We are impatiently waiting for our house to be rebuilt!  It’s been a wet fall and that has contributed for some work slowdown.  But, we got the windows installed in early November, and they have been working on electrical, plumbing and putting in the furnace.  Next week is gun deer hunting, so we don’t expect anything done then!  Deer hunting in Wisconsin is a big deal!  We also have not been able to get the 3 sided shed started, in-between the rains and now it’s turned cold.  Not sure if that will get done or not.   We had the vet out to worm and vaccinate all the cattle a couple weeks ago.  He got his truck stuck and we had to pull him out with the tractor- darn wet rainy weather!  But, our cattle handling facility and the vet’s chute worked really well and we got it done.  We have been very worried about “Brownie” because she was getting thin.  The vet said to watch her, now that she’s been dewormed and we hope that she starts filling out again.  But, all the others are looking good!  We purchased round bales from our neighbor for the winter and are set for feed through the winter.  That’s a good feeling!

We are going to build a 3 sided cattle shelter.  It will be about 12×32 open lean with a windbreak attached to one end.  Should be nice for them, especially the calves.  This weekend we plan to dig holes and pour cement in them to be ready when we start.  And, we are figuring out what to do with the water tank to winterize it so the tank heater doesn’t have to run steady.  That put a big dent in our electric bill last winter.  And, Fall seems to be settling in with colder overnight temps. Time goes way to fast in the Fall!

We have been watching our garage and house frame up which started this week!  Very happy to see the progress.

Our little bull calf “Manny” was born in August.  We noticed a swelling around his umbilical cord a few days ago and it was growing in size.  So, we called the local vet in Whitehall, who came out with his shoot to take a look.  The night before we separated him in a small paddock made with cattle panels.  We put part of the water tank into the paddock with some ratchet straps across so he could drink, but not get out… at least that was the plan.  When the vet was ready to get him into the shoot, Manny wanted no part of that!  He got pretty excited, and actually moved the paddocks when he butted into them- I thought he was going to climb out!  Then he decided to go through the ratchet straps into the water tank.  The vet grabbed his tail and Craig and I got in front of him on the other side- we managed to push-pull him back into the paddock!  Wish I had a video of that!!  Anyway, poor Manny decided to go into the shoot after that.  He had an abscess that needed to be drained (how gross) and also had a slight case of pneumonia.  After a few shots, he got to go back out to his mom to have some milk and attention.  Poor Manny!  Our first vet call… what a doozy.

Can’t believe it’s October 1st tomorrow!  Where did the summer go?  We have some projects to finish before it gets cold: build a 3 sided shed for the cows and winterize the water tank and watering system.  And, we need to buy some hay again, since we didn’t get many bales because of some breakdowns.  Meanwhile we are living in our camper and watching the progress on our new house.   The basement is done and we should have the house framed up in the next week or so.  Winter is coming fast and we are hoping to get into the house before the really cold sets in.   And, we get to watch the cows from our campsite!  The bull was sent home on Sept 27th so it’s just the “girls” in the pasture and our one bull calf “Manny”.  It’s been a hectic year but we are looking forward to our new home, and growing our herd next Spring!

Not only are we dealing with the stress of the rebuild of our home, but we have been struggling this summer with our haying equipment.  The rake needs to be replaced and the baler needs new belts and of course they break down at the crucial time between sunshine and rain!  So is the life of a small farmer with old equipment!  I guess it’s time to think about trading up to something better.  This year we will have to buy more hay than anticipated, but cows need to eat!  We’ve heard that there is quite an abundance of hay this year, so we should be able to get more for our money anyway.

Meanwhile, we have to start working on a 3 sided structure for the cows to get out of the wind and cold.  We took some steel panels off the burned garage to use so we just have to paint them and buy some lumber.   Hope to get that going in the next few weeks.  Since Craig lost all his hunting equipment in the fire,  he isn’t doing any early hunting so he should have time in September.  Another project is to winterize the water system by October.

The new house will be started next week!  We hired R Tews Construction for the rebuild, who is the designated builder in this area for Golden Eagle Log Homes.  Our materials will be arriving in mid September, and the site will be cleared and  the new basement ready by then.  We have also finished our content list for the insurance company- that was so hard to remember everything we had!  But, we have 2 years to add anything we forgot- and I’m sure there will be something!

