The Cow's in the Parlor.

This was my first good-morning today. And who could not love that! My friend Miss R invited me out to her family's dairy farm to see the morning milking. They began the day at 5am...I didn't arrive until 6:30am but there was still plenty of cattle to be milked. Miss R explained a bit of the ins and outs of milking and even let me try my hand at it - both my hand and machine. The machines are quite wondrous, they are little vacuums and when the cow is done it pops off.
When the lovely ladies were finished the bar lifted and they filed out. The next group would file in and they knew just where to stand.
Miss R said this calf was born last week. I also learned at this moment that cows only have bottom teeth - they look just like a baby's mouth on top.
Lounging around in their stalls, I wonder what the big gossip of the day was.
The ladies to the right are in the Maternity Ward and the left will be there eventually.

What a great reason to wake up before the sun. Miss R took me all around her family's farm. Her uncle calls it the petting zoo. She has three horses, a St. Bernard, a pair of Collies (the Mrs. of the two, I believe by her waddle, will be having a litter soon), three husky pups and their parents, chickens, and even two skunk babies. She has regaled us down at the shop with tales of their de-scenting. Now I can add cow milking to my list of skills. Miss R promised to invite me out again when one of the calves is making their debut in this world and also when it comes chicken plucking time. I think that is probably a skill I need to add to my list as well. At least that is the one I've been pestered about by Mr. N for the past six years.

ps. and unrelated...I did it!