In my many years of being involved in farming, one thing I have noticed is that most every farmer I meet or know has a trusty companion at his or her side. What I am eluding to is a dog.

I grew up with a Border Collie German Shepard mix. His name was Dusty. He was a Christmas present to our family when I was in Kindergarten. Dusty was not what I call a kid's dog, but more of a guardian. Dad and Dusty had a special bond. He would accompany me on bike rides, but other than that, he was Dad's dog; wherever my dad was, Dusty was sure to be around. He enjoyed herding cattle with Dad, riding in the truck, and of course, he was his companion on the various tractors.

My dad also worked off the farm and he would come home after midnight from his job. Dusty would stay on the steps until my dad came home from work. Then Dusty would go sleep in the barn. One night, the windows were open and I happened to be awake when Dad came home. I heard him greet Dusty and Dusty greeted him back. The conversation went on for quite awhile as Dad asked him questions and Dusty answered back. I just laid in my bed and listened.

Dusty lived a good long time. In fact, I was away at my freshman year of college when Dad called to tell me that Dusty had passed away in his arms. It was one of the few times that I had heard my dad cry. There are many fond memories of that dog with my dad.

Another story of a dog is Fritz. Fritz is my husband's dog. He is a rescue dog and we really do not know what breed his is. He looks like he might have some terrier in him. Fritz joined the family about 12 or 13 years ago. It was not love at first site though. Fritz is responsible for the missing seat belts in the white truck and for some reason he decided to eat John's wallet one day. We know it was him because John caught him with 1/2 if a $20 bill hanging out of his mouth.  However after a turbulent few months, and  4-H obedience training, Fritz latched onto John. Fritz has become a fixture to our tours that come to our farm. Fritz stands beside John as he greets visitors.

John and Fritz are always together on the farm, whether it is riding in the combine, tractor, or in the truck. If Fritz is laying outside a building, your chances are pretty good that John is inside the building. In fact, Fritz sat outside the church doors the day of our wedding.

I know there are many more dog tales to tell, but we will keep that for another day.

My name is Joan and I live on a dairy farm with my husband, youngest daughter and two step-daughters. I also have two adult children that still live in Minnesota. I grew up on a beef farm in southern Minnesota and raised beef with my first husband. I also worked off the farm as a business analyst for an insurance company. However, life can toss some curve balls at you. I became a widow at age 45. Not the future I had in mind.

I truly believe keeping a positive attitude allows for opportunities to happen. I have found another wonderful man, that happens to be a dairy farmer. I left my career of 28 years and took a leap of faith. I now I live on a robotic dairy farm in east central Iowa.

Each occupation has its own jargon and dairy farming is no different. Additions to my vocabulary include terms such as dry cow, lactating cow, somatic cell counts, milk fat, and milk solids, just to name a few. My husband has also learned a few from me as well. Those will be some ideas for future posts.

Along with my new husband came his two daughters. People give John sympathy when they find out we have 5 daughters. When he married me, he became an instant grandpa and also gained a son-in-law. John's extended family has welcomed me and my three daughters into their family. And my family has welcomed John and his daughters as well. As the minister said at our wedding, love makes the circle grow bigger.