A Chore That I Hate Worse Than Folding Socks, And Other Stuff.

Today I thoroughly cleaned out the chicken coop mansion, and I've come to realize that I've finally found a job I hate more than laundry.  Blech. 

Afterward, I weeded the garden for a while. Right now, all of my vegetables are in a holding pattern.  Let's be honest here....they look rather smallish.  They survived the frost of Memorial day, and have endured the hot, dry winds of June without perishing.  They aren't growing much, though.  When the monsoon rains start falling, then we'll be in the vegetable business. Summer rains will make the garden really take off.  Until the moisture gets here, I'm just trying to keep things alive with the hose.  

So all of you bloggers with lush, bountiful gardens overflowing with the fruits of the earth should just keep your green stinkin' pictures to yourself! (Not really. I was just lashing out with envy. I'm sorry.) My green bean plants have two freakin' leaves right now.  My giant pumpkin plants have a whopping four. At this moment, during this dry and barren season, one thing comes to mind, and it's a line from the good ole'  FFA creed:

" for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny."

That's right, I feel the pain!!! I'm in the hours of discouragement.

In other news:

This evening, my baby and I went over to the pasture to observe cows for signs of being in heat.  

 It was a gorgeous evening to sit in the grass and watch the cows. For the first time in a while,  the clouds started to roll in.  It even smelled like rain.  Our monsoon season is trying to get here, and the first few weeks usually bring clouds, dry lightning, and wind, but very little rain.  Once they get rolling though, we get a good storm nearly every day.

My girl and I found a lovely spot to sit and watch from a distance, but within minutes, curiosity began to take over the ladies.

Before we knew it, we were surrounded. Since we synchronized the cows, the vast majority of them were coming into heat this evening.  They'll be artificially inseminated first thing tomorrow morning.

The kids call this calf "Big Shot".  He's currently getting double milk from both his heifer mom, and a cow who lost her calf this year.  Lucky fella!  He's a huge calf, but so very gentle.  He ALWAYS comes up to say hello.

We left the pasture, and headed west just in time to see the most brilliant pink Arizona sunset. I wish I would have pulled off the road to preserve its beauty in a picture.  Thankfully, I live in a place where EVERY day the sunset is a postcard waiting to be captured.

Gearing up for another busy weekend,

Nell