Curiousfarmer

I’ve started the “combover.”  I wanted to document this moment in time and let you know that, speaking for all “combover men”, ‘yes, we know we are leaving our hair longer and combing it over thinner areas.’  We just want everyone to pretend it’s not happening.  We think of ourselves as thick-haired studs, and would appreciate it if you would pretend to think that as well.

A woman was cutting my hair about ten years ago.  I asked her if my hair was thinning.  She said no, but too emphatically.  I knew she was lying, and I think she knew I knew she was lying, but I realized the delicate dance which had just started for me and would not be finished until I was dead or shaved my head.

The last couple of years my barber has started leaving my hair longer in certain places, and it’s funny how it just falls into place across the thinner areas.  And by ‘fall into place’ I mean, incessant stroking with my right hand in a diagonal, back-to-front motion.  My barber never acknowledged he was doing this, and I never brought it up.  I had joined the “brotherhood of the combover men.”

The hind end of our old Massey 750 combine, kicking out cobs.

You ever notice people driving down the road with a dent in their car, and then the driver does the maneuver, (tailgating, veering into the other lane, etc.), which probably caused the previous dent?

The dents on this combine tell a similar story, except we have an excuse, it’s impossible to see directly behind.  If you ever find yourself behind a combine, look out.

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I have several people looking out for me, and it’s nice.  When they find an article they think may be of interest to me, they tweet or email.  Thank you.  I appreciate it.

Old MacDonald called.  He wants his farm back.

We’ve added a dog, two lambs, four goats, two ponies, and a boarder, to the cattle, hogs, chickens, and cats who already called this farm home.

What have I learned?

1. Goats are as smart as dogs.
2. Sheep are half as smart as goats.
3. Ponies and boarders are fun, interesting, and trouble.

We started in January with Sparky, a Rat Terrier mix from the Dane County Humane Society.  Then we got two bottle goats, which Citygirlfriend and sons kept warm and fed through all those cold days and night of winter.  They’re pictured in this post.  Melissa visited for the first time also, in a blizzard, and liked it.

In March, Shepherd sold his bottle calf from last summer at the local livestock auction.  He put his profits into a pregnant dairy goat, Amber, pictured below.  She was supposed to kid in a couple of weeks, but had a healthy kid the next day.  The kid is named Oreo, and is in the next picture.

Thinking Gameboy needed more chores, we bought two, orphaned, Icelandic lambs from my partners for Gameboy to bottle feed.  One is in the top picture. Fortuitously, Melissa quit her job and moved in with us, so she took over the chore of helping Gameboy feed the lambs.

Melissa is finding herself, or finding a husband.  If you are a single farmer reading this, she is fun, interesting, 27 years old, and no more trouble than any other woman.  I’m also offering a dowry of two ponies, lambs negotiable.

Melissa and Citygirlfriend started asking about ponies.  I made a list of all the things that needed to be done before we could get ponies, thinking they wouldn’t put forth the effort.  Lo and behold, they were serious.  They hired a carpenter and remodeled the old hog shed into a goat and lamb shed.  They fixed up the old stable, and made a tack/grooming room out of the old feed room.  So, the bottom picture shows Melissa with her Welsh ponies.  All I can say is I’ll keep you updated.