Still raining, but after watching what the East coast is going through I think it may be prudent for me to cease and desist complaining…but…YESTERDAY the rain was torrential. The new Chinese plastic gutters happily DID manage to (1) remain in situ and intact and (2) actually direct the deluge in the right direction,. .just ! Malcolm’s new edition of the Great Wall of China constructed with much blood sweat and (nearly) tears in the heat of the summer looked more like Niagara Falls as the rain water threatened to wash away the creek bank. The cement by- pass made a very impressive diversion for the impending disaster and the white water as it cascaded down the cement conduit instead of the creek bank made all the hard work (Malcolm’s !!) worthwhile. It’s great when a plan works, we had THE biggest smiles on our faces. Passers by along the farm road must have considered an increasing level of the insanity they have suspected for years as they drove by, warm and dry in their vehicles to see us two standing in a fast growing lake that used to be a puddle in our no longer waterproof ( oh, and (curiously) incidentally, also Chinese outerwear…..watching the new hypothetical Rio Grande racing down hill into the new hypothetical Lake Eyre. ( I know…..wrong ends of the map but I did say hypothetical !)
The early morning routine is for Misty Moo to meet us at her pasture gate, have her head collar put on and lead her into the cow barn. This routine can be very efficient and within moments Misty the Jersey is ready to go out to play in the pasture with Molly Moo and her bovine pals. However, yesterday morning, in the pouring rain, the old English saying ( well it is isn’t it ????) ”The best laid plans of mice and men” came to mind. On occasion, Misty just wants to visit, beautiful doe like brown eyes with extended eyelashes and apparently heavy duty eyeliner look up at you. Sometimes she rubs her head gently against you and sometimes…as in yesterday Misty just says “NO”. As the rain fell, as the puddles got deeper, as my waterproofs got less waterproof and my boots began to leak the docile Jersey calf dug her heels ( hooves) into the ground and refused to take one calf step out of her nice cosy dry stall /shelter. I coaxed, I pulled, I pushed and Misty Moo sweetly but determinedly refused to take one tiny little hoof step out into the rain. Wishing that my options were as simple and I could head back to my nice warm bed, wishing that it didn’t have to be raining quite so hard and, sadly, recognising that the cow clearly had more sense than me, I headed empty handed back into the rain. Last view of Misty as I left her pen, a very smug, warm and DRY Jersey calf peering around the corner of her shed. Humph !!
From disaster comes inspiration…sometimes. Misty had won the battle but she wasn’t going to win the war and I determined that some good would come of the situation. Mojo would learn by example how to be a cow, how to graze what to graze and where to graze from Misty Moo. Warm and dry in her stall deep in the barn, MoJo-Anne (MJ) peacefully slept. Tummy full of momma’s rich creamy milk, and rumens rumbling, it was time to take a nap before the next bottle. Mojo had no thoughts about anything but her next feed, certainly not taking a paddle out to Misty’s field…but I did !! With me at the head end, Greg encouraging the reluctant rear and Bran the Border collie whirling in excited circles anywhere but where we wanted him, we steered the little red Dexter calf to go and reacquaint herself with the not much older honey coloured calf sensibly hiding from the rain in the field shelter. Mojo took on a look of pure terror as Misty’s amber eyes examined the alien that had just landed. Mojo didn’t know whether to back out of the closed gate or pee…..Mojo peed..then tried to back out. Misty advanced on the strange furry red being that had just appeared, was it perhaps eatable ?
Oops…timed out, update next time. And it’s STILL raining !! Take care, keep safe. M
The early morning routine is for Misty Moo to meet us at her pasture gate, have her head collar put on and lead her into the cow barn. This routine can be very efficient and within moments Misty the Jersey is ready to go out to play in the pasture with Molly Moo and her bovine pals. However, yesterday morning, in the pouring rain, the old English saying ( well it is isn’t it ????) ”The best laid plans of mice and men” came to mind. On occasion, Misty just wants to visit, beautiful doe like brown eyes with extended eyelashes and apparently heavy duty eyeliner look up at you. Sometimes she rubs her head gently against you and sometimes…as in yesterday Misty just says “NO”. As the rain fell, as the puddles got deeper, as my waterproofs got less waterproof and my boots began to leak the docile Jersey calf dug her heels ( hooves) into the ground and refused to take one calf step out of her nice cosy dry stall /shelter. I coaxed, I pulled, I pushed and Misty Moo sweetly but determinedly refused to take one tiny little hoof step out into the rain. Wishing that my options were as simple and I could head back to my nice warm bed, wishing that it didn’t have to be raining quite so hard and, sadly, recognising that the cow clearly had more sense than me, I headed empty handed back into the rain. Last view of Misty as I left her pen, a very smug, warm and DRY Jersey calf peering around the corner of her shed. Humph !!
From disaster comes inspiration…sometimes. Misty had won the battle but she wasn’t going to win the war and I determined that some good would come of the situation. Mojo would learn by example how to be a cow, how to graze what to graze and where to graze from Misty Moo. Warm and dry in her stall deep in the barn, MoJo-Anne (MJ) peacefully slept. Tummy full of momma’s rich creamy milk, and rumens rumbling, it was time to take a nap before the next bottle. Mojo had no thoughts about anything but her next feed, certainly not taking a paddle out to Misty’s field…but I did !! With me at the head end, Greg encouraging the reluctant rear and Bran the Border collie whirling in excited circles anywhere but where we wanted him, we steered the little red Dexter calf to go and reacquaint herself with the not much older honey coloured calf sensibly hiding from the rain in the field shelter. Mojo took on a look of pure terror as Misty’s amber eyes examined the alien that had just landed. Mojo didn’t know whether to back out of the closed gate or pee…..Mojo peed..then tried to back out. Misty advanced on the strange furry red being that had just appeared, was it perhaps eatable ?
Oops…timed out, update next time. And it’s STILL raining !! Take care, keep safe. M
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