The Muddy Paws

Some dogs like water.

Other dogs, not so much.

We have two dogs. While they both enjoy running around like crazy monkeys, one of them is much better about staying clean than the other.

I suspect it’s because Calvin, the clean dog, fully understands the implications of getting muddy.

If he gets covered in mud, he will be washed. Calvin does not like to be washed.

Just as an example, this is the face he might give in regards to bath time.

Boo, in contrast, loves to get bathed. She comes over to the water when called and stares at you with adoring eyes and smiling bulldog mouth as you douse her with warm water.

This would be an example of the smiling bulldog mouth.

We’ve had a rainy few days (which is wonderful for our planted fields), and last night Calvin and Boo were out prowling on the same muddy driveway. Like so.

Watching them is like watching two opposite roles in an uncoordinated, exuberant dance.

Calvin delicately trots along, taking care to avoid the puddles. He rarely breaks out in top speed, unless he sees an unsuspecting squirrel or rabbit. They are usually hiding among the grass, so this doesn’t bother his keep-clean scheme too much.

Boo, as subtle as a bulldog, lopes along in an unwieldy gallop. She digs her claws in for extra traction as she takes tight turns at lightning speed, and every so often she slows to jump and bob around in circles of pure delight.

Everyday she runs like she’s been cooped up for months. Wet or dry, it doesn’t make any difference to her.

I think she actually prefers to run in the mud because she knows it guarantees a bath. (Occasionally there’s a limit to her love of water if she’s getting too many baths when it’s cold out.)

Calvin’s white paw is even clean except for a small bit of mud between his toes.

Boo doesn’t have time to bother with things like clean when there’s fun to be had!

It’s a good thing for her, as she takes another gallop around the lawn, that it’s hard to see dirt in an action shot.

I still haven’t quite figured out if Calvin avoids mud because he understands he will get washed, or if he just dislikes being covered in the wet, slimy mud to begin with.

Either way, it has to be a pretty exciting wild animal chase to cause him to tear through the mud.

Though they may be opposites in some ways, these two certainly make a good pair.

The Big Bird Move

The “baby” birds are getting bigger. You might even say they are growing and eating us right out of house and home. (Or literally, garage.)

For the past few days JR has even found a few errant turkeys squawking around the garage when we’re feeding them, meaning they can flap out of their sawdust-filled tubs.

They really are getting pretty crowded, so the time has come to move them outdoors. They’ll have the shelter of the barn and access to a fenced area to wander in once we get that ready.

Because of all the rain today we just moved the ducks and geese. We let them wander outside first during a break in the rain; I think they were trying to hide among the plants!

Inside the barn:

The chicks are less messy and don’t get as wet, but they will also go to the barn in the next few days. We spent some time just observing them this afternoon. I cannot believe how fast they grow. While the waterfowl are finally starting to lose their fuzzy down, the chicks already have full-blown feathers!

They are pretty tame too.

I can’t really think of any other exciting bird details, but I’m sure I’m leaving something out. If you’ve got a question just ask away.

I also took a few attempts at a new blog photo during my afternoon at the dairy. My pictures never turn out quite as I imagine, but they are still fun to share.

What do you think? Are either of these worthy of the blog homepage?

Hope you all had a good {insert relaxing, productive, fun, etc} spring weekend!

Getting Ready for the Heat

Last night we got the last of our corn planted, and early this morning we seeded our last small field of alfalfa hay.

Now it’s sprinkling slightly and more rain is forecast the next few days. Talk about perfect timing!

After a cold start to spring we’ve had some very warm and dry spring days that allowed us to get planting done. Many parts of the state set a record with temperatures in the 90′s and even the 100′s in southern Minnesota on the 14th. (Today it’s back to a comfortable 60.)

As the weather heats up I’ve been worrying a little bit about the wisdom of running a June marathon. Early June could be cool and rainy, or it could be high humidity with temperatures in the 80′s or 90′s.

