We Are So Blessed...

Yesterday I told you about Molasses and Patty getting out. I kept looking out to make sure that the calf was still out there. One time I looked out and he was not in sight. So, out the door I went. I looked over in the shed barn by the house to see if he was visiting his other calf friends. Then I went out to see if he was in the drive through of the big barn and I just couldn't see him. No, he wasn't in there. I did see someone or one of the cows had opened a sliding door into the barn from the drive through. It was enough open that a cow could escape. As I got closer to the barn to close that door, I heard commotion in the milk parlor area. Our big barn (the one on my profile picture) used to house a dairy goat milking operation. The people who rented the farm for the year before we moved in, trashed it when they moved. We are wanting to get out there, clean it up and put the walls back up that they tore down. It is not used right now, but cows shouldn't be able to get into it. As I came around to go into the door to the milk parlor, I saw that it was open a bit. I KNEW that the calf was in there. I opened the door and went in and what did my wondering eyes see???? Bullseye and Sir Loin of Beef, the yearling steers in there investigating. God is good, because they could have gotten out through the door. They saw me and high tailed it through a sliding door that the goats used to use. I closed it, although the lock was busted and made sure the outside door was closed too. While in there, I did scan the bottom part of the barn and there was no wee brown calf. As I came out of there, one of my WONDERFUL neighbors was in the yard. I hollered and asked if they had seen the calf. They had not, but came to assist in the search. I went up into the top part of the barn where we keep hay. No calf. We decided that he must be laying down in the tall grass somewhere. So, we started looking. Her brother joined us and as he walked over he startled the calf in the grass and I am not sure who was more surprised... the calf or him!! The calf ran back over by his mom, so I went back inside. When my dear, sweet, wonderful man got home we went out to get Molasses back into her pasture. We figured the calf would follow. We couldn't find him again. This time I had thought to bring my camera. I told Michael where he had been laying and we went and looked and sure enough this is what we saw...



From a distance, the grass was tall enough, he was invisible. =) We went to the other pasture to get the cow. We were well armed with peanuts!! Since we are "known" to carry peanuts we usually get a good reception. Here are the 3 yearling steers coming to greet me because they are so glad to see me (I know it is the peanuts - just humor me).



Now the 2 mama cows will come close for peanuts, but they know that often we grab their halter if we get close. Buttercup is much better about this than Molasses. In the next picture they are standing right in front of Michael who is trying to get Molasses to take a peanut so he can grab her. He has to go through a little game with her, but he always wins.



He got a hold of her and started walking her toward the fence. I lifted the fence (we keep the bigger cows in with one electric wire and by the way, the fence was turned off) and he started to pull her under it. She decided that she did not want to go there. He pulled the chain on her control halter and tugged on the side of it. She DID NOT want to go. So, I moved behind her holding the fence up over her and was getting ready to swat her and she finally moved. He led her to the other pasture and the WONDERFUL neighbors came out to help him. We walked her by her baby so that he would get up and follow. They held the fence up for Michael and Molasses, but the calf did not want to go through. It made me think of the song... London Bridge is Falling Down. =) The calf finally got shooed in as well.



Here is a picture of Patty back safe in his pasture. The next picture is the 4 little calves. Our 3 are Patty, Stu and Phil and the WONDERFUL neighbor's is TJ. I am not sure what that stands for.




Being the WONDERFUL neighbors that they are (I can hear Mrs. Neighbor sighing and rolling her eyes at me right now!) they asked what was on the chore menu for the night. We had to put chicks out in the field because new chicks were coming this morning. They volunteered to help. The chicks got put in our chicken cages and then were loaded on top of our wagon. The one back wheel on this wagon is broken and it just falls off. We need to get it fixed. However, they decided to use it anyway. Here is a picture of our Farm Hands!!!! Aren't they cute??? =)



Then the parade began. The men walked with them to keep the pens on the wagon and watch the wheel. It did fall off on the way out. =)




Mrs. Neighbor and I were sitting out at the picnic table talking while they were working. Hmmm... that doesn't sound too good. We do not sit around and talk whenever they are working!!! =) Anyway, here is what the sky looked like. It was beautiful. Whenever I see a view like this it makes me wonder if I am going to hear a trumpet and see the sky break open and the Lord returning!!!



Just one more thing on a quick note... When I fed the calves their bottle this morning, all 3 new calves came to get bottles. The neighbor's calf, TJ, was in the middle of our 2. I got the bottles in their mouths and TJ, who had already been fed, got so excited that he started sucking on Stu's ear and had his whole ear in his mouth the entire time they were guzzling their bottles. Calves are so funny.