Simple Country Pleasures…milking

It was a warm Sunday afternoon. We had been to church and heard a fine fiery sermon on Forgiveness by our new Preacher. Sunday lunch  was shared with a few of our church friends.

When we arrived home…Quickly I took care of our sheep, horses, dogs and puppies …Before I knew it…it was time to head to Walnut Cove with plans to help our friends milk 100 head of fine Holstein Cows . I was looking forward to this!

We turned off the paved road onto the private gravel farm road. Time stood still for a few moments for me… We crossed over a white sandy bottomed creek on a well made bridge. The bottoms on  the other side were planted in beans and they were thriving in the rich bottom land. As we started up the long hill from the bottoms…the tall dark green of corn was every where on our right. The ears on each stalk golden yellow and beautiful. This corn will be picked and is just waiting to dry well enough for the picking.

At the top of the hill we passed the home place of Stacey.  His Mother and Sister still live in the beautiful home. I was reminded that dairying and farming tends to hold families together that do this type of work. While it is work I doubt many think it work because of their deep love of the life. 

I unlatched my seat belt and sighed as I breathed in the wonderful smell of fresh growing corn…the site of it all was breath taking beautiful! When we opened the car doors I could hear the soft russel of corn stalks made by the light wind blowing thru the corn.

Our friends have a pear tree and some of the pears were ripe and she had made Pear Preserves!  I ate them by the spoon full!  So delicious.

We were there to help milk because Lawana had mashed and broken her middle finger on her right hand back on Wednesday.  This was Sunday and Stacey and Lawana were the only help they had lined up.

Dairying is a demanding, both mentally and physically …and rewarding. I am not so sure how well it pays…but those that do it LOVE it! That much I know. And I would have to ponder how to measure doing something that you love.

WHO wants a 7 day a week job, that requires you to know as much as any veterinarian, be a computer genius, be strong as an ox, never be late or sick? Have knowledge and ability to run and fix ANYTHING? Work in the cold and heat?  Be a real weatherperson! Grow all the feed and hay these huge animals can eat….Feed this cow crowd on time and regular! Be kicked , stomped, mashed, haul everything that does not smell good? did I mention cow slobber?  and do all this TWICE a day, ALL DAY!

My  Grandma and Grandpa had a dairy in the 1950’s and 1960’s …They milked 27 head of pure bred Holsteins.  Sold their Grade A Milk to Coble Dairy in Lexington , North Carolina. As a child I watched and hung out as they milked. There was all ways a local AM station on in the milking parlor. We fed the cows as they were milked. The milk was suctioned into a large stainless steel container and when full poured into a stainless steel milk tank “cooler”  the milk truck came regularly to haul the milk to Lexington for processing. My Grandparents were proud of their work and did an awesome job all ways striving to do better!

I believe dairymen/dairywomen are made of that “stuff” …That all ways striving to do their very best and be the best they can be at the job “stuff”… They love the life of milking cows.

As a young girl I heard that song by Frank Sinatra “New York! New York!” I KNEW that dairy farming was not for me! New York or some where  I could be famous!  I dreamed! I did not like being on the dairy. I do not like cows! Horses, Dogs, and now sheep YES! But COWS NO!!!!!!!

Problem is I am scared of the cows. Look at one! Tell me you want to be kicked, tromped, slobbered, and just think about the smell! And then add Silage to the aroma. NOOOOOOOO! not for this wannabe city girl! 😉

So Sunday…as I stepped out at Buffalo Creek Dairy… to help my friend with the mashed up finger…Several things happened.

I was scared to dip teats and dry them (a necessary part to the milking process) …I was very timid…and so I struck up a conversation with the cows. We chatted about the Happy California Cows. (A myth I am told by several very smart in the know cows…and this myth has been spun by very clever advertisers in New York) We talked about Happy North Carolina Cows! Likely true from what I observed and helped with. There were a few nonbelievers in the cow line up…So I talked to them about how I practice “Eat Mor Chickn”  Why I don’t even LIKE cows! Remember?!

Les did most of the dipping and wiping…I found a new job that actually… I love!  Putting the milkers on the teats! Really! And I am not afraid! Maybe because I had to concentrate on all the moving parts being put in the right places! At  one point I caught myself (maybe came to) ??? and I was wrapped around some big ole cow’s leg working on getting the milkers on that cow!

My thought was well now Lyde! (my Grandma) I stopped looked at my hands…as I had ten years ago…as my sweet Grandma lay in the hospital bed… the night she went to Glory!  What I noticed then was my Grandma’s hands sturdy, fingers short, and chubby. Nails short and clean…hands of a woman that had worked and knew work would not hurt her…I smile as I think of this memory and then I looked at my hands…I have the same hands…So much to be read in one’s hands…So many memories held in them…

FORGET FAMOUS! and New York! Frank had it all wrong!

Lawana asked” who put the milkers on that cow? ” I said proudly” I did !”  She said “see the red tape on her legs?” ” Yes?”  ” Well that means she KICKS!”  “Really! well I did not have any trouble!”  I think I did call her and ole hussy and to quit it!

The 2 hours flew by and we did a good job assisting Stacey and Lawanna! Next time we will do a better job! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! No dairy for me! I love helping my friends and look forward to going back to help milk!

I watched the sky thru the open door of the dairy, it went from a pleasant evening to a wondrous night! Complete with stars , clouds and a moon.

The sweet smell of silage. Yes it was pleasant to me…

I watched as cows went to their bed for the night and how kind good people take care of them…I got to feed a new born calf its bottle!

The beauty of a corn field! Cows contented grazing in the fields. The wonderful smells of the dairy. (Yes it included cows)! Of cow paths across the fields. The sounds of milking. Of a good English Shepherd still working on the dairy! 

My heart was amazed by all the many things I experienced at the dairy thru helping.

The drive home was filled with pleasant conversation of our evening “Milking”…

Today I saw God…He was in all that I saw, smelled and experienced.  Truly amazing… 

Left in Overalls My Daddy Alton J. Delk

Right with Cow and English Shepherd Dog  (at dairy barn Cira 1954

My Grandma Lyde Delk and my Grandpa Astor J. Delk

                Author (Kay Delk) and Drover English Shepherd                              Les Keziah (my sweet Husband)