I don’t want to needlessly worry, but I do think it’s important to prepare myself for a possible heat wave. Some of the things I need to do are keep myself well hydrated leading up to (and during) the race and do runs in the heat.

I normally run early morning, but I plan to try for several mid-day runs on warm days.

I also realized the obvious yesterday — I work outside, often walking, carrying, and lifting. My day-to-day job should help me acclimate as long as we have enough warm days.

Yesterday was definitely good training, and it was at least mid-70′s with bright sunshine. We spent most of the afternoon picking rocks. If you’re not familiar, picking rocks involves driving around fields before they are planted and picking out any rocks larger than about softball size.

We don’t want rocks to interfere with the growing plants or to get stuck in or break machinery like the planter or combine.

Sometimes I drive around the field, but yesterday I was on walking duty.

This picture from early evening shows the rock wagon on the right and a skid loader for scooping up big rocks on the left.

Even though we’re done planting, there are still rocks to be picked and we can work in the alfalfa fields without disturbing the plants too much.

It’s not my favorite chore, but I should be grateful for the “heat training” it provides!

My other secret weapon for running in the heat?

My new top!

Team Dairy graciously sent me this sleeveless version of the team shirt. It’s still got Bessie on the back, and I don’t think I’ve ever shown the back before. Now I should be ready no matter what the weather brings.

Opening Up About Mental Health

In 2013 I’ve been dedicating a post in the middle of each month to my one word for the year, attitude.

Here in May, I genuinely think I have grown in a positive way since January. Maybe it’s just that the arrival of spring is making me chipper, but I feel like I’m able to let things “roll off” more easily. I’m finding more fun and beautiful moments, and I’m stressing less about small problems in my day.

I don’t want to give some crazy impression that my days are perfect, but at least I am appreciating them more.

So… Now I want to switch gears and focus on depression. Literally. Maybe I can even help shape your attitude about it in a small way.

Did you know May is Mental Health Awareness month?

This is a subject that has always been close to me, as my Mom has bravely battled depression since I was just a little girl.

Before I say any more, I want to announce that my mom is the best, kindest, most patient, and loving person I know. Even growing up all my friends would comment on how “gosh darn nice and sweet” my mom was. Depression doesn’t discriminate.

I remember when she had to go away from us for awhile, and suddenly we were eating my older sisters’ burned attempt at cooking and we could never keep up with laundry. I don’t know, but I’m sure housekeeping was in shambles.

The one memory that’s imprinted strongest in my brain is my dad making time to say bedtime prayers with me.

Looking back I know he probably hurried in from the field or barn to tuck us in and then had to go back out later to finish the day’s work. But I didn’t really realize all of that back then. I just knew how special it was to say my prayers with Dad.

When Mom came home we tried to be extra good (and more quiet), but I can’t imagine that went so well for five noisy girls.

With good doctors, prayers, the grace of God, and yes, medication, my mom has overcome. But she still faithfully goes to counseling and takes care of her mental health. Depression, I think, is always lurking.

I believe my mom must really be super mom because even from this difficult time, I have no memories of being yelled at, scolded unfairly, or feeling unhappy.

She managed to hold us together and keep us strong, even in the midst of her worst struggles.

I think those bedtime prayers probably helped too.

Depression is a scary word, and it’s even scarier for people to admit it’s happening to them and seek help.

Serious depression isn’t something you can simply will away with a positive enough attitude. Everyone around you may try to help with encouraging words and happy anecdotes, but those things don’t always have meaning to a brain that can’t process them anymore.

I know I don’t understand it like those who have been through it, so I apologize that my crude attempts to write about it come up short.

Mainly I just want all of you to know it’s okay to talk about mental illness. It’s okay to know someone who is depressed, bipolar, has an eating disorder, or is struggling with any mental health issue. You must encourage them to seek professional help. If you think you might be depressed or suicidal, you should and can get help. Now!

