el nido california

one of my posts in november was dedicated to my friend christie who lives in dc.  on tuesday i had the privilege of meeting her family and seeing the farm where she grew up in el nido, central california.  mark and kim welcomed me in and made me feel at home.  we had good conversation and a good dose of laughter together well into the evening as we played catch phrase and buzz word.  also with us were christie's cousin melissa and justin.  it's such an amazing feeling to be included in family occasions like this.  even if it's just playing a game, it's a blessing to be included as a participant.

christie gave me a tour of their farm.  she showed me parts of their dairy process and various farm machinery and introduced to some of their workers.  they had this special contraption that was used to turn cows on their side and clamp their legs so they could care for their hooves.  hm, i hope some cows can think of it as more like a fun amusement ride or a nice pedicure rather than like a scary dentist chair or torture machine.

driving through the farm.

baby cows.

here is sweet #180.  she is about eight years old and one of the friendliest cows on the farm.  she enjoys a good shoulder scratch.  mooooooooo!