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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Birds of January

The geese are simply gone, but I see the robins often. I was kinda glooming and dooming while I was feeding the chickens yesterday, just grumpy about breakdowns and assorted other problems, when suddenly I heard the familiar musical chirping from a box elder at the edge of the yard. A big fat fellow had picked out a promising perch, and although he wasn't singing, he had selected a great spot for spring concerts.....Instant mood improvement.

A song sparrow showed up at the feeder yesterday too.First one I've seen all winter. We do have four or five white-crowned sparrows and some white-throated sparrows, lots of juncos, chickadees, cardinals and such, plus a lonesome Carolina wren that showed up just once. Mallards flying fast and setting up a racket whip by the house every now and then.

The girls Becky works with down at Mickie D's see a bald eagle there most days, fishing the river with the gulls and mergansers.

Alas Mandy's baby didn't make it. She was just too early to survive. We have saved several extremely premature calves over the years, by intensive nursing and careful care. However, this poor little girl was just too, too early. At least Mandy is doing pretty well. Despite caling so early, she did come into milk and she seems to feel quite good. She is a big, wonderful, sweet, old cow and I am grateful for that.

4 comments:

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

This post seems to sum up exactly the hopefulness and resilience a dairy farmer needs to survive. Condolences on the loss of that little calf.

Jeffro said...

See, now, losing a calf like that and feeling the pain is something a lot of folks just can't wrap their minds around. It's just another red mark in the loss column to them.

Sorry about losing that little calf. Just because it happens once in a while doesn't make it any easier.

Cathy said...

I'm so sorry that the little one didn't make it. And am really relieved to hear that Mandy seems OK.

I'm so glad you've got the sweet distraction of a robin chirping from a box elder.

threecollie said...

WW, thanks...it is very sad to lose them and this one would have been very special. However, as was quoted in one of the James Herriot books, "Them as has them, loses them." The old farmer had it right...if you do, sometimes you will, no matter how hard you try otherwise.

Jeffro, she was going to be a good one, a Silky Cousteau out of an Ocean View Zenith. Mandy was junior champion twice when she was a youngster. However, as anyone who has animals knows, these things happen, sad, but they just do. Thanks for your kind words.

Cathy, thanks, I am so glad that Mandy is doing okay. Liz truly loves her and I hate to think if she had not come through. I am fond of her too...she is such a big old sweetie, but she is Liz's special girl. They have quite a long show career together behind them.