Katelin's Korner

During the hot summer time I try to stay cool. Things don't always stay cool during the day so we usually try to get most of the work done during the early morning and evening hours. Then during the high noon and afternoon hours we try to stay cool with other tasks may it be: paper work, cleaning, or some crafts I try to stay busy. While you try to pass time you come to try new things. This year I have been turning old feed sacks that are of the plastic type into a re-usable bag for things such as groceries. I set up the sewing  machine right in front of the window air conditioner and go to work. Over past couple of weeks it has been my main project to change those old feed sacks into those bags during those hot summer hours. Here is a picture where you can see the bags all 9 of them. I hope that you enjoy and if you are interested in making them...I could possibly instruct you somehow. Stay cool!

Happy New Year (a couple days late)!! Over this holiday season I've been having a blast with family and friends. Before the year was over I was visited by one of my college friends who was driving back home. Dana Orth was driving from Texas to Wisconsin. She had let me know when she was going to be driving through my area, and we were lucky enough to have the time to catch up! It is great to see old friends when you least expect it. After Dana left I had one more day to fulfill at work and then it was onto Christmas break, and boy howdy did that feel good. I was fortunate enough to spend time with my boyfriend's family, my family, and see other friends as well. While we spent many hours together we also spent time working as well. At home we had to work calves and well it was muddy thanks to heavy rains earlier, which never dried out. I was the lucky one to be pushing the calves into the chute, which in turn means you get to have your knees and shins kicked by the little squirrels. Although I didn't get kicked that many times it was enough. The job went very quick thanks to team work of Dad, Sarah and I. We were all tired by the time it was done.  We also had a birthday over the holiday season. Mark (my dad) was able to celebrate with some friends/neighbors who came over for a visit. It was fun to catch up with them, even though we live only 5 miles apart we don't see each other very often. Then New Years came I left to go spend another Christmas with my boyfriend's family, and celebrate the New Year! For the New Year's celebration most of his family got together, and we played cards...and play board games and.....more cards, until we were all gamed out! It was such a blast that now I am addicted to the card game pitch. I had one more day with his family and him so what better way to spend the first day of the year other than to go coyote hunting. And lucky enough we got one! These coyotes are a form of a wild dog that has become more and more prevalent around our area. If their food supply chain of pheasants, quail, and rabbits, as well as other small rodents disappears they turn to agricultural animals such as kids, lambs, and calves. Which is why we try to eliminate them from our area, not totally kill them out but try to keep their population at a minimum as well as putting the ones who are spreading disease out of the circle. It was a great way to start the year seeing as though I had never done that before and this was our first true animal to take down together. Once Monday rolled around it was time for me to return home, sad but true....I was fully expecting to be put straight to work but instead I was greeted by a dad who was in his chair....ASLEEP/ watching football. It was fun to get to sit and watch a game with him and we were all very happy that a team from the big 12 won!! All in all it was a very great Christmas break and New Year's start! I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays and had a very Happy New Years!--Happy Trails~~

(Disclaimer-I use a lot of...that is because it is a constant thought going...not really an end to the thought just how I think and how it gets put into words....bare with me on that!)

