back up, but this gently helps them to 'not'....
The strap over the back helps for those horses who try to rear, rare or whatever you want to say... it stops them long enough for you to get them untied so they dont hurt themselves or you.
The belly chains are for the horses who try to lay down on the job - they also work GREAT for a horse to rest against/on when they get weary from standing with a foot in the air. They are adjustable as you can see to fit the horse in the chute.

Eds got a funny frog on his one foot - not sure what the deal is but it grows 5 times faster than the other ones!! Freak I say~~
The hoof is held up with a strap around the ankle. The straps are soft to the inside and the horse doesnt have to hold his foot up and the Hoof Guy doesnt have to hold a foot up that weighs as much as a small child.


This looks like Eds head is tied to the chute, but its not - only his leg is tied up. There is a piece of foam on the rope behind his knee so that the rope doesnt 'cut' into his leg. I KNOW this looks hard on them, but they relax and stand like a baby being rocked. They dont have to worry about leaning and neither does the Hoof Guy~



This is what the Hoof Guy uses to take of the hoof, but then he finishs up with his tools. This sucker works like a hot knife through butter - fast and acurate.





Ed's got a big head huh... that is my uncle Kyle...

Here the Hoof Guy is letting down Ed's leg - see how much easier it is on everyone when your not holding the leg






This is what a snow pad looks like - its upside down right now just so you can see how it works. See the 'gold colored' stuff on the shoe? That is 'slag' that is put on this shoe - its brass/metal that is put on with a welder. It helps to grip on the ice and in the snow - the snow pad fits under the shoe against the horses foot - see the 'ball' part that goes up into the bottom of the horses hoof so that the snow cant get in there. Then where it caves in on the bottom the snow does not build up there either, it pops out - therfore the shoe is able to 'grab' better in the snow and ice.
This is a 'shim' that goes under the hoof if its need for lift.... Think stilletos baby....

Here is a better picture of the 'slag' on the shoe. Its ROUGH - if you would run your fingers over it, they would be cut up. Hoof Guy does this himself to save a bit of cost, because the 'lug shoes' cost a LOT more and dont work well on some horses...
Like this one......
This is King - Kyles pride and joy. They have been through the works together and are more like brothers than owner and horse. King is about 20, but you would never know it. He gives a days work that Kyle doesnt even ask for. Kyle tries to rest him and King wants to MOVE IT MAN!!! He is in every sense a work horse - but I think its because he truely loves Kyle and wants to please him with all that he does.

There was a time when Kyle was rigging them up and King was playing around. Kyle was trying to put the collar on him and King has to put his head down so Kyle can reach him. Kyle got the collar half on and King picked up his head. Needless to say Kyles feet were off the ground about 3 feet and they were swinging like a branch in the breeze - I swear King was laughing at him. SO - I didnt get any pictures of the shoes going on - I had to get home and milk, but I think this gives you a good idea of how/what goes on! Hope you guys enjoyed this!!!

We have a winner... at least for the $50 kmart card..

AMY you are the winner - BUT I cant contact you because your profile is/was blocked. If you want to claim your prize please leave a comment on this post with information for me ok? If you dont claim it within 5 days - I will draw a differant name ok?!?! Thanks you guys for playing - it was fun to read all of the comments - I covet your comments.... dont tell Jesus ok, He has a thing about coveting stuff.... anyway - We are deciding on a name for the calf, but I wanted to leave you with a picture that has nothing to do with anything.....

This creature is the elusive 'barn baby' - there are very few of these blessed little creatures left in the world.. Sure glad we have one. Talk to you all soon and I am hoping to name the calf tonight or in the morning. PLUS!!! MIKEY from Horseshoing housewife - YOur post is next on the list!!!