Fall is here with some signs of winter

Good afternoon everyone,

Today was a big day in our lives as cattle farmers. The adult cows were "Preg Tested". We hire a trained professional who lives near Chase B.C. (he was formerly one of our neighbours). The result was 66 "well bred" cows and 4 open cows (not pregnant). At the same time the "bred" cows were all inoculated for various cow diseases. The 4 open cows will be sold at auction in Vanderhoof, this Saturday. Sad to say they will become MacDonald hamburgers. Dolores, Milton and David have decided to purchase 20 "bred" heifers which will replenish and grow the herd.

It was a good day for the testing. It was sunny with cloudy periods with a temperature of 12.6 C. It was however, very windy. After the mature cows were tested and inoculated, 6 of the 7 calves that were kept back from the auction, were then inoculated. These calves will grow over the winter and next spring they will be bred and become part of the main herd. the 7th calf will be taken to the butcher and will provide beef for us for the next year.

I mentioned the auction earlier. All but 7 of this years calf crop went to the auction here in Vanderhoof October 17th. We received higher and better prices overall than last year. It was a good decision to send them when we did because prices have fallen quite dramatically since then. Two old cows and a yearling bull were shipped to the auction in Vancouver at that time and the prices there were pretty awful. So goes it in the cattle business.

All of our new laying hens (pullets) are now laying and we are getting upwards of 90 to 100 eggs a day from the old layers and the pullets. The pullet eggs are smaller than the ones from the year old hens but within a couple of weeks they will become much larger (average size will then be large to extra large).

We have had some early tastes of winter, freezing temperatures at night and snow. The snow is now gone but we will have lots in the coming weeks and months ahead. I will be spending a lot more time inside as the winter chores are fewer than in the summer. Milton has been care taking a 65 man logging camp on a job share basis, 2 weeks in and 2 weeks out. When he is away there is lots for me to do, but, when he is home the chores are cut in half.

I will be doing a lot of reading. Yesterday I bought 50 Agatha Christie mystery novels and 38 Alfred Hitchcock books (mostly short stories) at a thrift shop in Vanderhoof for $8.00. A couple of months ago I bought 35 Louis L"Amour novels at a thrift store in Prince George for $10 so these new additions to my collection will take up some of the cold winter days and nights.

I am going to see Dr. Suzanne Campbell, my G.P., in Vanderhoof on Tuesday the 10th of November. She will be referring me to another Doctor at St. John Hospital, and he will do the hernia operation. I expect my surgery will be in the new year and I have been told the recovery time is 6 to 8 weeks. Oh the glories of surgery. I am not fearful of the operation but, 6 to 8 weeks of inactivity frightens me. I'll keep you posted.

Before I sign off I would like to sat that I am really healthy, except for the hernia. My weight is in the 175 to 178 pound range and I am probably in better shape than I was when I was 50 years old. My stamina is not what it should be and that is due to the Trachea tube. I'm eating well and enjoying life here on the farm. Every one is well and Martha turned 92 on the 23 of October. We had a big family party here at the farm and all her children and spouses were here. It was a grand affair.

So much for now. I'll post later and tell you about the hernia surgery. Until then, all my love to everyone.

Rick