December 13th- It seems to be creeping up on me...Christmas I mean. I can't believe it is almost here! These weeks have seemed to fly by and not even stop in to say hi. Over the past few weeks it has been a continuous challenge to keep up with everything. Now that I am in the 'big kid's world' and working it seems as though I don't have the personal time like I used to while at school. At school I was able to take naps, read books (that I enjoyed), see friends, have me time, enjoy a tad bit of shopping here and there...but now it is a routine of get up, do chores, go to work, come home, do chores, supper, clean up, some Internet, and then bed. Man is it bad that I don't have a social life besides seeing a certain boy, and a few close friends every once in a while...when it seems that I get the time?! Not that I am complaining about the wonderful life on the farm, I just thought that maybe just maybe I would actually have some personal time (which I do get)...but it is the weekdays where I see the change the most. Living out in the country most of our time is spent on the farm doing work for the farm, with the farm, and to help the farm. I love it, yes....does it get redundant..? yes sometimes you just want to say screw it...I'm cold tired and just want to be inside already...but on our farm you are NOT allowed to be until the chores and tasks are accomplished..(or until it gets too dark to see your hand in front of your face) This means that weather or not...and yes I am not spelling it wrong...I mean weather or not...we are in sunshine or a blizzard we get the things done to make sure that the farm and cattle are taken care of first and then ourselves second... which is the way that most people that I know treat their farming/ ranching operations.  I know there are some of you out there that are reading this thinking what in the world is she talking about...all they do is drive tractors feed the cows and sit on their butts....no way hose`. Not here...even this morning I did more than that in just a half an hour...Here is what happened...Alarm rang 6:05 am...ugh drag me out of bed....eat some cereal for breakfast then into the chore clothes I went. I am responsible for a baby calf that was not performing thanks to the mother not milking correctly...made the milk with milk re-placer (just  like we do with formula for our babies)...then down to the  barn Moose (corgi dog) and I went....mind you it's still dark out...so I have a head light shinning the way....got to the barn crawled in the pen and caught the baby #169 and proceeded to try to get him to suck all of his bottle down....He went to town for the first 3/4 of the bottle that I had but the last part he was giving me fits...Most of the milk he drank which is good because the more he drinks the better nutrition he will receive...once I finished feeding him his milk I tried to get him to eat some sweet feed...so that he can nibble on something during the day when I am not around to be Mommy...I was just getting ready to head back to the house when mom opened the barn door and said...Dad needs you to bring the 4-wheeler around, the neighbor's cattle are out and by our feed piles....Oh Joy....It is never very good to start a morning off with cattle out! So off I went...I found 5 head right before our bridge...and then 5 more by the feed piles...dad was already getting gates set up so we could put them in our spare pen....Once we got the 5 by the pile going I took off for the 5 by the bridge...to no surprise they didn't want to cross...Thankfully our neighbor's wife was just coming by and she stopped to help me try to push them across...well two of them jumped the fence into her pasture...and the other 3 finally went...once they were back with the 5 it was all down hill from there...It may not seem like much to you as a reader, but if you have had any interaction with cattle on roads or in a dangerous spot you know that it can be very stressful for you and your cattle....Thankfully all of them are safe and sound tonight at their correct owner's home...Now just think if we weren't there to help what might have happened?...they could have been hit by a car...injured a person and killed themselves...gotten sick by getting into something in a neighbor's yard...or just plain caused havoc on anyone by jumping in with other cattle and breaking down fence the list goes on and on...but I guess what I am trying to say is the farm is a never ending job and joy...We might say that it was a bad day but there are times where everything goes great and there is no one to thank but the big man upstairs. (God) And I am glad that there are times when I feel like I don't get to see friends because that means that I am working and keeping busy with the passion that I have grown to live with...but of course we all could use a vacation...anyone want to come and do chores for a week?! Until next random thought comes to mind---Happy trails.


November 19th- Boy howdy have we had a windy couple of days here! It seems that every weekend we get a gust of wind from somewhere new. Today was a good day in that my little sister came HOME!! Well at least for the day...although I didn't get to spend much time with her, it sure was good to see her again! It seemed as though today was a Friday...not Saturday...which would be nice to have a Saturday over again. Although it was windy the day started off very nice and full of some sunshine... then the wind turned to the north and clouds came...burrr. My mother and I worked on making sure the cattle had plenty of water then off to town to get groceries and then do recycling.Then back home to work. When I say work I mean work...We moved panels to a new pasture to catch some cows who had been testing their ways on the hot wire fences and then getting out. Once we got all the panels set up it was time to catch the cows...and catch them we did! Both of us looked at each other and said, " Wouldn't Dad be proud!" Then we called for the trailer, since dad had been using it all day long. And the rest is history! Cows are home, fed, watered and together with their babies! A long day but full of team work and a lot of energy against this Kansas wind.--Time for a rest! Until next time!! Don't fly away!


Agriculture Weekend....

Hey y'all! Welcome to the page where you get to keep up with all of my busy life! Here is an over view of the past two weeks that have seemed to fly by!
Last week was a busy one. The week started off with lots of cows coming home and processing the calves with vaccinations and making sure that we had them all tagged correctly. Then we moved onto getting rain...which was most needed but when we have cows and calves at home it makes for a muddy mess. The rain was welcomed in the fields though. We had been dry since the wheat harvest and it had continued on.  Then on Wednesday I was off to the wonderful land of oz...well at least there was part of it at the American Agri-Women Convention. The convention was a blast!! Lots of reunited friends, new acquaintances, and new adventures awaited us as we arrived from near and far far away. At convention I was working with great women all involved in agriculture. We listened to speakers who gave us new perspectives on how we can be advocates of agriculture. I was happy to enjoy a break out session with a fellow blogger Crystal Cattle. The things that we learn at these conventions get your mind thinking about how we can reach different people to spread the word about the hard work and love that goes into each meal that is fed, which is produced by agriculture.  I loved meeting all of the new people from near and far, all of the new relationships and different aspects within agriculture.  I was super happy that my mom got to attend as well. She has always been involved in the farm and has a supporting role on our family farm. This year the convention was held in Wichita, KS with the Kansas Agri-Women hosting the show. A great time for fun and renewal of the drive to be an advocate for agriculture!
Then this week started...I was called in to help out with our FFA's Dairy/Horse contest. It was great to have a weekend full of agriculture. Now it is back to the normal going to work, coming home and starting in on the chores. Until next time...happy trails!



Just a way to keep in touch and up to date on what I have been up to, even if you live far far away. Enjoy the funny stories, interesting days, and random thoughts that come to mind.