What a Week! Fixing Soil and Milking Cows

I visited my friend Elizabeth this week and filmed another video in her garden:

She wrote me afterward to say the video looked nice, but wasn’t a rich, vibrant green like my previous video at her place.

I told her it was because of the vintage Soviet lens I was using plus the cinematic color grading. I like the videos to look like they were high-end analog recordings from the 70s. It’s my look!

I deliberately run my camera with its internal settings set to minimal saturation and contrast, then I bring up the levels to where I like them in the editing.

But – weird artistic pretensions aside – this new video a great look at how she turned some terrible dirt into lovely soil and a productive garden through adding lots of organic matter and microbial life.

In other news, I haven’t posted much this week because we were busy with a new baby cow and getting a milking shed set up.

That is a picture of Brandy’s first milking. She still has her calf with her, but she still produced almost a gallon for us.

I made the milking shed from scrap roofing, pallet wood and felled popcorn trees I notched with my machete. It’s remarkably stable.

Here you can see the “head gate” we built to keep cows somewhat still as they are milked.

There is a manger in front which keeps the cow occupied:

She is an easy cow to work with and let down her milk right away. Her willingness to be milked was impressive – she went right into the shed and contentedly munched grain through almost the entire process.

She did manage to kick Rachel in the leg and spatter her with manure at the end, though.

I need to make a milking stool next. Maybe early next week. We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to separate the calf for part of the day to ensure a better milk supply.

It’s been a busy week but a good week. Have a wonderful weekend – I’ll catch you again on Monday.

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams of which shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he has made in the earth.

He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in two; he burns the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

-Psalm 6

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