Learning to be a Farmers Wife

The afternoon was spent getting  everything in order and by evening I was happy with our cozy little home. The only problem was I had to walk through the house when ever I needed something in the refrigerator or go outside but worst of all there was only one bath tub which was right outside his parents bedroom door with the lock on the wrong side of the door for me. I was glad we would only have to live like this for several weeks.

LV had told me he would be ready for me to come out to the barn around four where he would teach me how to assemble the milking equipment which would be my job everyday. I kept an eye on the clock and made sure I was ready a little before four. He patiently explained all the confusing hoses and parts that had to be assembled correctly before we could milk the cows. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take me to remember everything but determined to do my best.

Once everything was ready we carried the pails with the milkers attached on top over to the barn. The cows looked huge compared to the sweet little Jersey I had been used to. LV walked along telling me all the cows names until my head felt dizzy as I tried to store all the information.

Going to the end of the rows we set the pails down. He showed me how to prepare each cow before we could attach the milkers and then swung one of the pails in and set it beside a cow. The long hose that I had attached and coiled around the lid and handles had to be uncoiled and attached to a little valve. The lever was turned and immediately the milkers started pulsating. LV showed me how to put the milker on the cow. Handing me the next pail he told me to put it on the next cow. I tried stepping over the gutter and swinging the pail down next to the cow just like he had. Once the milker was pulsating I started feeling a little bit pleased, squatting down next to the cow to attach the milker things stopped going as well. The milker was determined to not stay where it belonged and fell clumsily to the ground and started sucking straw from the floor as fast as it could. I felt like a huge doofus as LV had to take it apart and clean it before we could continue.

He was a patient teacher and by the time the chores were done I had mastered the proper technique of handling milkers and was starting to enjoy it. All that was left for me to do was take everything apart and wash it really well and then go into the house to make supper while LV finished up the chores.