Thanks to Patzie, a great neighbor Bernie and good weather-we made the highest quality first crop hay, we’ve ever made. It’s neatly stacked and under cover of tarps.  Tom would add that he had one of his biggest belly busters again. Day two of hay making and I was giddy with another day of raking hay. I gleefully hopped on the Field Boss Tractor with the Tonutti Rake pulling behind. Tom gave me a refresher course as Hawken added his own version of instructions. I waved them away and half way through the round, I heard a squeak. Oops-I loosened the tightly pulled parking brake.  A short version is Tom later went to beg Bernie to come to the field I raked. Tom had to give up using our baler. Bernie came and later told Tom he’d have to charge us mileage. Made a lot of rounds and few bales. “I think a cyclone went through the field after Sue raked it!” Let’s just say the tonutti rake was for sale before this story and now it will be on an auction for sure by next year. I did make it to Broiler/Dairy Days Kiddie Parade with Hawken though. He asked me where the kitty cats were though @ the kiddie parade!

Making and raking hay,

Sue Roskos

My wish was to make an easier path for little legs, strollers and people with impaired mobility to have easier access to the backwaters when touring. With our friends that run a nice bulldozer and excavator, my wish was granted. A special thanks to Timmer and Jeffrey Reglin from Reglin and Hesch Construction from Waumandee for being accommodating and made it all seem so easy. The Sandhill Cranes, deer and coon have left their tracks etched in the bulldozed soil along First Pond along with my size 8.5  black tingley boots. I noticed a two foot long scratch in the soil with three claws on it’s tip. I’m dreamily gazing @ the nesting geese and ducks are floating. Then I notice a shimmering, slick dark animal inch-worming it’s way down the path towards me. It appears as an otter all curious and I stop to enjoy my first experience of seeing an otter on shore in our backwaters. He was out for a morning walk with me and eventually plopped back into the water and turned his head to watch me as I passed by him to check the beef cattle herd.

What have you been seeing out in nature?

Flow Like water and Shine like the Rising Sun,

Sue Roskos

Tom and I had been preparing for his departure and teaching  days spent in Viroqua for Organic Valley’s annual class that Doc Paul Dettloff leads.  The glorious weather prompted extra activity this year on our farm. By the middle part of the day prior to Tom departing for 3 days and 2 nights, the universe slapped us up as the treadmill sped up again. A call from the stockyards wondering if we wanted a load of black feeder lambs. We decided to take them. Then we needed to vaccinate, castrate and immunize our lambs prior to turning them out on pasture with their Moms. Hawken was smitten with the lambs and carried them around while Tom held the lambs and I did the tagging and vaccinating. 

Our dear Patzie, Ed that is-helped us that day with fencing and getting Tom ready to rollout of town. The vet phone was adjusted to allow ample time to get calls completed, we thought. Tom was in cattle pasture and discovered a dead cow with a calf trying to suck on her udder. He returned to find Hawken and I and then proceeded to intercept Patzie to help. They hopped on the gator and Patzie was insistant on wanting to tie the beef calfs legs together when they caught it to haul it home. Tom pounced on the agile calf and hung onto the balling calf with one hand and eventually they hog tied the kicking calf with a rope. Tom mentioned he was desperately trying to help hold that calf so Patzie didn’t get whacked on the back of the head. Then they smartly decided to conatin the calf with a sturdy pen in t he barn on our lower farm. Then Tom popped in during Hawken’s bath and appeared concerned all over again. Rosie, a pet cow had milkfever. He was able to easily catch the cow and ran an IV of calcium to her out on pasture. We found frozen colostrum milk in freezer and I thawed it out for the orphaned calf. With Hawken tucked in bed, I started the process of warming cow’s milk. I poured the milk into a calf bottle. I flipped the barn light switch on and the resting calf was all tucked in a corner. I sweetly murmered words and then the calf stood up and charged me. A 90 lb. black angus  heifer calf is quickly shoved into a corner with a plastic bottle filled with warm milk shoved in it’s mouth while I’m smiling.  1/2 hour later-I’m still smiling and have gotten but a few drops in the calf that perpetually charges me. I grab it by it’s ears and hold her. Tom walks in and attempts to get the calf to suck and I head up to the drug room to get the tube feeder. I called friends of ours the next day and asked them to come pick up the  spirited calf as a gift….please..just take the calf as a favor to me. I haven’t spoken with them since to see how the calf is doing.

