Sunday, October 20, 2013

Strange, but True

Do you see what has happened here? I retired from cows, and now I'm not musing (nor complaining) so much about life on the farm.

However, today I have a strange story to tell you and then a few lovely photos ... to take your mind off the story.

This morning, after Pat and I fed the kitties and calves, Weldon announced that a bull calf had been born. He picked it up with the Bobcat and moved it into a pen with Maegan, the most-recently born little female. Weldon and Pat continued with morning chores and I went back to the house to get ready for church.

When we got home from church, Weldon headed out to feed the new baby calf and get the small silo ready for the last of the corn that is still standing in the fields. He had been out for about half an hour when I heard the door open. "Cindy?" he called. "Come here, please."

This is his story: "I went out to feed the calf. He took the bottle greedily, chugging down the milk. He had finished about half the bottle, made a couple raucous bleats ... b-aa-aa-aa, b-aa-aa-aa ... fell over, gasped, and died."

WHAT??? He told me the same story again, adding, "In 61 years on the farm, I've never seen such a thing. I'm going to bury him now."

Weldon's only guess was that the calf's esophagus was deformed, perhaps going to its lungs instead of its stomach. Ah, life on the farm. What can I say?

There is also beauty here. Good thing, or I'd be a crazy lady, right? No comments from the peanut gallery! Enjoy.
 
 
 
P.S. In November I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I will not be attempting a novel, but I will be writing the book that I began so eagerly almost two years ago. 50,000 words in 30 days. Yes! I will do it! Pray for me :)