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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TamaraJ on May 24, 2005, at 20:54:32
get out of the city and live and work on a farm. I don't know why, but it is something that has been in the back of my mind for a while now. I am a city girl really, with the excepton of the part of each summer I spent on my grandparents' farm when I was growing up. But, there is something so soothing about being out in the country - away from traffic and crowds. Up at the crack of dawn, and out in the fresh air all day long. < sigh > Dream, dream, dream . . . That's all I can do right now.
Posted by anastasia56 on May 25, 2005, at 0:40:14
In reply to I have been thinking that it would be so nice to, posted by TamaraJ on May 24, 2005, at 20:54:32
i agree, that would be such a nice change of pace. If we were teachers with summers off we could go help out at a farm for the summer. There have to be farms that need a hand prior to corn picking. There would need to be a pond or lake nearby so we could take a swim on those hot muggy midwestern summer nites while the crickets chirp all around.
ana
Posted by broken on May 25, 2005, at 8:56:17
In reply to Re: I have been thinking that it would be so nice to, posted by anastasia56 on May 25, 2005, at 0:40:14
I dont know that you could classify it as a farm, per se, but we do own a farmhouse and a few acres of ground. Ofcourse, I live in a small town anyway, with the city of Memphis close by.
Growing up, I raised cattle out there. Not like a whole herd, just a few calves more for a school project than anything else.It is nice to get up in the morning to nothing but quiet, especially after you mowed, or in my case used a tractor and bush-hog since there was so much land. It smells fresh and clean, with the sound of kildees and dove in the background.
Ofcourse, there were the late night/early morning phonecalls from the folks that owned the milo fields across from us telling me to come get my cows. Funny things about cows, they have no clue about how strong they really are. They see something they want, and go get it. That nice little wire fence you put up doesn't get in their way either. They're more than happy to walk right through it. Might take a while, but they have a lot of patience. So, you get the flashlight, go get a bucket of grain, go out to the field, shove the bucket in their face, and usually they will follow you back home. They might be a half mile away, so the walk would take a while. And THEN, you get to spend alot of time with them, because although cows love milo, it isn't good for them. It's a "hot" grain, meaning that too much and they bloat up, gas fills the stomach to the point that it will crush the organs inside. So you keep any eye on them, give them plenty of water, not always through the mouth mind you, and hope things dont get worse.
Yeah, I know, a long diatribe again, but the post just reminded me of my time growing up. I enjoyed it by the way, it was a pain in the *ss sometimes, but enjoyable.
Posted by 10derHeart on May 25, 2005, at 12:08:51
In reply to Re: I have been thinking that it would be so nice to, posted by broken on May 25, 2005, at 8:56:17
>> it was a pain in the *ss sometimes, but enjoyable.
For the cows, too, I'll bet (the pain part, maybe, the enjoyable part, hmm, I don't know cow-psychology, so...??) ;-)
But seriously....this also brings back lovely memories for me. I worked with my best friend on a Morgan horse farm when I was 17-18 years old. For about a year total. The pay was almost nonexistant, hours long and work physically taxing.
And the over-eating grain part somwhow just reminded me of taking horses' temperatures on a regular basis. Pampered show horses needed this done often. I was the resident expert, I think, even on a couple who were determined not to cooperate (trying to step on you, or crush you against things in their stalls...). Not sure if that was a dubious honor, to be known for that talent...but it did lead to lots of teasing from my friend and the owners, about my "apptitude" for errr....ummmm...getting in and out with the least trouble...?
You know, that was the single, happiest year of my life. I was in great shape, physically and mentally. I was in great spirits. I loved those horses, and I swear some loved me back. Would have done the job for free. Imagine me mucking out a stall and singing to myself out of sheer joy.
How on earth do we have those near-perfect times and then manage to lose them for years - or forever? Bittersweet stuff. (thanks for the "good trigger", Chris)
Posted by messadivoce on May 25, 2005, at 13:36:02
In reply to Re: I have been thinking that it would be so nice to » broken, posted by 10derHeart on May 25, 2005, at 12:08:51
Your post brought back lovely memories for me too. My grandparents farmed all their lives, and own a farmhouse in the midwest that was built by my great-great grandpa; now it's a historical landmark. I spent lots of time over the summers there ever since I was born. Now this summer I will be going back for the last time before I get married, and hopefully I will take my new husband there in time.
