Another crazy week on the farm. So much happening. Our 25th anniversary…my birthday…and all kinds of hay to get in the barn before the rain. Guess what we did to celebrate? Work, work, and more work! Farm work and cattle have no respect for holidays/celebrations. So, I’ll give you a quick rundown of my special day………………           Marshall was alarmed when he realized I was turning 48. He told me….”Mom, you are almost..?” and then he stopped. He couldn’t say 50. So, I have officially declared war on “old age”. The gray hairs…under eye bags…arm flab…and the most dreaded of all…the chicken neck. This is not my finest moment here, but wanted to give you the “real”. I was feeling a lot of sleep deprivation at this point. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening……..                  I was running from the milk barn to the hay field all day. At some point I looked up and saw my personal message that Michael wrote on my chalk board. What a lovely surprise. That was better than an actual gift. It’s still there. I’m not going to erase it for another week.       On my special day….we mowed more hay…raked…and baled. Oh yes, and we hauled late into the night. I also went to the dealership and had a hydraulic hose fixed and got some “lug” bolts for the tractor. When I go to the parts counter I give them the farmers instructions and sometimes a few of my own. For example…the big round thing that fits on the little thingy. You know….the whatchamacallit?! Then I try to get a free cap because I know how much money we spend at that counter, and they just laugh at me. Nothing is free anymore.         I did not have time to smell the flowers on my birthday, but I have big plans to celebrate next week. What matters is that we got the hay in the barn before the rain hit. I ate a bowl of cereal at 11:30 that night and hit the hay. It was an exhausting day. Then up and at ’em the next morning. To be continued……………….Carol