Mud Bogging

With cows is not much fun. Little Velvet of near death fame did it again night before last. When Liz and I brought down the cows for morning milking yesterday, she was found up to her elbows in muck in a swampy place and absolutely unable to move. There was no way to get a tractor or skid steer anywhere near her because of all this lovely rain so the four of them...boss and kids...pulled her up on dry ground by main strength. (Other cows have been walking there for decades.....)


Once again she wouldn't get up.


Come evening chores the girls went up and rolled her up on her chest. Still wouldn't get up.


After milking they went up with some medicine for her. She took one look at the syringe and calmly clambered to her feet....effortlessly..... and strolled down to greet them. They took her halter, led her down to the barn, hand milked her because she wouldn't step up in her stall, and locked her in the barn yard for the night. She was entirely content to munch on a big pile of Uncle Rich's best hay and commune with the pen heifers.


See these grey hairs? My kids didn't do it. It was cows.


Meanwhile, the boy is back in NYC and much missed. It is pouring and predicted to do so for a good while. (I shudder to see it rain. Wasn't last year bad enough?) 


Still I am sitting here at the kitchen table with the door open and cold, wet air rolling in, listening to the birds calling (no peacock cacophony today )and enjoying the fresh, bright way it smells. I have seen 27 species of birds in the past week without ever leaving the house and barn yard. Pretty cool.