Thursday, July 21, 2011

But it's a humid heat ...

It says it's 95 degrees outside. Yesterday and today have been blazing hot. It hurts to stand on the cement, the grass is prickly, and the cattle are hot.

They stand under trees for shade and go in the barn, and they pant. Milk production always goes down when it's hot because they don't eat and drink as much. We're hoping the weather breaks for their sake, since their preferred temperature is 50 degrees. My swimming lesson students, on the other hand, are really enjoying it.

Chance of rain tomorrow, which would be great for the corn, as well as everything else. (It's impossible to not talk about the weather when you're a farmer.)

Also ... we moved the seven week old calves into groups in the new barn today! We removed the dividers between their pens and made up two groups of eight. Kris said they jumped around, excitedly checking out their new pen, and tried to suck on each other's ears.

Kris said that the new barn is so well-ventilated that it's about 15 degrees cooler in there. He suggested we all sleep in there tonight. So far the box fan is doing the job - what, you thought a house with bees in the walls also had air conditioning? Nah. Imagine what critter we'd have living in that! - but if I find him gone, I'll know just where to look for him.

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