Have You Ever Milked a Cow?

Have  I ever milked a  COW?

Have I ever milked a cow?

Have I EVER milked a cow?

  This Blog post is a Prompt from Reflections of a Mother's Heart Have you ever milked a cow, spend time on a farm or in the country?

Umm .... only 100 of them two times a day through my teenage years. Starting way before I was twelve, I would help dad milk cows for the evening milking. I did the washing of udders and then treating teats after milking. At age 12, each of us kids became employees of the farm.

We were then expected to get up at 5am for the morning milking as well as the evening milking. (before school, before sports events, before dates, you get it.)
I was in charge of caring for the calves. I would wash a few udders, run and feed a few calves,

come back to wash more udders, go clean calf pens,

  wash more udders, etc., etc.

Once my calf work was finished, I stayed in the stanchion barn

with dad and helped milk the cows. 

Now the cows may not have appreciated it, but one of the benefits of milking cows is a

warm place to put your hands.  :)

Rubbing her udder would help her relax and let down her milk.

  Running back and forth from the different barns sometimes got my hands cold so getting up next to the cows was a good feeling. You also did, who knows how many,

deep knee bends a day.

(A good way to keep your legs in shape.) 

The cows were dear to me. 

I loved them like anyone would love their pet. Ask my siblings, they'll tell you I would grieve so much when any of them would die. Just like people, I loved some of them more than others.
One of my favorite cows I called

"Suka".

The name was derived from the men calling the cows in from pasture. "Sook-y, Sook-y", they would say.   Suka was always the first to arrive; therefore, in my small child's mind, that must be her name. Many times I would go out to the free stall barn and sit with Suka and

tell her my problems. 

She would wrap her head and neck around my body.

That was some of the greatest hugs I ever had.

Then there were those cows who did not cooperate with anyone. They wouldn't go in there stalls for milking, they knocked you over with their head,

 they kicked you in the chest.

The worst were the fresh heifers. It was partly just training; but, boy, could they kick. Once I was kicked straight in the chest. She must have been part horse because cows aren't supposed to be able to kick straight back.


But I would have to say that

the very best benefit of milking cows

was the relationship I built with 

my dad. We talked 

about a lot of things from "cow stuff" to boys to spiritual stuff.

  Barn Training

 was what made me who I am today. 

While I may have complained about milking cows every day and how it got in the way of my social life,

I would not trade it for the world. 

Hey, parents, find things to do with your kids on a regular basis that gives you the opportunity to talk. Talk about your childhood. Talk about your faith. Talk about dreams and desires.


  Rake leaves

Gardening

Crafting                      Work on the car

 Take a drive

This is what God meant when He said ....

 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many.-Deuteronomy 11:19-20

  Oh, And leave those headphones and Ipads at home!
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 #raisedinabarn
 #milkingcows
 #reflections