Ward Talent Show

The tempo is a little slow (complete opposite of the last time I performed this song). It was fun nonetheless. I laugh my head off every time I watch the video. Feel free to do the same. Enjoy!

Meet Maisie, Meet Mickey

This is Maisie - Bruce's cow. Did I ever mention that Bruce got a cow? For his birthday. From his dad. So.... we have a cow. She lives on the farm at Delaware Valley College. They feed her, they milk her, they take care of her, and they get the money from her milk, but she is our cow. Dairying from a distance is the way to go.

Back in November, Bruce's dad, brother, and grandpa spent 3 straight days driving her out. The trip did not go as smoothly as they had hoped. Due to trailer electrical problems, at night they had to stop every 30 minutes and replace the fuses. The Richards' men believe that she was worth the trouble. She is nicknamed the "legacy" cow.


When Bruce's grandpa was four years old, he brought home his first registered Jersey calf in the back seat of his father's Model T Ford. That calf grew up to be a great cow, so did all of her posterity. 40 generations of cows later comes Maisie; hence, the nick name "legacy."


This is Mickey; Maisie's 2 week old bull calf. Poor Mickey! Bull calves are not nearly as useful as heifer's; we have to decide what to do with him. Any one want a bull calf???


Eliza was very interested in Mickey, and reached out to him. When Mickey stood up to return the gesture, Eliza wasn't so sure she wanted much to do with him.


Notice how stiff she is. She immediately pulled her hand back. When Mickey got his nose a little too close, Eliza whimpered.


Even when dressed in a cow outfit, she's not a fan! I wish I knew what she is thinking.


Well, maybe he's not so bad. As long as he's not looking at or approaching her.

Happy St. Patricks Day

This shirt Bruce brought back from Ireland for Eliza describes her perfectly. How are you feeling today? Smiley, Happy, Lively, Cheeky, Funny, Giggles.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

My Laddie's last night before coming home

Dear Brittney,

I hope to bring you to Ireland one day. It is a beautiful, green country with a strong dairy industry and amazing castles. I spent 55 Euros on souvenirs. The rest I spent on food and tipping the bus driver.

We saw the Cork Butter Museum this morning. I thought it was fascinating; I was the only one. They talked about how Cork, Ireland at one time was the world's largest supply of butter. They decided to combine the butter making and provide a quality, consistent product. It was the first "brand" name. So Cork butter it not only dairy significant, but also historical marketing significant.

We visited the Ireland version of the USDA. They had a grazing research herd. I think it would have been good to visit our first day as we got a nice overview of the Irish Dairy industry, but it was very repetitive after having visited several dairies. On top of that, our students were out all night so they were kind of dead for the tour. Unfortunately our guide still talked a long time and we had several other small delays today and didn't have time to go see the Keenan company. We probably could have made it, but there would have been no time for lunch and I was outvoted for skipping lunch.

Tonight we are back in Dublin. We had dinner with live Irish music again tonight. It was a lot of fun. They served corned beef and cabbage.

I've had a great time on this trip. Ireland is a beautiful, historical country.

I look forward to seeing you and Eliza tomorrow. I love you.

As far as Bruce taking me to Ireland some day, YES Please!!

Sleeping Beauty

She zonked 3/4 of the way through her breakfast - the spoon was on the way to her mouth. I couldn't stop giggling. Look how sweet she looks.


Lately she wants me to hold and rock her until she falls asleep. I really don't mind - she rarely lets me do it. She buries her face into the crook of my arm and snuggles in close. I can't get enough of those Eliza loves.

Yikes! She's 8 months old today.

A Day in Cork

We're in Cork tonight. There are several churches and cathedrals here, and a couple of rivers. We saw another dairy farm today that uses a Keenan mixer wagon. We also saw the Blarney castle and kissed the stone. This morning some of the students went horseback riding. While they were riding, I walked down to a national park just outside the city. There was a beautiful lake at the base of a mountain with a couple of islands in it. I kept seeing signs for a castle, so I kept walking to try and see it. Finally I decided I better head back and started running part of the way. When I got back to the city I saw a tower clock that said it was 10:10 and I was supposed to be back to the hostel at 10:10, so I sprinted up to the hostel. Then the horse riding students were 15 minutes late anyway.

I used the credit card to buy souvenirs today. You might want to make sure there is money to cover it.

We had dinner in a pub last night. They had live Irish music. It was a lot fun.


I'll tell you more about the castle and lake when I get home. I miss you. I love you.


Can I say that I am totally jealous of the live Irish music. I totally would have gotten up to do a jig! Here's to hoping he's bringing back an Irish CD :)

Silliness

Have I mentioned that she is very ticklish?