The Maternity Ward

Franklin and Butch, the masons working on our smoker/grill were here today.  The brick shell is finished and the fire brick is installed.  They started laying the rock today.  It's looking very nice.  Thanks to our friend Calvin the frame for the door is finished and installed.  The door itself is still under construction.  Tomorrow, weather permitting they will continue to finish the rocking and then install the chimneys on the both the smoker and the grill.  Possibly before the end of next week this project will be finished.  The sad part of this is, Harland will have to just look at it for at least 30 days before he can light a fire in it.  The concrete has to cure first.  He says today was day 28 and counting down.  That means come the first part of March we will taking it for a test run.  Just in time for Spring!



I think one of the best parts of living on the farm are the babies. We had a birth on the farm this week. Butter had a calf.  Butter is a yellow cow and she usually throws a yellow calf.  This time she had a black heifer.  We have another baby girl that came a couple of weeks ago.  She is one of those calves with a really lively personality.  She is always running around and jumping.  She makes her momma a nervous wreck.  She is her momma's first calf.  Her momma's name is Smoke and she is a yellow cow too.  Butter is also Smoke's momma.  All of the animals on the farm do not earn a name.  If the animal stays on the farm, she/he gets a name.  But, if Harland plans to sell it, then we don't give it a name.  We tend to get attached and it's easier to let go that way.

 It's funny how each cow has their own personality.  Just like people!  For example, some cows will go off alone to have the calf.  After several days they'll bring the new baby out to meet the herd.  Some will just lay down and have their calf wherever the herd happens to be.  Some cows will tuck their calf in somewhere for a nap and wander off out of site to graze, while another stays right on top of their baby.  But, the most interesting behavior is about the herd as a whole.  Interestingly, they all take turns baby sitting!  No kidding! One or two mommas will be over on one side of the pasture with all the calves, while the rest of the herd is no where in site. The next day, there will be one or two different cow hanging out with the babies. But when momma calls it's time to eat and everyone finds their own momma with no problem.

It is also interesting that some cows hang out together.  You know, they are always grazing together side by side or going to get water together.  Sort of like people form a click.  As a whole the herd usually gets along together, but then there might be a couple of girls that just don't like each other.  So to solve their disputes and tell one another how they really feel about each other, they push and shove each other around the pasture, until they are tired and then they go on about their business.  A new cow or bull usually gets the same treatment when introduced to the herd, until an order is established. Then all is well again. 

We like sitting at the barn or walking out in the pasture to watch the cows graze and the chickens cluck around.  That is one of our favorite things to do here on the farm. I guess some people might say that sounds boring.  But not for us.  Sometimes the best part of the day is the evening, just after all the animals are fed and the chores are done. We are tired but satisfied with our days accomplishments.  The neighbors have put away the mowers and 4-wheelers.  The birds are going to bed and the sun is getting low in the sky.  The quiet and the dusk sneak up on us.  For a few moments we are quiet too and just happy to be!