Grape Gum

We now have seven total new baby calves over here.

Our most recent one was just born two days ago.  Can you see him?

Mama has him tucked away in some hay.

Yesterday, I noticed that the newest little guy was in one specific area most of the day and it appeared as if Mama was trying to get him to come with her.  After a few hours, I went out to see if I could help.

Can you see him in there?  He is the little black lump and mama is up top.  Our ground is very soft and muddy right now and I was wondering if he was having trouble making it up the incline to mama.  I didn’t want Mama to beat me up, because we all know she would win, so I decided to walk around and try to intervene on the other side of the fence.  Because I am a total scaredy-cat.

I went and nudged him in the hiney and he got up. Mama became concerned.  Mooing ensued.  And she was able to start to get him to walk up the hill.  He was definitely weak, but she got him up there and didn’t even need to kill me over it or anything.

I love to listen to them moo to each other.

David went missing the other night, leaving the kids and I perplexed as to what he could be doing.  When he returned I was too asleep to get the story, but was awake enough to know that his side of the bed was hot like lava all night long.

Me:  David!  Why do you need so much heat?

David:  Because I am freezing!  I was out in the rain and mud for hours and had my arms up inside a cow’s insides!

Me:  What on earth were you doing last night?

Reader.  Here is what he was doing.

He stopped at our “neighbor’s” house to borrow a piece of equipment.

We call anyone who lives within 20 minutes of us our “neighbor.”

While he was there, he noticed a bunch of the neighborly people running around the cow pen trying to get a cow into a squeeze chute.  The cow had legs sticking out of her hiney.  We have been getting tons of rain lately so everything is extra muddy.  David was not wearing any sort of mud boots or gear for helping birth a baby, but he jumped right into the action.  As good neighbors do.

They got the cow into the chute and then tied some twine around the calf’s legs and were able to pull the calf out-alive!  But mama cow was not doing so well and ended up with a prolapsed uterus.  They called a vet and followed instructions and worked on trying to put that poor cow’s insides back inside of her for quite awhile.  They were not successful.

So.  She was put down.  Right then and there.  The neighbor guy just shot her.

Why is everything so sad?  Why am I living this life?  I am not emotionally stable enough to deal with such things.

The baby was a girl and was walking around and drinking from a bottle when David left.  David said no one told him that they needed me to take over and be the calf’s mama, but I will remain open to the idea.

David brought home these horrendous looking bones for the dogs.  He assured me they were not from the cow that was put down the night before, because that would be silly.

They are a lovely addition to our interior decor.  And we are still trying to see if the shoes David was wearing that night can be saved.

***

The other day, I shamelessly asked David if I could steal some of the delish grape gum he has stashed in his work van.  He looked surprised, because all I ever like is peppermint, and told me he was all out.

Then he used my car to run an errand.

When I got into my car the next day, I had a full tank of gas AND my own package of grape gum.

So.  That is just love right there.

***

We are still building an apartment!  I keep thinking we are almost done and then David says I have to caulk and paint and I want everyone to know that I will not be winning any awards for my caulking and painting skills.  And I am over it.  Along with the caulking and painting, the old porch was ripped out.

And then new posts were set in concrete to get ready for the new one.

We will work on the apartment again today.

Ask me what MY job will be.

Go ahead.  Ask.

***

Awhile ago, I meantioned that we have sponsored a Compassion girl from Uganda for over ten years.  She had written me a concerning letter that sounded like she had been raped.  She is 19 and now has an almost one year old baby boy.  We were able to send her a financial gift in addition to her compassion fees.  I just got a letter from her and the sweet girl gave me an accounting for every penny she spent and was very thankful.  She bought all practical things, like food and clothes and milk for her baby.  She then went on to say she had some money left over and was able to start a business.  It sounds like she was able to buy a stand and some produce and she sells the produce.  Here is a picture she sent me, showing herself holding her little baby and talking to a customer.

She hasn’t ever sent a picture before!  She is so sweet in her letters and I am glad we have been connected with her.

***

Guess what David was finally prompted to buy me?

Happy Sunday.