Living in the camper is going quite well.  We are still hoping to be in our house by Christmas- so optimistic that we are having our new bedroom set delivered there on December 23rd!  We’ll see about that….!

 

 

We leased a bull and had him delivered the week after July 4th.  A  nice looking young bull who sure knows his job!  We will have him until early September.  Hope to get 7 or 8 calves in the Spring.

Meanwhile, we are staying in a camper at the farm while we work on rebuilding our home.  So far we have the plans approved, hope to have materials ordered soon and we are meeting with a builder next week.  The next BIG project is writing down everything we had in the house for insurance.  THAT will be difficult!  But as Mom used to say, “No use crying over spilled milk.”  So, we carry on.

I still can’t believe it!  Our beautiful log home burned to the ground on Father’s Day, June 21st.  A total loss…  It started from a small appliance that was plugged in and not working.  Hate to point fingers, but both the insurance and fire departments said it was most likely started by our Keurig Coffee maker.  Although it was not in use, it was plugged in and somehow shorted out.  Lesson:  Unplug all small appliances when not in use.  Craig and I came home from breakfast that morning and got our 2 dogs and 1 cat out.  However, we lost our 20 year old orange tabby cat Nala, who was overcome by the smoke.  The volunteer fire departments from Eleva, Strum and Independence were wonderful- so many came even though it was Father’s Day!   They got the fire out but the house was heavily damaged by the fire, smoke and water.  The Red Cross arrived and gave us a hotel in Eau Claire so we packed up a few items and left around suppertime.  However, the fire somehow rekindled again in the night and burned to the ground before anyone could save it.

We are devastated by what we lost, especially the things that can’t be replaced.  Mom’s journals, her lefse maker and supplies, Gramma’s antique hutch, Craig’s guns handed down from his father and uncles, photos, and momentos from our past. But, Craig and I are not dwelling on these things right now.  We are looking to the future and rebuilding the home we loved.  Plans are already in the works for the new home.  Originally the home was a material package from Golden Eagle Log Homes in Wisconsin Rapids, WI that we contracted and built ourselves.  We do not have the heart to do that again!  Our insurance will pay for replacement costs so we can have it rebuilt like it was- only someone else will build it!  And, we have replacement coverage on the contents.  We consider ourselves lucky that nobody was hurt, except for the loss of our cat Nala.  R.I.P Nala- you were a sweet kitty!  

So far the grazing plan has been working well.  With all the rain, it doesn’t take long for the grass to grow!  We are moving the cows from one end of the pasture to the other.  When the grass growth slows, we supplement with a little hay.  And, the chickens are doing well also.  They have been in the paddock just behind the cows, enjoying the leftovers, bugs and flies.  The three calves are having a blast chasing each other around- so fun to watch that!  A good start to the summer!

Lots of rain this past month!  My flower gardens are looking great!  And, the new pasture we seeded is awesome!  But, the hay crop suffered.  We only got a few bales in-between the rain showers.  The rest will have to be picked up and fed to the cows.  But, that’s the life of a farmer!  We also had some technical problems with the baler which took up some time for Craig, but he got it figured out.  And, when we got that working, it wasn’t long before the tractor tire went flat.  One thing after another!   But, the cows are happy moving into fresh grass every few days, and the chickens are doing well also.  We are happy with how most things are going and look forward to a great summer on the farm!  Next hay crop will be a good one- we hope!

Our niece Beth and her husband Nick were looking for a place to raise chickens this summer.  They asked us if they could put them out in the pasture behind the cows.  Chickens like flies and bugs, so we thought this would be a good way to cut down on some of the pests that bother the cows- and they will be fertilizing the fields also.   Besides, in return we will get a few chickens for the freezer.  A win-win situation!   It is a unique idea-  they built moveable pens  that are moved once a day so they always have “fresh” (if you know what I mean) food every day.   So, the chickens were put into the pens this week and now the fun begins!  Good luck to Beth and Nick on your project!!  I can almost taste fresh chicken on the grill…..