Habit dies Hard

Aunt Sandy, you were right!

There is no reason to get up at 4, before the sun, before the birds. There are no cows to milk and only the steer needs feeding. The boss takes care of that.

But old habits are strong and if I'm awake, I'm awake. First bird today was an American Crow. All the blackbirds are in motion, Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles in busy mixed flocks, all looking as if they are going somewhere important.

It is nice to watch the sun come up, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and think, in peace....for a while before the chaos starts.

This weekend we have to watch for Bama to come into season. She showed signs of heat about three weeks ago and that is the interval between estrous periods for cows. We are hoping to get her down to the barn and breed her to our Milking Shorthorn bull for a calf next year.

Cows take nine months to produce offspring, not unlike folks. You can count back three months to see when she would be expected to calve if we catch her in heat. If she catches to the service...looks like May to me.

And here's hoping. The old girls don't really have to do anything but eat, but another calf would be nice. Moon's baby, Moonshine, is running with them. She is fairly tame for a pasture calf because Liz brought her in the barn for a few days... a good thing too. It is much easier to handle tame cattle.

Supposed to rain today and I wouldn't be surprised. it is so humid that the least breath of moving air feels like Heaven...you can smell the river on days like this and all the trucks and trains sound as if they were coming right up the driveway.

Have a good one.