Not your typical day

We were all set to have a productive day. I had started our morning routine and we were getting ready to hit the books. We wanted to get our school work done in time to join friends at my friend Mary’s house for an afternoon picnic and bon-fire and to visit our cow Rosie who had just calved a month ago. Mary has been keeping my cow Rosie for the last 14 months.

 Mary called me mid morning and said she had to cancel our plans. She sounded upset and I asked her what was wrong.  “ Maddie died last night.” she cried.

Maddie is one of Mary’s five Jersey cows, one of her best cows. She explained to me her night. Maddie came in for her pm milking with a swollen face and foaming at the mouth. She was up all night with her in the pasture by her house, trying to keep blankets on her to keep her warm. She tried different homeopathic remedies. She called the vet out twice. The vet thinks she ate a toxic weed.  Around 4am Maddie took off through the pasture, plowed through barbed wire fences and headed down to the wooded swamp on the far edge of their property.  They located her early in the morning. The poor thing had finally died. I feel so sad for Mary. You really form a bond with these animals. You work with them every day and they feed your family. You truly do appreciate them.

 Mary also wanted me to come and pick up Rosie. She was afraid the other cows may get into whatever she got into and she didn’t want another tragedy.  She also needed help. Maddie was in the woods and we had to get her out of the woods and onto a trailer. She wanted to bring the cow in for a necropsy to find out exactly what had happened to her. I loaded up the boys and we headed over there.  I am not going to go into the sad details of how we got the cow out of the woods, except to say that it was a huge challenge. When I walked in there, and saw where she was, I thought to myself, “this is going to be impossible”.  I am also going to say that I am so proud of my boys. Joe went right in there to help without a moment of hesitation. The maturity he showed blew me away. He is becoming quite the young man and he gets this whole farming lifestyle. He knows life and death.

Someone out there helping asked me how I knew these ladies. I smiled and said “through the cows” “us crazy cow ladies, we get addicted to these Jerseys and this lifestyle and we form a bond. We are there for each other.”

 So why am I writing about all of this? Well I always want to remember how Joe became a young man right before my eyes. I want to say how thankful I am for these friendships with these women. They are always there when you need them. Mary has taken my cows for me my last two pregnancies, without a moments hesitation.

 So now, instead of two Jerseys in the pasture I have four. Once again, we will set a knew schedule to our days as I set up a new milking routine with two cows.  I am thankful for these animals and how they provide for our family.

 

Comments

[Julie]

Wow what a story. That is so great about Joe, I know you are so proud of him!!

[Randi]

Amazing day!

[Sonya]

Lantana?

I had a friend whose bull did something similar and the vet said lantana (weed). Spent days digging up that flower from her pastures.

[Melissa]

I'm sorry, Kirsten - poor Mary! I too hope she finds out the cause of her cow's death. Let me know when/if you have extra milk to sell.

[am]

That was so sweet and sad to read. I had a few tears in my eyes. You are blessed. And you know it...that's a good combo:)

[Kirsten]

Thanks girls. Stephanie, We are having our rough patches also, believe me. But it is nice to see who they REALLY are, who you pray they are going to become once they get out of this puberty haze they are in! It was a beautiful thing to witness.

[Tiffany]

Got me all choked up this morning...

[Stephanie]

Oh poor Mary! I cannot imagine how this has affected their family. Thank you for sharing about the amazing young man Joe is becoming. It is encouraging to those of us who are going through a rough patch. :o)

[Kathryn]

My heart just felt this post. God Bless you and your friend and I hope the reason her cow died is discovered and she can have peace about this!
The picture of the cows are just lovely, the look so soft and gentle!

[debbie]

what a beautiful post! The loss of the cow was very sad!! the son become a man is amazing and the friendship through the bond of caring for these animals was so touching!!! remember if you ever have an overflow of milk..you know where to blog me!!:)