The summer months bring not only extreme heat and humidity here in the South, but it also brings drought. We do our best by watering the pastures, but due to the size it gets difficult to get it all done. At one point, we finally fed the remainder of the hay we had from last year, just to keep the cows’ bellies full. But no rain means no grass. No grass means no feed. So what is a Farm Wife to do?
Vacation Time!
Easy. Give her babies a vacation, and check them into the ‘Bovine B & B’. We are blessed with great neighbors. George keeps a close eye on us and when we are gone, he watches for anything out of the norm. If a cow is getting ready to give birth, he watches closely and alerts us at the appointed time – if we aren’t already outside watching.
And lately, he has been keeping an eye on our pastures. When it finally got close to the time we were either going to have to buy hay or sell cows, he and his son, Steven, got together and figured out a solution. Move the cows to Steven’s pasture, right across the road. And so we did.
I now have happy bovines. They are cheerfully chomping grass to their hearts content, and then taking their siestas under some huge shade trees. They are also mingling peacefully with Ayn’s sheep, who occasionally slip through the cracks to come feast on the ‘greener pastures on the other side of the fence.’
Learning a New Language
When I checked on them yesterday, I heard a strange noise coming from Chester, one of the baby bull calves. He was standing next to a couple of Ayn’s sheep when I could have sworn I heard him say, ‘Baaaaa….’. I think he was trying to learn a new language, and from all indications he must have gotten it wrong.
One sheep stomped its tiny hoof, snorted and walked off in a huff. The other one fell on its side laughing. If I am not mistaken, he was laughing because Chester told the other sheep, “Your Mama is a moth eaten bedroom slipper…” If that is true, it’s no wonder the other sheep was offended. I may have to either have a word with Chester about his social manners, or buy him a cd on How to Speak Sheep. I wonder if the Rosetta Stone series offers that???
When the going gets tough, a Farm Wife gets a chisel and a sledge hammer and busts her way through – or she leans on her neighbors for a little help. When the going gets tough for the cows, they just take a vacation. I’m seriously thinking that in my next life, I am going to opt for spoiled rotten bovine. I am really liking the look of Steven’s shade trees right now.
Good post, Julie! I’m leaving for England tomorrow. What can I bring back for you?
Thanks, Kathleen! All I want from England is you coming back safely, and a Saturday for lunch and England photos!!! Be safe and have a blast!