Feels like fall -

The end of the summer has brought plenty of craziness to our world. A normal year and we'd most likely be done with hay for the year - not this year! The guys are about half way through cutting 4th - and there is still some 3rd in the field. It seems to call in the rain every time it is about ready to bale. Our cows will get to enjoy that hay. The fun of farming.

A few of our highlights from the last six weeks.

Towards the end of August I helped my mom put together a huge brunch - served a two locations - for my cousin Lexi's wedding. The wedding was in Walla Walla and since neither Lexi nor her husband are from Walla Walla visiting family and friends got housed at all the extended family's houses up in the Blue's outside of Walla Walla. One of my favorite stories was the husbands and dates of the bridesmaids. All the girls stayed in town the night before the wedding. The mother of the bride told the guys she had a place for them to stay in the mountains. These young men from Seattle and California translated this to one room cabin, no electricity, and definetely no plumbing - but they were game. Actually, they got to stay with my aunt & uncle who have a gorgeous log home complete with hot tub & big screen TV. Here's a couple pictures from the brunch on the front lawn. I think everyone enjoyed the weekend in Walla Walla, great wine & a lovely wedding.

Of course we had lots of moments in the field. Here's a picnic lunch, Sackmann style. Hay stacks make good shade. After we had lunch we all had a quick trip around the field - thank goodness for buddy seats.

We've gotten all the calves weaned, cows pregged, and waiting for corn harvest to get cows on cornstalks. The fall bulls are moved down to JR Ranch and started on a TMR to go through the winter. We're sending some spring bulls to the WCA Bull Test in Eltopia and we'll be retaining ownership on the remaining steers. Jeff is busy sorting through a very nice crop of heifers - some will stay home, some will be in the Fall Production sale and some get to go to the feedlot.

Last spring I had this "great" idea of putting together agricultural tours for medical students from PNWU in Yakima. Friend of friend situation we know the Dean and the school is focusing on getting students into rural and underserved areas - so we thought it would be a unique opportunity to share ag's story and expose students to rural people and jobs. We ended up doing two tours - seeing all the first & second year students. A HUGE thanks to everyone who helped. We visited Avila's Dairy, Rathbun Angus, Skone & Connors, Skone Irrigation, and Washington Potato. They hosted this group and did an awesome job of telling about their industry, business, and the people of agriculture. The Cattle Producers of Washington group graciously grilled US Beef for our BBQ's. And a special thanks to Aunt Jerri & Teresa who came to watch the kids while Jeff & I worked with the tours.

The week before the medical student tours I ended up having to have my appendix removed. All is well just threw a wrench in my plans for the next couple of weeks. On my follow-up the doctor told me I could cause myself trouble if I go home and crawl into bed for the next two weeks and don't do anything. Other than wonderful parents taking our kids (that I wasn't supposed to be lifting) we just continued on - oh and stay away from my sore belly!

The tour week also brought the Adams County Fair. They let the not quite big enough to show kids come "show" bucket calves. Molly is most excited to go down every year. Its a great, small, very family friendly fair. Here she is with the calf she named "Trouble". One of the other calves was entirely broke by the time the kids were done.

And another cow picture - while trying to take more sale catalog photos we caught this one. Some spring cows are in the front and up on the hill are the fall cows.

We are back into fall mode - the kids want to go to bed earlier and we're enjoying watching harvest all around us. The kids and I are back to going to MOPS and thinking about inside activities rather than just heading outside. We've got one litter of pigs, three more due in the next two weeks and pretty soon the fall heifers will start calving. On project to the next!!