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Updated on Wednesday*:
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I had always
lived in cities (I came here from Indianapolis), until I moved to
Calhoun County. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever be a
part of raising livestock. Through the years, we have owned a goat named
Root Beer, pigs named Porky and Spanky, and various chickens. So, I
would like to give you a birds-eye view of our life. We know we are not
real farmers, but our yard is our little “Funny Farm.”
I would like to tell you how it all began:
When I started dating Danny, a West Fork farm boy, he
worked on his cousins’ (Basil and Janet Butler) farm. I soon found out
that I knew very little, okay, nothing, about country life. Basil had
about 40 head of cattle, plus calves. When it comes time to feed, and
you call the cows to the barn, a person can get stampeded. I still feel
that way! I recall Danny showing me how to milk a cow. I know people
have milked cows since the beginning of time, but it felt completely
unnatural to me. It freaked me out.
Another instance with cows occurred when Basil was
inoculating the herd. When a bull decides he is getting out of the
gates, he is getting the heck out of there. Danny, Tim Metheney and
Scott Butler finally got the bull back into the pen. All I could think
was . . . stampede.
On one occasion, Danny and I were at Doy Butler’s house
and Doy was telling me how to plant potatoes uphill. I knew that didn’t
sound right, but who was I to question a man who has farmed as long as
him. Doy was always joking with me, and I figured it was because I was a
city slicker, or blonde, or both.
Those are some of the accounts of what I had to undergo
during my courtship with Danny, and I wouldn’t change a thing, except
maybe the smell of cow dung.
I recently said to Danny, “If you would have told me 17
years ago that we would have livestock, I would have called you a liar!”
Porky and
Spanky
A Goat Named Root
Beer
Chickens, Chickens, and More Chickens
Riffle
The Rooster
Doggie
Door Critters
More Ali and Random Acts That We Encounter
Funny Farm Finale
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This Week's Editorial:By Helen Morris:
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