by Larry Eder
Like one of the vampires in an Anne Rice novel, I am a creature of the night. After working late into the evening, I head home for a walk, then make a bit of dinner. After a movie (this week, it will be a Spanish theme, so Volver, All about my Mother, the Devils Backbone), I fall asleep on the sofa, only to wake myself up and head up stairs to my bedroom. I live in a farmhouse originally built in 1905, and moved to its current location about 1948.
It is early winter in southern Wisconsin. Wind chill was -15 today and regular temperature was cold enough-nine degrees. I bundle up, as I walk the near mile in from my home to office about four times each day. Patti Hurtgen, the web master at the WD Hoards site took a picture of me to encourage folks to dress warm.
I have a Russian Winter long coat that I wear, with my black scarf, gloves and oversized hat. The cold just gets into you and without head cover, one just gets miserable.
W.D. Hoard was the governor of Wisconsin about 1885, and he is also considered the father of the modern dairy industry. In 1887, or there about, he founded the Hoards Dairyman, the publication of record for the dairy industry.
My favorite event of the year is what I call the Cow Love contest. In March, about 80,000 of our closest friends vote for the best looking cows in five categories. Two years ago, after two glasses of Merlot (not very expensive either), I scored the fifth highest score in nearly a century. My modus operandi-pick the pretty cows! My only criteria was how real their colors looked, and I scored, with a handicap of 100 plus points, nearly 500 points! My colleagues were aghast! How could the track dude score in a cow beauty pageant?
I hope you enjoy the picture, just remember I have a mile to walk home about 9 pm and it is cold as heck! So remember, to dress warmly, please!
To learn more about the Dairy business, or to look at really neat cow pictures, please check out www.hoards.com.
