Workin' Men

"Oh, goody!  A vacation at Mom's!"  Not.  I recognize an opportunity when I see one, and wasn't about to turn down an offer of help.  We got a break in the weather, so while I milked, the boys (I know they're men, but I'm the Mom/Grandma and they'll always be my boys) cleaned the barn like it hasn't been in ages.  We still had the opportunity to keep talking across the stalls, so it wasn't lost time.

Kellan and Wil stopped by for milk and brought a supply of fresh vegetables and salad greens.  How's that for perfect timing?  I'm always so proud to introduce my Kids to my friends, and vice versa.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows us that we broke out the cards in the afternoon, and there went the rest of the day.  Taking on all comers, I emerged as Champion of the Day!  (It's a ritual we've had for years that humbles the losers and exalts the winner.  It's good to be queen!)

Not through for the day, into the kitchen we went and I made the boys work for their dinner.  Making homemade pasta was a new experience for them (come to think of it, so was cleaning a barn).  Pete and Jake took turns being the handler and manning the crank.  In no time at all they were working like pros and the fettuccine was perfect.  I made a spicy Cajun shrimp sauce to pour over it and that with the fresh salad greens was a yummy meal.

During the barn chores in the morning, a few squirrels and mice did make brief appearances, but they tend to be shy around strangers.  Pete went with me to put the girls to bed.  I heard rustling in the hanging feed bucket and told Pete to "come see."  Taking the lid off the bucket, I'm not kidding when I say that a minimum of fifteen mice raced in circles and sprang out like popcorn, running for their hidey-holes.  Pete cracked up laughing at his introduction to the Flying Wallendas.  Welcome to farm life!

I put on a movie for the guys...and went to bed.

It was a good day.