Cost and access to care can be huge barriers, so if you or someone you know simply needs a place to start and someone to listen, you can always call this hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

No one is really immune. Even, or especially, if you call a freshly painted 1900′s farmhouse with blue shutters, a white picket fence, and a red barn out back home.

I discovered a new blog recently, Tales from a Kansas Farm Mom. The author, Nicole, talks about the staggeringly higher suicide rates of those working in agriculture and the stress that can eat away at farmers.

I was shocked and saddened to read this, and it really gave me the push I needed to write this post. You can read her full post about mental health and farmers here.

I don’t know if any of you are familiar with the blog Hyperbole and a Half, but she is a very talented, funny writer and artist who was gone from her blog over a year. She returned this May with an eye-opening post on depression. The humor is unexpected (and maybe even irreverent), but I know I have never seen depression explained so well. It helped me understand things I never could before, and I think it’s a must-read.

From Hyperbole and a Half, Depression Part Two.

Whatever struggles you face, readers, I want you to know you are wonderfully made, valued, and important. No one else can make the same contributions you can. As you face the ups and down of life, know that it’s okay to ask for help along the way. You are worth it.

The “Just Do It” Marathon

Some people are better at planning things out and meticulously scheduling. I try to be intentional about certain household tasks, farm responsibilities, and my relationships, but still I often find myself juggling things around or re-planning spur of the moment.

I suppose that’s partly the nature of farming and partly my personality.

When it comes to my running plans, I’m often flexible too. I enjoy doing races, but specific times of year are hard to commit to races 100%. Also, if I have something “big” on the horizon for too long it can stress me out and defeat the whole purpose of running for enjoyment and mental clarity.

With that said, I’ve decided it’s time for something big.

After my two races this spring, I realized several things.

First, that I’m in better half marathon shape than ever before in my life. I really enjoy racing longer distances, and I don’t want to *lose my fitness* over the summer without giving myself another racing opportunity.

(* I hope I don’t go backward too much this summer, but the hot temperatures combined with a busy calving time at the farm, at least 3 crops of hay, and several weddings and family commitments I know something will have to give.)

Second, while I’m not in top 5K shape, I still have some speed in my legs. With a little work, this speed and endurance should translate into a PR. I hope.

Ready or not, I’m signed up for the Minneapolis Marathon on June 2nd.

Don’t worry, I’m not going in to this completely on a whim. I had a great 17 mile run last weekend, and this week I topped 40 miles including 20 miles earlier today.

While the 20 was seriously difficult, I had the pleasure of running the first 11 with my friend Megan. We got a little carried away with the pace, averaging under 9:00/miles, so my last solo 9 miles turned into a survival march. It’s my own fault, but still I finished.

Those grueling miles after starting out too fast were also a good lesson for the marathon!

My main goal is to beat my 4:29 from the Fargo Marathon 2 years ago, which is more than doable on paper based on my current training paces.

Still, the marathon is fickle and unpredictable. If the weather is deathly hot or I have unforeseen trouble in the race I can adjust my goals as necessary.

As I told my husband, I have this building need to get marathon number 2 in the books. I need to “just do it!”
If I wait too long 26.2 miles could easily go back to seeming like an impossible dream.

A lot of spring marathons happen in Minnesota, and after some discussion we decided this one was a good fit and shouldn’t even disrupt our lives too much.

Weirdly enough I should now be entering taper mode, though I think I’ll try to do at least one big workout this week due to my non-traditional build up.

I feel ready to run the miles, it will just be a question of how fast I can cover them.

In spite of my decision to run this marathon, I’ve had a lot of other things on my brain more lately. Planting season at the farm and our ever-growing birds probably top that last.

Above is a shot of the planter getting ready to head to the field.

We took just the ducks and geese outside the other evening for the first time. I was surprised at how close they stayed; moving along in a little herd. They will all move out to the barn soon, but for now they are still in residence in our garage.

