Blackberries and Milk

Kody, Willow and I went blackberry picking this weekend! Actually, I went blackberry picking, they just hung around and looked bored.



I found a wonderful thatch of wild blackberries where I have been milking. I picked the perfect afternoon to wrestle with these thorny bushes, it was hot and humid. I just stood still and started sweating. My logic was that the sweat would help the thorns glide effortlessly over my skin. Yeah, didn't quite go as I planned. But on the bright side, I wasn't accompanied by swarming bugs. I will take heat and humidity over bugs any day.



I was able to pick quite a few, at least enough for some homemade blackberry jam. Hopefully next week some more will ripen and I will get to make a cobbler.



We are heading off to the wild blackberry patch. Already their tongues are hanging out in anticipation of sweet blackberries! Or it might have been because it was a hot day.

Sweet, sweet blackberries. At this point, I had to wipe my chin...I was attracting flies. But doesn't this sight just make your mouth water?

I am picking away, minding my own business, talking to Kody and Willow about absolutely nuthin' when I get a call from my mother and my great-Aunt. "Courtney don't forget to get the blackberries in the back, they are the juiciest." Sure, Mom, no problem. We keep talking, and I am reaching towards the back of the bush, getting thorns stuck in me but it is all worth it for the juiciest and sweetest blackberries. Then mom says, "Oh, and watch out for snakes. They like to hang out inside of blackberry bushes." My hand has never moved so fast in it's life! "Snakes!" Forget the juiciest, sweetest blackberries, I am sticking to the ones I can see! Oh and Mom, thanks for sending me blindly into possibly danger. I can feel the love! :)

Can we go yet!?! I want my fan!

What is that coming up the lane?

It's milking time!!! Kody and Willow haven't seen me don my milkmaid hat yet. Kody just wanted to say "HI" to the cows; Willow on the other hand thought they were Monsters from the Abyss.

Mickalyn ready and waiting!

Look at the thick and creamy milk straight out of the cow! Doesn't it look good, minus the dirt specs? Kody sure thought so. I turned my back for one second and he didn't hesitate. I heard him lapping away.

Once I was done milking, it was time to collect the eggs. And since snakes were now on my brain. I lifted every hen that was laying on a nest, up and off. I wasn't sticking my hand under any of them and be surprised by a legless creature. No way! Logic told me that there wouldn't be any snakes because it was warm out, but this girl don't take no chances.

Look at the colorful bounty of eggs!

Little Ms Milkmaid pt 1

I'm learning a new trade skill: milking! It might one day come in handy. Since I have the time I thought I would give it a try. Besides it looks really easy. You just grab the teet, squeeze and pull. Sure...rrrrrright! I found out if you try it that way the cow will either turn around and look at you like you are crazy or kick. I got both!

Luckily my reflexes are pretty quick from working around horses, and for the most part Mickalyn is pretty lazy so her leg didn't go to far. Of course, I could have been imagining her leg kicking up when she was just stepping forward. But it sounds more exciting if I say she kicked. :)

After I got situated on a stool by her back legs, which had my safety sensors humming. I think I remember hearing that sitting near back legs of a hoofed animal wasn't the smartest idea...hmm..must not be true because I have been handed a stool and told to sit.

Having never done this I felt like I was getting a little too personal with Mickalyn, I wasn't too sure how to proceed. Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet or in this case, both hands. I slowly moved towards the udder, so I wouldn't scare the 1000 lb animal with hooves near my head, and started to squeeze. Nothing came out. What do you mean this isn't how you do it!?! But this is how they do it on the TV! What!?! The TV is wrong!?! Well, I never...

After a little instruction from my milkmaid mentor, Sharon, I was on my way to becoming a bonafide milkmaid...well, sort of. My right hand sorta, kinda figured it out but my left hand was useless. I was seriously thinking about returning it in for a new hand. Maybe another right hand. But since that wasn't an option, at least not until I went home, the left hand was just going to have to figure it out.

Slowly but surely I started to get milk from Mickalyn. The right hand was getting the hang of it, I am so proud of my right hand. This is why I always use it to write with. The left was figuring it out. The contrast was kind of sad. Right: strong steady stream of 100 degree milk like the mighty Mississippi; Left: a trickle of milk like an Oklahoma creek during a drought. Poor Mickalyn, what she has to endure with a new milkmaid.

I was concentrating so hard on getting the finesse of the milking correct that sometimes I would forget to aim the milk. So it would end up on me. More than once, actually more than 5 times I squirted the milk right onto to my pants! Fun! I had warm milk running down my legs. I could already feel myself getting sticky.

Pretty soon, it was apparent that Mickalyn's patience had run out. So Sharon, my lovely milkmaid mentor, stepped in to finish her off. Then we headed off to separate the cream from the milk. A slow process but well worth it when you see the cream you get. Yum!!!

When I got home and walked through the door I was rushed by my four legged crew. Each of them stuck their noses to my legs and followed me everywhere. I felt like I had grown five new appendages and each one was a hindrance that wanted to drag me down so they could like my milk soaked pants. I had to get out of those pants fast, before Jackson and Willow took me down! Next time I am going to aim better!

My goal for my next milking lesson: Get more milk in the bucket then on my pants!

Cows coming in for the evening!


Mickalyn considering her options; get milked or hide?

Rosie wants to come in! Did someone say "Grain"?

Come on gals, freedom is this way!!

Where is the grain!

Calf Tan: "When will I be old enough to be milked?" Calf Tan, darling, I don't think it is as exciting as you think it is.




Separation: The Good Kind

Look at how thick and creamy the cream is! Yum!!!! All I could think about was Dad's homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

Wild blackberries growing in the paddocks. I just had to pluck this one and eat it. It wasn't quite ready but it was worth it. I can't wait until the rest ripen and I can have blackberry pancakes and make blackberry jam!

Beautiful Cone Flowers!


Chickens and Fresh Eggs