Introducing : Mom in Okie Land

This is the start of my new blog as Mom in Okie Land.  I am trashing my old blog and starting this new one that is going to focus on our life in rural eastern Oklahoma.  I was not born and raised on a farm but my husband was and so I have essentially turned into farm girl even though I still claim to be a CITY GIRL at heart. 

14 yrs ago I married Farmer Kyle who eats, sleeps and lives the farmer life.  He daydreams of the next tractor, next welding project and the next bull he wants to buy.  When he searches the web he is looking at chicken pens, farm auctions and the newest farming equipment which is FINE with me because at least he isn’t looking at “other things”.  I might mention that Farmer Kyle works in the big city and has a desk job as an engineer and he hates it.  He doesn’t hate his actual job of designing projects but he does hate sitting in an office and staring at a computer all day.  He is like a caged monkey just waiting to get to his little plot of land in the country.

We have lived in the city, in the country, in the city and now back in the country. We currently have 10 acres that our house sits on and we lease 35 acres from friends which is where Kyle hunts in the fall/winter and in the spring/summer we keep our cows or steers there.  We also spend A LOT of time at his parent’s farm which we refer to as the BIG FARM.  We currently have 3 dogs and 11 chickens at our house then we have 15 heifers and a bull at our leased land.  The heifers and bull actually belong to my in-laws but we are their “cow-sitters”.

I have over the years learned to embrace the farmer life.  I do not always understand everything about farming but I do my best to keep an open mind and try not to have a WEAK STOMACH.

I plan on posting various tidbits, advice, experiences, pictures, MEMORIES, comical antics and whatever comes my way on this journey of being a Mom in Okie Land.  I hope you enjoy.

Why Thanks . . . Honey?

Not really sure how I am supposed to respond to this.  My dear sweet husband bought me earrings which is wonderful.  But REALLY . . . he thinks these are “cute”?

Yep, there they are.  Cow ear tag earrings.  I guess this means I am his #1 COW.  Such a sweet, sweet man he is.  He was very PROUD of himself.  So if you are green with envy or if you think they would be a perfect gag gift at Christmas, you too can grab a pair from Ear Tags Direct.  You have several colors to choose from and can pick the number 1 or 10.

Oh and he picked orange for OSU (Go Pokes) !

Hay Season

It’s that time again, BALING time.  Farmer Kyle grew up baling hay with his family on the big farm and then when he was a teen, he worked for a custom baling company.  Living in rural OKLAHOMA, one cannot go a day without discussing hay bales, tractors, hay mowers, hay rakes, wind rows, square baling, round baling, baling wire, baling wrap… and the list goes on and on and on!  This time we were able to bale 230 square bales.  Some weigh about 30lbs and others weigh as much as 130lbs!  We will be doing this all over again at the end of the summer HOPEFULLY.  That is if the weather/heat cooperates better this year.

Farmer Kyle

Our barn and JD tractor

Square bales

The whole family gets involved when it comes to baling time.  Farmer Kyle and his dad cut, rake and bale the hay.  I drive the tractor when they load the trailer and haul it to the barn then help with unloading the trailer.  The kids have the job of rolling the bales closer together so they can be loaded without Farmer Kyle and his dad walking all over the pasture.

Farmer Kyle raking the hay into wind rows

Farmer Kyle's dad baling hay into square bales

I have to say, this city girl likes driving the tractor!  And every year I realize just how much baling hay is an art form and has a science to it.  I don’t fully understand all the logistics but I do know that Farmer Kyle and his dad are ROCKSTARS when it comes to hay season!