As always, thanks for reading along. If you’ve got any tips for me (on training, bird raising, organizing, or anything really) I welcome them.

And… A very Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms reading along. Hope your kids are making your day special. Make sure you give your own Mom a call, visit, hug, or all three.

Chickens and Eggs

Greetings from the wild side!

Okay, “wild side” might be a slight exaggeration, but with 2 dogs, a garage full of baby birds, and a farmer husband when planting season is upon us — well, things are never dull.

Some of you may be wondering why, exactly, we decided to get all these chicks and ducklings.

The easy answer is because we like animals. My husband enjoyed raising a few birds when he was younger, and they are pretty fun creatures just to watch. We ultimately plan to butcher most of them for meat. At least that’s what he says right now…

I’m okay with eating animals I raise. After all — we raise the beef we eat. We care for them well and nourish them, and they, in turn, nourish us. I know I’ve probably blogged too much about eating meat in general and my feelings on the subject, but if you want some more reading just enter “omnivore” in my search bar.

Anyway, I never thought much about the eggs we will get from our birds, but I suppose we’ll eat those too.

Something I do want to point out is I’m not against modern, commercial poultry production. I actually know the eggs I buy in the grocery store are much more thoroughly tested for pathogens and monitored for food safety than those we’ll collect (probably from near a pile of chicken poop) from our hens.

And I will gladly continue buying my normal white eggs from the supermarket as I need them.

The reason I’m thinking about this is that a wonderful blogger, who I also have the privilege to know in real life, recently wrote all about eggs. She blogs here at My Other More Exciting Self. Those of you literary buffs may appreciate the reference. She clears up a lot of mis-information in her post and discusses some hot button phrases like cage-free and free-range.

The bottom line is there’s no need to be afraid of your eggs. They may be raised in different ways, but each method really does have pros and cons.

I can’t say it as well as she does, so check out her post here.

Honestly; do it now!

I don’t have any new pictures of the birds to share at the moment, but it seems like I’m cheating you if leave this post photo-less.

So, I’ll share this one I took on my morning run. Something about the white barn and the soft golds of the dry grass just begged me to snap a picture.

Right here in my country neighborhood we have dairy farms, large and small, chicken farms, large and small, and farms large and small with too many other animals and crops for me to name here. The one constant I always see is they are dedicated to giving quality care to their animals and land. Period.

Like a Duck

Saturday morning I felt rather like a duck. There I was, waddling along out in the rain with wet, yellow feet, etc, etc.

Let me explain.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

The shoes are new. My current pair was finally starting to feel its age, and I knew my body would start feeling it too if I didn’t get new shoes soon.

The nice thing about these Wave Rider 15′s is they’re an old model, which means they are usually on “liquidation” or “special clearance.” It also means the selection is more limited. My size was available in yellow, and I like it more than I thought. Yellow is one of my favorite colors; I’d just never seen it featured so prominently on running shoes!

The second exhibit is just a view of the wet road in a tiny town near our house. I elected to turn left instead of running up that giant hill in the background.

Saturday morning I let Boo the bulldog out first thing, and I was greeted by wind and rain as I peered into the darkness.

It seemed miserable out, so I pulled on my new yellow shoes and started my run on the treadmill. After an hour the monotony was wearing on me. It had gotten light enough for me to see the rain was only a mere drizzle.

Once I hit 60 minutes I stopped the whirring machine, quickly put on some weatherproof layers, took a gel, and took my run outside.

It was there on the roads, as I splashed through puddles when the rain got harder, that I felt like a duck in my yellow shoes.

Speaking of ducks…

Ours are busy growing and learning about the business of being birds.

We’ve got the ducks and geese in one tub and the chickens and turkeys in the other. Even though it’s only been 5 days, I can already visibly see them growing.

It was a little challenging to fit bird care in along with our normal work and routine, but now that we’re getting used to them it’s pretty smooth.

Don’t worry, we’re still taking good care of these girls!

Wishing you all a great start to your week.