Farming is a hard living and I wouldn't want to do it my whole life, but a summer of that would probably be good for me. When I was in middle school I would go out with my cousins who lived nearby and help haul square hay bales, and ride horses and run around in the goat pen and scare the poor goats. :-) Good times.
Posted by anastasia56 on May 25, 2005, at 17:32:42
In reply to Re: I have been thinking that it would be so nice to, posted by broken on May 25, 2005, at 8:56:17
that was fun to read about the cows and the inside scoop on how to get them to follow you home. My grandparents had a non-working farm in wisconsin. You could play in the empty silo (if the gas didn't kill you) and the empty barn and out buildings were prime for kid-play. If the smell of the freshly cut grass and farmland could be bottled i'd wear it constantly.
Posted by TamaraJ on May 26, 2005, at 13:35:03
In reply to Re: I have been thinking that it would be so nice to » broken, posted by anastasia56 on May 25, 2005, at 17:32:42
Thank you all for sharing your stories. I'm glad others have similar good memories of farm life.
messadivoce, I hope you enjoy your visit to the farm this summer, and I hope that you will be able to take your new husband there at some point so he will be able to appreciate the fond memories you have of spending time on your grandparents' farm.
Chris, I love your story about the cows :-) Someone told me a dirty (well not that dirty) joke about cows. I will tell you sometime. It is cute. I envy you living in a small town. It would be nice to wake up to nothing but quiet and fresh air.
I have such wonderful memories of the summers I spent on my grandparents' farm. Up every morning at the crack of dawn (or earlier), and out to the barn with my grandpa. I always felt like I was such a big help to him LOL. I am sure he had other ideas, but, everyday, he let me tag along and put me to work. There was such a sense of community as well - one day people from neighboring farms would come over to our farm to do the hay, then the next day or the day after, it was off to another farm to work there. I got to work, and my grandpa even took me to the other farms to "help". I think I must have been the comic relief - scrawny little me trying to fork a bale of hay that probably weighed more than I did at the time. Every once in a while, I would get tossed off the wagon when I didn't manage to get a bale up and on the wagon and the baler got a bit jammed. The equipment is much better now though. The only time my grandpa got pissed off at me was when I was driving the tractor and I got stuck in mud and almost ended up tipping the tracking over as trying to "drive" my way out of the mud. I think I saw my life flash before my eyes (all 12 or 13 years of it LOL). My grandpa drabbed me by the scruff of the neck that day and almost wouldn't let me drive the tractor again all summer. But, he was putty in my hands LOL and I was driving again within a couple of days. Sigh, very, very good memories.
Posted by Damos on May 26, 2005, at 16:52:48
In reply to I have been thinking that it would be so nice to, posted by TamaraJ on May 24, 2005, at 20:54:32
Gosh, this thread has brought back some wonderful memories for me of staying on farms as a kid.
Sheep, cattle, horses and wild kangaroos and wombats, foxes even. Drenching, dipping and even shearing a couple of times. I vividly remember it being so very black at night that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face like a big piece of velvet with little fairy lights poked through. So black that it was hard to find the outhouse - even with a torch and having to check for spiders and snakes when you got there. Oh and walking through the tall swaying wheat. Hmm, no work today, I'm enjoying reminiscing too much. Thanks guys.
Hey Ana, had to LOL about your perfume preference as I constantly say to my roomy that if they could bottle the smell of my dog when she's just woken up and is all warm and toasty that'd do it for me.
Posted by anastasia56 on May 26, 2005, at 20:10:54
In reply to Re: I have been thinking that it would be so nice to » TamaraJ, posted by Damos on May 26, 2005, at 16:52:48
hi sweetie,
i never thought about the morning dog smell. that's a good one too. they are so sweet and pliable in the morning laying next to you. i just slide gus over and give him a morning snuggle. sounds like i should be talking about my husband when it's really my dog!
ana
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