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Monday, August 25, 2008
Calves and Kitties
We moved in 3 calves on Saturday morning. As many of you know, we had our own cattle here until a couple of years ago and our cows were quite famous with all the kids (of all ages) because they would eat an apple out of your hand. Anyhow, a couple years ago Frank decided the fences were going to need alot of repair work and it might be time to get out of the cow business. So we sold the cows.
Our fiend, Dale, has a small beef herd that started out with a couple of cows he bought from us. They are always nice and tame because his grand-daughter likes to feed them cobs of corn. So every year about now, we bring a few animals over to enjoy the one pasture we have left.
This year we decided on some calves that were born this spring. They were ready to be weaned and Dale didn't want to separate the cows from the bull until he was sure next years crop of calves was growing happily. So Saturday morning Dale brought the calves over in his trailer. We backed up to the pasture gate and they stepped right out and went exploring.
Jackson (He's the puppy. He'll be a year old the end of November.) didn't quite know what to make of these new critter running around the pasture and first thought they must be new playmates for him. Fortunately, the calves had a dog at their old home and weren't too intimidated by him.
Anyhow, lunchtime came and I took the girls to the house with me to eat. Kim came in from the Sun Prairie Farmer's Market and we were talking a couple of neighbors coming up out of the ditch behind the barn. I figured something was going on or we were about to be pranked. Then I saw Jared run across the hill and knew something was out. By now a customer was holding onto Jackson by the store entrance and the youngest neighbor (I think he's 8) came around the barn dragging Barney. Now, those of you who know Barney know he's half St. Bernard and half Great Pyrenees and undoubtedly weighs more than Shane. But Shane hang on and we put both dogs in the garage.
Then we (Shane's Mom and Dad and another helpful apple buyer and Frank and Jared and I) went on the chase...down the road and through the fence into the DNR pasture across the road. All the way across the pasture to the other side of another road where they were finally corralled in a pen owned by those same helpful neighbors who were helping us with the roundup. We all got a lift back home and the neighbor got his trailer and loaded the two of them (the third had stayed home where he belonged) and brought them back while Frank worked on the fence.
So we all went on with our day and things were good...until about 6:15 Sunday morning, when Frank heard calves mooing. He got up to check and one was out, but standing near the fence trying to figure out how to get back to his friends. That round was easy and in a few minutes they were all back together again. And Frank worked on the fence some more. About 7:45 we were ready to head to church when Frank checked on them one more time....One was missing. Nowhere to be seen. So, we went looking. He'd gone up the hill and into the adjoining hay field and was almost to the neighbor's house about a quarter of a mile away. It's really lucky we have such nice, accommodating neighbors, because this one helped me walk him back the way he'd come. By this time Frank (and I) had had about enough. So I guarded the critters while Frank got the skid steer and loaded up all the old tube gates we had. And we built a nice, secure, much smalled pen around the calves. They really are quite tame and just kind of walked around and watched us work.
So, it's now Monday night and everybody is home in his assigned place. And I'm pretty sure they'll still be there in the morning. We've been giving them some chopped up apples and they are eating them, so their training has begun. We'll see how many days it takes before they're ready to eat out of our hand.
Today, I had a young visitor who always likes to come with her Grandma to see the kitties. Well, we had babies a couple of weeks ago and hadn't yet pinned down exactly where they were. We thought probably in a wagon of straw. So when Jordan and her Grandma came in today, I took them up there with a container of food and told them to take their time and see if they could find them. Sure enough, they found the hiding spot. It's a long narrow hole and the kitties (Not sure how many. At least one, probably two.) were back far enough that we didn't get to handle them yet, but we're going to work on it. At least we have a chance now that we know where they are.
I printed what I hope is the final draft of our new cookbook this afternoon. One more proofreading and, hopefully, it'll be ready to send off to the printer. We are already collecting recipes for the next one and Kim's cooking up a prize drawing with an entry for each recipe you bring in. I'll let her write more about that later.
Our fiend, Dale, has a small beef herd that started out with a couple of cows he bought from us. They are always nice and tame because his grand-daughter likes to feed them cobs of corn. So every year about now, we bring a few animals over to enjoy the one pasture we have left.
This year we decided on some calves that were born this spring. They were ready to be weaned and Dale didn't want to separate the cows from the bull until he was sure next years crop of calves was growing happily. So Saturday morning Dale brought the calves over in his trailer. We backed up to the pasture gate and they stepped right out and went exploring.
Jackson (He's the puppy. He'll be a year old the end of November.) didn't quite know what to make of these new critter running around the pasture and first thought they must be new playmates for him. Fortunately, the calves had a dog at their old home and weren't too intimidated by him.
Anyhow, lunchtime came and I took the girls to the house with me to eat. Kim came in from the Sun Prairie Farmer's Market and we were talking a couple of neighbors coming up out of the ditch behind the barn. I figured something was going on or we were about to be pranked. Then I saw Jared run across the hill and knew something was out. By now a customer was holding onto Jackson by the store entrance and the youngest neighbor (I think he's 8) came around the barn dragging Barney. Now, those of you who know Barney know he's half St. Bernard and half Great Pyrenees and undoubtedly weighs more than Shane. But Shane hang on and we put both dogs in the garage.
Then we (Shane's Mom and Dad and another helpful apple buyer and Frank and Jared and I) went on the chase...down the road and through the fence into the DNR pasture across the road. All the way across the pasture to the other side of another road where they were finally corralled in a pen owned by those same helpful neighbors who were helping us with the roundup. We all got a lift back home and the neighbor got his trailer and loaded the two of them (the third had stayed home where he belonged) and brought them back while Frank worked on the fence.
So we all went on with our day and things were good...until about 6:15 Sunday morning, when Frank heard calves mooing. He got up to check and one was out, but standing near the fence trying to figure out how to get back to his friends. That round was easy and in a few minutes they were all back together again. And Frank worked on the fence some more. About 7:45 we were ready to head to church when Frank checked on them one more time....One was missing. Nowhere to be seen. So, we went looking. He'd gone up the hill and into the adjoining hay field and was almost to the neighbor's house about a quarter of a mile away. It's really lucky we have such nice, accommodating neighbors, because this one helped me walk him back the way he'd come. By this time Frank (and I) had had about enough. So I guarded the critters while Frank got the skid steer and loaded up all the old tube gates we had. And we built a nice, secure, much smalled pen around the calves. They really are quite tame and just kind of walked around and watched us work.
So, it's now Monday night and everybody is home in his assigned place. And I'm pretty sure they'll still be there in the morning. We've been giving them some chopped up apples and they are eating them, so their training has begun. We'll see how many days it takes before they're ready to eat out of our hand.
Today, I had a young visitor who always likes to come with her Grandma to see the kitties. Well, we had babies a couple of weeks ago and hadn't yet pinned down exactly where they were. We thought probably in a wagon of straw. So when Jordan and her Grandma came in today, I took them up there with a container of food and told them to take their time and see if they could find them. Sure enough, they found the hiding spot. It's a long narrow hole and the kitties (Not sure how many. At least one, probably two.) were back far enough that we didn't get to handle them yet, but we're going to work on it. At least we have a chance now that we know where they are.
I printed what I hope is the final draft of our new cookbook this afternoon. One more proofreading and, hopefully, it'll be ready to send off to the printer. We are already collecting recipes for the next one and Kim's cooking up a prize drawing with an entry for each recipe you bring in. I'll let her write more about that later.
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2 comments:
So, so sad to have missed out on this adventure...
This is what you miss out on when you lives o far away.
Love, MOM
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