Time really flies. Here it is the 25th of April already. As usual, we've been busy and time has just slipped by.

The weather continues to be way ahead of schedule. It is quite dry and cool . We could be planting but I think the soil is still too cold.

We have delivered a few animals the last few weekends. I now have decided that I am not going to unload animals into people's pastures or any place other than a secure barn. We have had two opportunity to chase animals that went through unsecured areas at their new homes. Fortunately, in both cases we were able to get them back and caught for the new owners.

No new calves lately but we have two cows that we expect to freshen shortly. We are still feeding hay while we wait for the pastures to grow out. The dryness and cool temperatures are not making grass grow rapidly. Still, we are two or three weeks ahead of when we would normally return to pasture.

Mary left for France and Spain just before the volcano. While waiting to meet up with Eileen, she walked 102 miles across Spain. Eileen was in Morocco with her school group. Mary and Eileen met up yesterday and will have a chance to relax together for the next several days. Mary is due home Thursday, volcano willing.

Jim is off for his last two lacrosse games. He'll be headed home on May 8th. He has a summer internship with a French manufacturer of farming equipment. They are a several hundred year old company and the largest manufacturer of plowing and hay making equipment. They have their US distribution center about an hour east of us and that's where Jim will be working. His duties will include working in the warehouse, dealing with customers and going to outdoor farm equipment shows and setting up the displays. It all fits in perfectly with his Agricultural Engineering major.

The French connection is interesting. Mary and Eileen are both able to converse easily in French. The highlight of Jim's French to date is when he said excusez-moi to the waiter when he sneezed in a Paris restaurant at age 10.

I have had a bad Spring cold for the last several weeks. It is finally going away. I have stayed away from the diner so I don't have a report on news from the four corners. I did make it to Bull and Heifer Auction. I am also glad to report that I have finished my on-line Agronomy course. It was challenging to say the least. Now comes the wait to see what grade I got.

Our early Spring continues. Today was another record breaking day. A storm is brewing and the temperature dropped almost 30 degrees in an hour earlier this evening. The forecast for Saturday morning is cold with possible snow flurries.

We have had a busy week with the Lowlines. We've had three calves; two heifers and a bull. All were delivered without any assistance and are excellent calves. We are preparing to send some of our bulls to sales. This requires giving them a hair cut and getting them all spiffed up as much as possible.

We are continuing to move our equipment out of storage and get it prepared for planting. We sold a load of hay last weekend and this has freed up some space in the barn.

Things are pretty quiet at the diner. No earthshaking developments now that health care and basketball have been decided.

I have a bull calf to deliver out to the western part of the state. A farmer out there has a Beltie herd and wants to develop a new herd sire. Our calf has excellent genetics and is unrelated to his herd so that makes him a good fit.

Mary is getting ready to go off nexr=t week to visit Eileen. It should be a great trip. Jim is getting close to the end of the school year and will be home in less than a month. Time really flies. As you farm, you certainly realize that the whole year is a series of cycles; all of which revolve around the weather and people.