The brewers grain was flying out of here when Andrey opened sales this morning, sometimes three customers were here at once. Most people came by car today, although a few by other means. Garry was worried they might sell all of it from the pit before they fed our cows tonight, but the new load they ordered showed up around 3 pm, so there's plenty now.
In between customers he helped the other Andrei shell corn with this neat gizmo, they use it to feed the bull calves that Maxim is raising in the hutches.
The milkhouse is heated with this little electric heater, Garry said that they had been putting it near the vacuum pump so it would start up at milking time. However, they can't run it and the milking equipment at the same time, so the ladies switch it off while they are milking. Friday night they forgot to turn it back on, and the milkhouse was kind of froze up in the morning.
Garry went off to Salonie this morning to the vettenka vet drug supply store- to buy some kind of calcium for the sick cow, since she was still down. After he treated her and put her in the pen this morning (pictured) he was excited to find she was up and getting milked by the ladies when we got back from Zaporosia around 3 pm.
Unfortunately they were milking her, and the rest of the cows by hand because the vacuum pump had stopped working. Maxim is now switching over to the new one that Garry and I brought back in parts in our suitcase.
As I write Needles (the male) is playing momma cat wrestling and grooming a kitten. He likes to snuggle and sleep with them too. He doesn't go outside much now, it's so cold outside and with all the interesting kittens to play with, he runs around playing like he's a kitten again. This morning he decided to have a wrestle with Polo when he came inside, like when they were young- kinda of slow-motion WWE action.
Box, their real momma is a little stand-offish nowadays, but walks out to the middle of the carpet mu-rowling until the three little guys wake up on whatever chair or couch they are sleeping on for a quick nursing. They are enjoying eating some dry and wet kitten food we bought last week, and are getting pretty good at the small litter pan I put in the living room for them, since they were having trouble finding the one the big cats use.
Update (I never quite finished last night)
Sunday evening- today was relatively warm, although the forecast has it dipping back down toward the cold weather we've had lately already tomorrow. I spent the day in bed, but seem to be recovering tonight. Garry took milk to Dnepropetroesk, went to church and then played some pickup basketball after lunch.
Good news- the sick cow is still feeling good, getting up and down on her own, back in her stall. The new vacuum pump is running great, really quiet. There was a small problem yesterday after Maxim installed it. He accidently broke a pipe that is part of the milk cooling system, by stepping on it and they had to do some repairs on it, so the coolant didn't leak out.
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