Feel the Spirit of giving while you are living,

Sue Roskos

Tom was caught in my trap when I offered a hand with pruning some of the 60 trees that we have in our orchard. We’re on the vet route and then I’m jabbering about a lovely day and how burnt the regions along landowner’ creek’s are from them wishing weeds and small trees would go away. The van bounces over the sections of local highway that are all broken up from the winter weather. Then I put the bait out and sweetly mentioned that Hawken and I would gladly prune the trees while he was @ the Duck’s Unlimited Banquet in LaCrosse with Dave Leske and Greg. I hear a gasp and then he says, “I’ll get @ that with Hawken!”  I croon, “I’d be happy to prune the trees-I did some last year.” ‘Please Sue, hold off.” I caught him in an easy set and he’s looking for a way out. “Now Tom, what are we going to do with all the produce. What’s a few extra branches. I’ll take my time.” I’m having too much fun and he spies my eyes. “OK,  You got me good Sue!”  I am true to my word and take my goat hoof trimming snipper, and clip off the extra branches on the upper region of the orchard. There’s a Red Tailed Hawk that lives by the trees next to the Sauer Mill Road Bridge. She flies over and celebrates Spring with Hawken and I clipping branches from the Orchard Trees.

Trees are starting to blossom!

Sue Roskos

Tom and I took that time in Yaeger Valley, to stroll along the babbling creek after the Good Friday rain. Clouds loomed and lasted and blasted remnants of Winter far away. Shuffling  my boots,  I stare longingly @ the beckoning creek and found no words. A fond reminiscing on the pond of memories that float in from this Valley that grew my roots. I’m captured by the seemingly smaller creek. It looks so tiny and@ the bridge spillway,  a pair of Woodducks flush up and flare their beauty in the chilly air. We hold hands and I’m sliding down the creek bank to admire the stream bank improvement that brother Tim Salwey and lots of helping hands from the Waumandee Rod and Gun Club constructed. A place for the beloved trout to grow and hide under the wooden structures.  We admire all the new dams our family put in to hold water for the critters and keep the  black soil on the land. I’m filled with the meaning of Easter and realize Heaven on Earth when accepting the Blessings of all of IT.

We’re back @ my folks and admiring our very own Easter Concert. Hawken is the flute playing  director and Grandma and Grandpa are marching too while Tom and I are marching while we’re high stepping. Hawken stops and beams and says, “Yeah, we are a band. You can all crap!” Silence..I erupt in Yeah’s and clap heartily as we all are stifling laughter.

 Then we gather and watch for birds @ their feeder. Then Tom nudges me and I see what’s captured his eye. There’s a bluebird house on their deck and there’s a small square hole sawed in the top of it . There’s also netting around the entry hole and perch. This is a different patent than we’ve seen and are howling with un-stoppable laughter while Hawken and Grandpa are jumping on the beds and saying, “1 for the money, 2 for the Show, 3 to get ready and 4 to go!”  It’s always great to return to our roots and learn so may new things.

Hippity Hop-I am one of the Easter Bunnies,

Sue Roskos

 It’s only fitting to hang a bat house on the east side of the home barn. We love bats for they feast on mosquitos and our lil’ Engineer Joe, also happens to tell us he’s a fruit bat that hangs upside down and eats grapes, every evening while we all do dishes. Then he promptly opens up an un-used tiny cupboard and looks for the worms to feed the bats. Life is good when we just settle into being, instead of thinking we’re better or worse than anyone else.

