Fall-ish day and calves

Yesterday, on the way to Mom and Dad's for supper, we drove a round about way to take pictures. The kids were thrilled. Or something like that. Poor kids. 

Chuck McKane's barn

Berry shadows

Dead Queen Anne's Lace

Eating in the sunlight

Alfalfa

Vine on gravel

Cow paths up a hill

I believe this is Virginia Creeper

Amish wagon load of corn

Boys, haying. 

I heard once that Amish don't like their picture taken, so I try not to be too obvious about it. Hence, the less than ideal picture. 

Asters

From my car mirror

I think this is Harbison's Hawthorn. Some kind of hawthorn anyway is the best I can come up with for identification.

And we caught up with Ashley who was walking to Mom and Dad's, so the kids walked the last little bit with them. By the way, Orianna informed me that she saw this outfit in an Archie comic--the sweater knotted around the shoulders, knee socks and a knee length skirt. So she had to wear it. (Maybe we should buy her some more recent Archie's.) I really love that girl. 

Looking at the little dairy bull calves Owen had just bought

Hoyt was a little nervous about being that close to things bigger than he was

Holding on tight

Jersey's do have such beautiful eyes. This is a Jersey/Holstein cross, which is why it has mixed up color.

Jersey/Holstein crosses are very tempermental. The meanest bull we ever had was a cross. He was smaller than Holstein bulls, but plain old mean. And all the females kicked like billy-o whenever we milked them. The advantage is that Jersey's have a higher butterfat in their milk and Holsteins give more milk. So a combination of a higher butterfat content and a little more milk than Jersey's typically give is alluring. But from our experience, they aren't worth the bother. The real reason we had them, was because we mixed our herd, adding in some Jersey's to up our butterfat. And since we didn't feel like segregating them when they were in pasture during the day and the night, the Holstein bull ended up breeding them. 

But it is easy to forget all this when they are so cute.

Bull riding

Owen was coaching Gilbert how to wave his hat and shout whoopee! at the same time. 

Lily now wants a cow for her birthday next week.

Penny gazing adoringly at Dad

Ashley and Hoyt

Orianna reading one of my favorite series, the Betsy books by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Evening light

Owen took the kids on his evening check of the cows.

From the front...

...and the back. 

Oh! that evening light.

Heading home