‘Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the barn
not a creature was stirring
till a dog cried the alarm.
The Jerseys they rustled,
the Holsteins they bellowed
as soon as they saw
the big white-bearded fellow.
The reindeer flew in,
hovering over the barn roof,
then backed up and landed
on freshly trimmed hooves.
(The Jerseys were jealous,
their trimmer was late
he did not make it
on the appointed trim-date.)
While roof landings were standard,
the reindeer did hope
in the barnyard to land.
Sidle up to the water trough,
have a fresh drink.
Then check out the Jerseys,
giving the cute ones a wink.
The Holsteins were testy
they thought reindeer were messy
and going to mess up their stalls.
But they were distracted
when Rudolph gave a shout,
He’d tried to get a drink
and his nose shorted out.
Now Santa’s job here was done,
his night’s journey just begun.
It was time for the reindeer to go.
But one of them was missing,
till they found Dasher kissing
a heifer under the mistletoe.
This column is not educational, no doubt.
Sometimes a chuckle is what
the best in life’s all about.
From all of us at OSU Extension,
A holiday greeting to you,
A very Merry Christmas to all
and blessings the year through.
(The author is the northeast Ohio district dairy specialist with OSU Extension. Send comments or questions in care of Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.)
