Bessie

If you have been following along, you are aware that I have been bottle feeding a calf.  And falling in love with him.  Not in a weird way.  In a totally normal, healthy, human-calf love relationship.

Well.

I was scheduled to take the children out of town for a few days, which meant David was going to have to bottle feed the calf.  I just about cancelled the trip because David is not capable of a human-calf love relationship.  It was totes stressing me out.

But I decided that David got us into this mess, and David has a financial interest in this calf, and therefore and henceforth, it would be ok for me to leave the calf’s life in his hands.

I left Wednesday late morning.  I fed Tiny Tim (the aforementioned calf) a bottle before I left town.  David’s first bottle feeding shift was scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Me (sounding like an annoying 80 year old):  Now, David.  You must try to feed the Tiny Tim before 8pm.  He gets fussy in the evenings and won’t eat if he is tired.

David:  Mm-hmm

So, of course, on Wednesday night I am checking on him.  And boy, was I panicked many miles away when I realized it was 9pm and my calf had not been fed because David was not yet home.

What was he doing, you ask? Oh!  Well, I am glad you asked.

He was buying more cattle.  As people do when their wives are on vacation.

Allow me to flashback to a convo between my mama and I in May:

Me:  Well, David went to a pig auction today.  He bought weaner pigs (not WEINER pigs.  Keep up, people!) and a cow.

Mom:  A cow?

Me:  Yes.  It was news to me, too.  Apparently we are doing cows now.

Mom:  Oh, my.

Me:  Mark my words, Mom.  In one year from now, we will have about 10-15 cows.  No joke.

Mom (shocked):  No!

Me:  It’s like you don’t even get my life.

***

So, yes.  On day one of my vacation, David went gallivanting all around the rural country side and purchased an 8 month old steer, a 4 month old bull calf, and a jersey milk cow.

While I was many miles away fretting about my Tiny Tim getting his bottle too late, David sent me a photo of Tiny Tim nursing on the new milk cow with the caption,

“How do you like them apples?”

So, yes.  David was apparently not one bit interested in this bottle feeding nonsense.  He went and bought a milk cow.  For many, many, many dollars.

So, I bought myself a commemorative t-shirt at the gift shop and chose to not feel one iota of guilt about the $25 I spent.

So that was a clever idea on his part to avoid bottle feeding. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a bit sad and replaced that I am no longer the mama to my cute baby cow Tiny Tim.

However.  It is much better that he has a cow mama who feeds him and will hopefully protect him.

I have named her Bessie.  Because Bessie is an excellent name for a nice cow who feeds rejected calves, don’t you think?

Here is a picture of our cattle out here on the homestead:

From left to right:  8 month old steer, Tiny Tim, Bessie, 4 month old bull calf.

The observant reader might remember we had other bovine friends.  Missing from this picture are Matilda (Tiny Tim’s mean mama), Houdini (Tiny Tim’s twin who thinks he is better than Tiny Tim because he has his mother’s love), and Rosie.

Rosie and Matilda are off to be bred by a manly bull.  It is like a field trip!  For cows!  The bull is pleased to keep their company, and little Houdini is just along for the ride because he is still nursing off of Matilda.

So, there you go!  More calves are coming! And we currently have 7 head of cattle.  Which is completely reasonable and normal.

Happy Tuesday!