Happy Birthday and Happy Fourth and Happy Cow

Happy Belated Birthday Dante! It was yesterday, July 3rd. We were woken up at about 4:30 a.m. with the start of a big thunderstorm. Ida May is teething, so I had already been up off and on all night and had seen the ligthening flashes way off in the distance since about 2a.m. I found it particularly fitting, that there would be a big thunderstorm on his birthday as Dante is a big weather buff, and our lay meteorologist. While we are hiding in hallways, he is usually standing out on the covered porch thoroughly electrified by all that natural energy. It was so intense that first we moved Zoie, Ayla, and Ida May who were all sleeping in our room out to the living room because of all the windows. Then about 10 minutes later, we had to get Jude and Veda from their rooms and camp out in the windowless hallway, with blankets and pillows. I was worried about the cows, I always do when it storms like that. Cinder, our dog, and Booka our wild cat, were having panic attacks on the front porch. We tried to usher Cinder in the front door to the basement but he wasn't having any of it. Eventually he made a fast break for the barn I presume.
We couldn't even pack for the market, but finally had to just take our chances and get it done. Zoie and Dante headed off as the storm was letting up, and I started making plans to go raise the cattle, make sure they all made it. About 4-5 years ago 12-15 cows were all killed during a lightening storm when they sought shelter under a large tree. It makes me nervous........
This morning, just as I was just assembling my milk machines, Jude told me Teeny was waiting at the barn. Standing in front of the milk parlor door. Apparently she let herself out of the pasture, and decided it was high time I milked her. She had also eaten some sheep hay, crapped all over the middle aisle, and bashed in the gate. This was interesting. I wasn't really impressed and hope there isn't a repeat performance tommorrow.
After milking, all the kids needed baths and I bravely washed all the little girls hair. This is not fun, they always flail around and sputter and act like I'm drowning them for goodness sake. They sure looked cute lined up in their sundresses, and Jude in his cargo pants. We had a ball at my parent's house, with water guns, and water balloons, and Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles more game than I, to get wet. I've just spent the last 23 out of 30 days getting drenched milking the cows. I certainly didn't want to get wet for fun! The kids were all charming, and we decided little Ayla needs to participate in some type of contact sport, maybe rugby.
As I left the cows tonight after milking, and they turned and walked away one by one and quietly resumed grazing, I could see Happy's baby just rolling around, poking little feet out. Zoie remarked it must have been the walk back down the hill. " All that jiggling around in there "