Never Punch a Cow when you are Milking

Milking a cow was quite aggravating. It was a chore that had to be done early in the morning and about dark in the evenings. Stop milking the cow and pretty soon you get no milk.

We always put the cow up for the night after the evening milking and turned her out after the morning milking. In the winter, it was so cold you could barely feel your fingers when you were finished. Well, it was my fingers and you were not there but anyway. The cow was not very happy about the operation either.

In the summer, it's those flies that always start the trouble. They land on the cow, she takes a swat at it, hits you instead. I never learned the trick of tying the cows tail to her back leg until long after I left the farm.

One morning, I was milking the cow. She attacked one of those flies and about knocked me out. I reacted by giving her a swift punch in the side (yes, I still feel guilty). She then proceeds to step in the milk bucket to let me know my punch hurt. The fly got away and the milk bucket was not full when I got to the house. I guess sometimes you just got to take your licks.

Old fireplace.