We’re watching for bats and listening for the sweet serenade of the Peeps!

Sue Roskos

I’ve grilled the carnivore’s dream twice in  the past week on a mound of hot coals. Shrimp, salmon, chicken, hamburger,  brats and hotdogs have fed the neighborhood.  I am laughing @ our barnyard ducks, geese and chickens as they patrol the yard as I grill. Yoohoo Chicken is a pal and has gathered her friends underneath the dormant Bridal Wreath Bush near the grill. I am flipping and scooping food off the grill and it’s peculiar to see a chicken with feathers as I fry chicken on the grill.

Our  first Red Angus calf was born this week and Tom and I re-located the group of heifers that are close to calving. I asked Doc Tom how long it would take to move the newborn calf and it’s Mother to a drier pen. “Only about ten minutes-the Mother Cow knows her way around the yard from last year.” I hear the fencer zapping the electrice current that surrounds the muddy pen. Tom mentions to go around and swing the far steel gate open. He headed to un-plug the fencer and I had sorted out the Mother Cow and her calf after Tom fed the rest of the herd grain at the bunk.

Mother cow is holding her head too high and I sigh. I back towards the side of the pen and Tom has snatched her calf and is attempting to stuff it between the boards, so his Mother will follow. I’m getting centered and stabilized and see the cow’s eyes.  I dart under the fence and she takes the bait and follows Tom.  She’s too close to him and he grabs a stick. The calf is now dropped in a pile of mud and I’m trying to lighten up the day. “Tom you are such a great farmer and Dr.  Isn’t this all great!!??” He bursts out in approving laughter and it starts all over. Now I’ve attempted to grab a flexible poly wire fence post. Yeah, I’m going to protect Tom and me. I clutch it harder and then drop it. I try another fence post and that too is hooked onto polywire. I run and we keep trying to edge the Mother over to her baby. Tom shoves the calf in it’s dry pen.  I watch in slow motion as the wirey cow again comes @ him. I holler, “Get up on the tractor!!” He flies up on the tractor and she’s right there and he’s doing a dance to avoid her head. “Start it up Tom!!” He starts it up and she snaps to the attention of her calf and gallops into the new pen.

I’m teasing and mention, ” A cow will never go to a gate on the far side of the pasture when the herd is on the other end. She won’t remember where she was kept in a shed last year when she’s concerned about her calf and chasing us.” I have to mention I told Tom, “I gotta Go!! Time to pick up the lad!,” when the cow was charging the tractor until I realized this was a time to intervene!!

“I Gotta Go!” Wait! I’m right where I need to be!

Sue Roskos

 That really works so swell that I have attracted a crowd of cattle and a few renegade calves.  The cattle’s belly’s are filling with hay and I am now contemplating how to escape the confines of this wagon play pen.  I’m overcome with humor in this all. I’m re-living my childhood right here in a rusty hay wagon. The very same brand my dad has parked abandoned in a pasture. Now I use it because Tom’s had it since he started farming. The same rust is right here and I’m 8 years old again walking daintily to avoid falling through the wagon. I pull myself  up with the wagon dividers for they are a sturdy place to hold onto. The cattle are now oblivious to me as I’m manuevering through the bars to shimmy closely against the wagon to avoid another jolt. 

I stand and clumsily walk towards the drive though gates. I slide the borrowed knife into my  brown Carrhart coat pocket. The beauty of the fading daylight sprinkles serenity and sweetness on the shadowed snow. I’m softened like the snow and open to the joy and humor that surrounds us all when we crack the crusty mind chatter and are open and accepting to this grand life we’ve co-created. I’m thankful for the shock that knocked me to my knees in the rusty haywagon. I’m thankful for  the un-furling of the moment and accepting of all that is.   

What shocking experience have you had?

Flow like electricity??!!

Sue Roskos