Got Milk?

It's sort of funny the way that my neighbor and I bump into each other more at the 25-miles -away library than we do on our own street. Which could be due to the fact that we live quite a few acres down the road from their farm; but "neighbor" in the northwoods has a broader meaning than, say, in Tampa! It started in a conversation about mail order library books that led to mail order chicks, (who knew?) and finished up with the fact that no one in our family has ever actually held a baby chick. Mrs. K then sweetly invited us over as soon as their chicks were to come in.

A few Sunday afternoons later found us trekking on down to K's Corner (as we have fondly dubbed it- gonna try to get her to start a farming blog with that name...) minus the church clothes and into grubs, of course. The tour began with the littlest farmer smooshing away at dirt and other stuff, turning it into seed blocks for the beginnings of their garden. They ended up looking surprisingly like brownies...

Next, we all squeezed in the chicken coop where every member of the Greene family was inducted into the chick holding club. Even Grandma, who hasn't held a chick since about 1962, made up for lost time. Seth got a quick lesson on how to collect eggs. Whoa. Ever try to take an egg from under the chicken? Those things can growl! Micah wasn't even about to go there!

Mr. K, leading us out over the pasture, noticed a cow was about to calve and, sure enough, within 20 minutes, PLUNK! A new calf was born before our very eyes! Seth was thrilled to round up the cows for milking time, too. What a day of firsts for the green Greenes!

After a brief introduction to the intricacies of the magic milking hour, and after gaining all sorts of new found respect for dairy farmer families, (and teen girls who can tow the line as well as any man!!) we piled into the Chevy to head home, but not before Mrs. K handed Seth the fruits of his labor: a dozen eggs!

Upon our return home, Seth immediately began counting the change in his Spiderman wallet that, until now,he'd been saving up for Legos. "I have enough for four baby chicks!" he triumphed. Hmmmm. And now he wants to save one of his precious eggs to hatch...