Life is Good

Summer now seems on the slide.  Once the 4th of July has passed, I just can't help but to feel that summer is half over, and the days seem to be flying by even more quickly now.  Minnesota, like many parts of the country has been unusually hot and muggy.  Outdoor conditions seem remarkably close to 400 degree open oven-door conditions.  It has been a real test to farmers, construction workers, and all those who work in the great outdoors, not to mention the livestock that has suffered from these extreme heat conditions (and then there are the flies and mosquitos!)  But life is good....we have enjoyed lots of pool days, and evenings on the front porch with cool refreshing beverages : )  

Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of my career evolved last week, at the National Holstein Convention in Springfield, MO.  John and I were on hand for the unveiling of my two latest paintings of the new Ideal Holstein Cow and Bull.  Talk about needing nerves of steel!  I'm not sure why I was so worked up about this presentation.  Maybe it was because this has been a life goal since the beginning of my career as an artist....that one day I would have the opportunity to paint them.....? Or, it could be my unending pursuit that EVERYONE would love them, and that there would be no critique.....?  When you have waited for a quarter of a century for something to happen, you want it perfect!  My reaction was good.  Maybe even great....the crowd seemed pleased, and when one very important spectator told me that he had to hold back the tears....it sealed the deal for me that I had done a good job.  As I told the crowd at the convention, I paint for them.  It is the dairy farmers of America that put purpose in my work, and give me a reason to do what I do.  So, thank you for all the kind words and compliments shared at the recent convention.  It was my honor to be a part of it all. Also, Congratulations to Mason, the Grand Prize Winner of our June Milk Mustache Contest! Photographer Janelle Dahlgren captured this fun photo and will be awarded with a $100 gift certificate to Bonnie Mohr Studio. A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to all who submitted photos and participated in the contest. We were so pleased to see all of the fun dairy photos! Hope you all had an enjoyable dairy month! Thanks for reading........