Daisy needs lamby kisses. Poor Paisley Daisy. So large. So ripe. Just about ready to fall out of her tree.
She stands in the center of her straw bed pushing sheaves to and fro, eyeing the walls and the door, centering herself. Then she leans way forward and folds her long front legs right under her body, tipping forward, ungainly with her swollen body, she lowers her head and shoulders down carefully and just as she loses her center of gravity she allows her huge body to shift slightly to the side, lowering her mammoth haunches to the ground with a slow heavy twist that releases her, sighing to the ground.
She reaches out her head and calls a slow long forlorn foghorn of a moo across to me as I work in the pen next to her. The sound sways and drifts and carries itself mournfully through the falling snow out the door to Queenie. A ribbon of sound. Heavy and sad. Like blue. She whines, and blows air through her icy nostrils. Then she tucks her head back onto her left back hoof and with a great soft breath, sleeps.
Poor Daisy. My big brave girl.
The sheep have been shorn. The shearer offered to buy the fleeces from me and I agreed and took possession of my first wool cheque. The snow was falling and blowing outside as we bartered in the midst of another storm. I cannot see spinning and knitting in my future today. And I like my shearer man. And my sheep like him too. He has a way with them.
Last night I discovered an egg sized lump under TonTon’s chin, to the side of his throat. He has been eating and drinking well and minding his animals, jumping all the gates in the barn to keep up with everything. But I have taken to tying Boo up so I can spend more time with Ton. There has been a look about Ton that made me think he needed extra care. A niggly feeling about him. Twice in the last week he has refused to go on a walk with us, I put this down to the shoving from Boo, but even with Boo on his leash, Ton chose to stay with Daisy. Due to Ton’s long time connection with Daisy I just thought he was wanting to stay close by as she is soon to freshen with her calf. Then the last two nights Boo has lain down next to the food bowl and watched Ton eat, instead of trying to push him out of the way. I found this worrying. Boo would not eat until Ton had finished, which has been previously unheard of. Now I have found this lump. Could it have been there before? Hidden in his ruff? You would think I would have felt it. Or it is so fast growing that is probably a cyst of some kind and the vet will sort it out and soon Ton will be back on form.
Let’s hope that is it. We will wait until the vet has had a look before we worry. That’s what we will do.
And I was thinking the other day that it would be nice to know what State or Country you are calling from. If you want to tell us that is. It might be fun to know. In a very broad sense that is, no particulars. And maybe you will even discover some Fellowship neighbours. And this might keep our minds focused while we wait for news of TonTon.
I hope you all have a lovely day. Every day has some lovely in it.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
158 responses to “The Low Moan of a Cow”
Oh I hope Ton is ok! Sending him positive thoughts from Ontario, Canada.
Here, Here! From the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Christine
Poor Daisy, I feel for her. The last few days are the worst and can remember thinking “I just want this lump to be gone!” no longer thinking of it as a baby!!
And poor Ton, I am sure it is just a cyst, my Shelly has had a couple, all be it small ones.
Well my ‘State’ is Virginia and I live in a little town called Bedford. This is at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountain, and I am close to the Peaks of Otter. So surrounded by beauty, even when it is cold.
I’m from the opposite side of Virginia, Virginia Beach. The Farmy Fellowship gathers from all around the world! Isn’t that amazing? Hoping for good news for Ton, and all to go well for Daisy and her calf.
What especially lovely photos and words today, Celi! The one of himself at the top, I love. I’ll be thinking of Ton as I go about my day near Kingston, Ontario.
Our dogs are our friends, family and we all worry. I have just (1 week) lost one of my dogs to the wilderness, an outing with me from which she hasn’t returned. Cysts are common and so you are right to let the Vet do the sorting on this one of Ton’s. I hail from Nova Scotia.
Positive thoughts on there way from Winona, MN too.
Another Minnesota girl, living in Faribault, but originally from Vesta, MN., cheering you and Ton on. I hope all turns out OK for him and our beloved Daisy.
We had a border collie mix when I was a child, and she would get what the vet called Fatty Tumors all the time…not at all dangerous, but odd. Still, it bears watching.
Hang in there, Daisy-girl! Not much longer now…Cheering you on from my bright and cold and windy little corner of Rhode Island!
Our friends Spaniel (who we are dog sitting) has had some fatty tumors too – strange lumps. Let’s hope it’s nice and simple for Ton.
Oh and you know the photo at the very top of the lambie – he doesn’t half look like a lama from that angle 🙂 Which of course means…. and you HAVE to say this in an Ausie accent (not NZ) I’m a Lama Farmer ( Llaaamma Faaarrma )……
my coat is already on
I always laugh when you say the coat thing! see your way out then!! ha ha ha..
Love from The beautiful Shennandoah Valley of Virginia.
I so feel for Ms. Daisy. I had a friend that had the same breed of dog as Ton. She would have a cyst pop up once in a bit. Seems that it goes with the breed. So yes wait for the vet. The sheep photo made me cold poor dears.. Good Morning from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
That Boo is such a mystery. Hopefully Ton’s growth is Just a cyst. I’m taking my Gracie beagle into the vet this morning. She has stopped eating and for a beagle, that signals an issue. She has some labored breathing which has me worried. Both Beagles George and Grcaie had dental done last Friday, so it could have so etching to do with that….
Haslet, Texas….
Part of today’s lovely for me was your description of Daisy and her baby belly settling down for the night… Next time you get the sheep shorn, maybe hold back one fleece, and use it for felting. Much quicker than carding, spinning and knitting. Easy, meditative, satisfying. It makes very cosy boot socks for cold weather. Also lovely today was finishing the top of my quilt called Happiness… Kate in north Queensland, Australia
My Sally is learning felting, and she thoroughly enjoys it and the beautiful end products.
I’m so sorry about Ton. I’m from the states, and I work in veterinary medicine here. The good news is that likely tons lump is either a swollen lymph node (simple antibiotics) cyst (although it’s an unsusal place for it), abscess (which would explain his behavior) or a fatty tumor. Fatty rumors don’t usually cause discomfort, but if it’s pressing on something else, esophagus, trachea, all bets are off. Without seeing the dog, or knowing anything else about him I will tell you that the chances of it being a malignancy are small, so try not to worry. 🙂
love your posts. They make me feel like I’m on a farm too… Or as close to a farm as one gets in New Jersey.
Good Morning Celi,
My thoughts and positive energy are with Ton today. Animals have such a way, Boo seems so sweet!
Hope to hear news if the vet soon.
Another freezing day in Ottawa, Canada!
Lori
A little chilly for the sheep, compared with this time last year. From Draycott in the Moors, Staffordshire, England.
So beautiful. As usual. But particularly so, today. I remember being pregnant and feeling like Daisy. I would do well to remember that ability to “give over” to Nature and her will…things have a way of working out. The colors of your post are super beautiful today. So much cold in the air, but so much warmth in the textures of the warm animal bodies and the worn wood of the womblike barn. How will the sheep do in this cold without their coats to keep them warm? If you wish to farm out some of your spun wool and have a sweater made for you, I offer my knitting services. I will remain optimistic about Ton until you tell me otherwise. Luna lived for a very long time with an enormous, inoperable cyst. I’m hoping what he has is benign and that it can be whisked away without causing him too much pain. I’m writing from Burgundy, France today, but usually I’m checking in from Milan, Italy. Good day everyone!
Hoping for a cyst or fatty tumor. Duluth, Georgia in the USA. It is a a little north of the city of Atlanta.