This and That

Our "feral" visitor kitty

The cows did reasonably well at the fair, not too surprising since there were very few animals this year. Bling won junior heifer calf, which delighted all. She is such a sweet little girl. Rosie won grand champion milking shorthorn, but she doesn't get any kudos because she is the only shorty at the fair. She is being a very bad girl and dragging everybody all over the place, so she may not get to go to Fonda. She even took Alan for a run around the ring and the show barn and he is a pretty rugged guy.

Chrome came in second in her class. Moments was grand champion Jersey. Wish Liz had entered her at Fonda. She is out of the lesser of her two lines of Jerseys...her mama had some serious flaws, but I always liked her because she was such a powerful, big-framed cow. Moments has enough of that to be strong and correct and she is not wing shouldered and her udder is high and tight instead of almost hitting the floor. Monday did okay too and was reserve senior Holstein....although the boss just got up and told me that she stomped Alan pretty good last night too. They are big animals and there is so much commotion and noise at the show. She has never been shown before...and someone was shooting off explosives while the show was on...lots of fun.

All and all not bad. Now I can't wait until they are all home.......

Bling and Chrome

Bling, almost all clipped

Monday in the Parlor

Chrome, lunching

More Cows at the Fair

Rose Magnolia, milking shorthorn

Moments and Rosie, taking a nap

Photos from 2011 Altamont Fair

Moments, the Jersey cow

Bling, Holstein junior heifer calf, with Chrome

Taken by Liz's cell phone and texted home to mom.

Farmer Connect

Lemmie at the fair. She was reserve champion Holstein

We drove a couple of hours today to look at a bull that was advertised in Country Folks. He wasn't quite what we had in mind, but the folks had another one that we were crazy about and the dam was just as nice so we are negotiating on him.

Rose Magnolia at the fair.
She was grand champion milking shorthorn over a small,
but very nice quality entry. I was stunned and I don't mean maybe.

It was so cool talking to them. When we went into their kitchen we were total strangers. At first conversation was best-behavior-basis, a little stilted, feeling each other out, testing, one, two, three, will you understand what we are thinking? Will we "get" you?

After a few minutes cautious talk about hay and weather, the conversation turned to old cattle sale catalogs and we were off. It was a wonder we weren't next door neighbors or something so much did we have in common. They are good friends with our milk inspector. They like the old bulls, attended Backus auctions, kept big bulls, and on and on.

Alan and I were looking at one another with laughter in our eyes because although the two farmers had never met and looked nothing alike, they were like twins. We stood or sat in their kitchen for hours regaling each other with stories about big, bad bulls, nice heifers, amazing auctions and so on, each getting to know the other's ways and background.

We finally had to get going and they had to get back to fitting for their fair and chores so we said goodbye....several times, always another little story or thought. We liked them a lot. I hope they liked us too. I suspect we will be buying their little bull after a bit. I sure hope we get to meet them again. Nothing like a meeting of the minds.

Twin babies born at the Miracle of Birth Center at Altamont Fair.
Mama seemed quite taken with them.

Raptor

Kestrel

Barred owl...who cooks for you?

Sleepy screech owl, grey phase

Red-tailed hawk...its only flaw was that is was imprinted on humans.

Not red but brave and bold just the same. These are rehabbed birds that were being exhibited near the cow barn at Altamont Fair when I visited on Tuesday. Although they have all manner of handicaps, their raptor nature shown from their dark bright eyes. I missed the gleaming steel colored eye of the broad winged hawk. It was such a beautiful bird, but my focus was poor.

Colored Breeds Show

Down around the wagon by the gate at evening milking time.
Kinda like rush hour country style.

Starts in ten minutes. I am not there.

Maybe I can make the Holstein show tonight. That would be sweet as a certain dearly-loved family member usually shows up and I'd love to see him.

At least chores are done and we finally have grain.

And if you are looking to buy a beautiful children's book, I would love to send some business the way of the illustrator of this one. (You can see how fantastic her art is here)

It's a long story, but she brought our grain at 3 this AMand it wasn't exactly a good moment for her. Anyone that talented deserves support. And it sure goes to show you never know. Who would expect that a grain truck driver, incidentally a lovely and very sweet young lady, would be a published children's book illustrator too?

Shorties at the Fair

Rose Magnolia, our girl, shown in the intermediate calf class

The other shortie at the fair,
sired by Promise, our old bull,
a junior yearling, I think.

Lemmie Loves Me

Lemmie before she heard my voice

Just in case you wondered whether cows know their folks or not....Liz's boyfriend took me over to the fair for a bit. When I got there Lem was just lying there resting. The second I spoke and she heard my voice she spun her head right around to see me. Then any time I spoke her name she quickly looked to see what I was doing.

As soon as she heard my voice...
there were people all around talking but she picked me right out

Chewing cud like it was her job.

Milk vein

Liz, Becky and the men generally feed her. All I do is milk her twice a day, put fly spray on ditto...and talk to her, because, despite her breaking my nose with her tail last year, she is one of my favorites. Nice to know she likes me too.

More Cows for the Fair

I hustled all weekend getting these ladies finished for Liz's fair decorations...then she forgot them. Oh, well, I am sure she will remember tomorrow and the paint will probably be a bit drier then.Now if I can just get the printer working for the stall signs.

Fair Time

Lemmie shows as a five-year-old this year. Here she is getting clipped

Altamont Fair begins officially on Tuesday next. Liz is getting her animals washed and clipped. This is Frieland Ex Spec Lemonade, a daughter of Ocean-View Extra-Special out of an old Straight-Pine Elevation Pete daughter we had. She has never exactly been a spectacular cow, but she never changes...looks the same at five as she did at two. I am really hoping she holds together to show as an aged cow and looks this youthful.