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Can you believe we are already halfway through October? The leaves are almost all off the trees, the incredible colors that were there just days ago are gone for yet another year. My garden has finally decided to be done, with a little help from Mother Nature's cold touch (though I still have a wheelbarrow full of tomatoes to take care of). The chill in the air in the morning sends us to the barn with stocking caps and layers of sweatshirts on, and as I walk I think about finding my long-johns. A sure sign of the change of the weather is the calf warmer being placed in its special spot to be ready for those shivering newborns. These past few weeks have been filled with excitement, family, and have left us with many new memories that we will treasure for years to come.
Our fall happenings begin with the second weekend of bow hunting. As I may have mentioned before, my brother, Thomas, is also know as the great white hunter around here, and loves being in the woods. While we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new calf, I received a breathless phone call from Thomas-he had shot the big one. On the slim chance that he would even see the monster buck, he went to a spot that we don't frequently hunt, and the wind, the woods, everything was in his favor as he brought the bruiser down. At 16 points, 23 1/4 inch inside spread, and 235 pounds dressed, I am not exaggerating when I say he was the biggest buck ever shot on our farm. Keith even rough scored it out, and it was bigger than his by approximately ten inches.
As if that wasn't exciting enough, my youngest brother, Tony, rolled in the next morning after driving 18 hours straight to get home from North Carolina. The boys and I waited a bit to come to the farm that day, but once in the house it was like trying to hold back a freight train because two little boys didn't care that Tony had only slept two hours-they hadn't seen their Uncle Tony since last November. The morning was spent taking pictures of Thomas' deer-with the bow, with his dog, by itself, with Ira, with Abby-it was quite the photo shoot. After putting plastic up in the bunker to get ready for shelling high moisture corn, it was a three vehicle parade off to lunch and register the deer.
By the next week, Tony seemed to have fit himself right back into the routine of things, driving grain cart for Dad and Peter. He always says that no matter how much he changes, things around the farm still seem to stay pretty much the same. This is a good thing for a 21 year old that has been over to Afghanistan twice and seen things many of us will never have to. I think he likes the consistency we have, and seems to be ready to come home and be a part of it. Every day Ira jumped off the bus and asked where Uncle Tony was and when could he go with him? It's the little things that make their day, an extra five minutes to play with their uncle, or a quick ride to the house in Tony's new truck.
In between cows and feeding men that were combining, a group of us made it down to World Dairy Expo as well. I hope that someday my boys get the same magical-Disney World- like feeling I do when they walk around the Expo grounds. I know it may sound silly, but it is such an incredible feeling to know that virtually everyone around you is dealing with similar struggles, yet keeps going for similar reasons. I think my favorite thing to do is watch people. It is one of the few places that you can wear bib overalls all over and no one even bats an eye. There are couples that go every year as a date, retired farmers that come to stay on top of the industry, grandparents who bring their grandchildren to show them a bit about farming, and the younger generation that wears that favorite T-shirt that people may not understand as well if they wore it anywhere else. Around every corner you will hear different languages spoken, yet all centering around the future of the dairy industry. So far the boys are most excited about the toys and equipment, but the cattle show holds enough of their interest that I can see them enjoying it more as the years progress.
To end our two weeks of crazy, busy, fun times we headed across the state for my dear cousin Jeremy's wedding. It was a much anticipated event, a great time to see and spend time with some of our favorite extended family members. The highlight was Tony arriving in military dress, much to everyone's delight. Most of them hadn't seen him since last deer season, and for some it had been even longer than that, so of course the sight of him home safe and sound evoked many tears. A dear, wise aunt of mine mentioned that if you don't have family, you have nothing, and this past weekend was all about family. There were smiling family pictures, so many children under waist high it was unreal, great food, Grandpa Ike's singing, lots of tears of joy, dancing 'til our feet hurt, Peter and Tony serenading Aunt Sherry and in the middle of it all were an ecstatic Jeremy and Kayla - beginning their married lives together surrounded by family.
You see, amidst all of the crazy times in my life, there is one thing that is constant-family-that definitely makes some of these memories the best kind.[[In-content Ad]]

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