Sunday drive...

 It's been a while since we've been on a scenic Sunday drive. I facilitated one happening last weekend. One of my customer/friend's kids was selling Christmas wreaths to raise money for her hockey team. I ordered two, knowing it involved an hour's drive to get them. This was a win for me in several ways. I got to support a lovely child, have a ride with my sweet husband (and it involved lunch out!), and I would get to see the friend's new Sealyham Terrier puppies and some cows. 

We left here around 11:30 and took some pretty back roads to Waterville.  We grabbed lunch at a Mexican restaurant, then headed for the wreath pick-up. The littlest kid was anxious to introduce me to the beautiful puppies. 

And I was excited to get my hands on them and imbibe in some puppy breath. 

I think this one realized I was a groomer and was voicing his opinion on my visit! 

One of the daughters had sweetly made beautiful personalized Christmas tree ornaments for Chris and me, even for Flirt and Bravo, and one each for Rachel, Evans, Opal, and the Owlet. Such a lovely surprise. 

With the fragrant wreaths tucked safely in the car, we followed my friend to their dairy farm. We had planned our trip to see some of the cows being milked. They have a modern carousel milker that can handle100 cows at a time.  The cows line up at the door and happily step up into a small individual station. Someone washes her udder and puts the milking machine on her. The whole thing spins along, and by the time each Holstein reaches the end, she has been milked, the device has disengaged from her udder, she gets her teats dipped in an iodine mixture (with emollients in the winter to prevent chapping!), and then she calmly steps off to rejoin the rest of the herd. 

The place was immaculate, the cows content. It was pretty amazing to see. They milk 1,600 cows twice a day here. We were most impressed. 

Outside we saw rows of young cows, waiting to grow and join the rest of the crew producing milk for Mainers. 

All that dairy production got us thinking about... ice cream. What is a Sunday drive without it? Chris managed a happy detour to John's in Liberty, arguably some of the area's best locally made ice cream.  The server was a young guy with a HUGE personality. He made the whole experience sweeter. We enjoyed our treat and headed home. 

I was invited over to Rachel and Evans's home to visit the Owlet. While I was there, I helped give her a bath. What could be a more delightful way to end the day? I got to tuck her into clean pajamas and kiss her freshly fluffy head as she fell asleep on my chest. A warm and cozy hour of cuddling and listening to her breathe and sigh left me content and ready to start another week. 

Sunday drives are the best.