Holy Cow

Cows are worshipped in India. They have been called " Foster mother of the human race". The milk is flowing now, and I am struggling to get a routine down. Milking twice a day. Milking our new ewe and bottle feeding the lamb. Making vast quantities of fresh cheeses. Finding room in the milk fridge for evenings milk, so the cream can rise and be skimmed the next day.
Of course I am still watching the kids, cooking meals- although we have been eating Tapas style the last few days, nursing Ida May, trying to keep the house from falling to ruin.Dante is a big help when he can.

Through the exhaustion and Dante's annoyance at my constant coming and going between the barn, creamery, pasture 1/2 mile away, and the house-- I am really happy! Things will be fine tuned and we'll all get in the swing.
The really fun part is being able to put my creative juices to work, and coming up with products for the markets. What I really appreciate about our creamery is the fact that we are in control of the whole process from milking the cows to making the farmstead dairy products and cheeses.
Compare that to our meat business we have done the last 4 years, we work so hard to raise the pigs from birth and then drop them off at the butcher and HOPE he does a good job, HOPE we get the cuts we asked for, HOPE we get all the meat back. We will still raise animals for meat and trust in that system, but it is really nice to have our cows milk, I milked them, cultured the milk transformed it into cheese and other delights, and then my husband delivers it to the farmer's markets.

Well, my glass of wine is almost finished, the kids are happily playing, it's about time to go get the cows from the pasture and walk them the 1/2 mile up our wooded lane to the milk parlor in the barn. Berretta will be wanting to feed her calf too.
It is pleasantly cool and misty and fresh after some steady rain this morning. I think I'll put Ida May in the backpack carrier and take her along. The bug eyed look on the cows faces when they see the " two-headed human" is worth it every time.