Visiting a Dairy Farm (April 6th)

Friday, May 1, 2009

On Tuesday we went to visit John's Uncle Jim and Aunt Mary's dairy farm near Stewarton just south of Glasgow.  The farm itself is divided into two parts with the original farm, Midhouse at Gabrockhill (where Uncle Jim, Aunt Mary and one of their sons, Willie live) and the 2nd new farm where cousin Jim lives.  

We arrived to a lovely lunch prepared by Aunt Mary.  She is an excellent hostess and even better baker!  Soups, sandwiches and delicious cakes, ice cream and custard.  Delicious!  And all cooked on an old cast-iron stove and a 1970's range or "cooker" as they call them in Scotland.  Then off to the tour of the dairy farm.  It was really interesting and surprisingly modern.  Not sure what we expected, but if you are picturing cows being hand milked, that is a thing of many years past.  It's all mechanized and very efficient.  The cows were still in the barn for winter so Kyla was able to get up close to them, or as close as they would allow.  One thing I learned about cows is that they are skittish and don't like to be pet, but they are also very curious.  As soon as your back is turned they come right back to the gate to check you out.  

The Entrance Sign (it was raining so taken through the car window)
The Barn
Baby calf born the day before
Cows eating
Kyla's Highlight: Getting in a tractor!

Another view of Kyla "driving"
Aunt Mary helping Kyla pet a calf
The only "smile" I could get, she was way too busy for my pictures
The cows watching Kyla when she turned her back
Cousin Jim, Uncle Jim, Aunt Mary and Cousin Willie

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