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”
healing thoughts going out to Ton from just a stone’s throw away in southeast Illinois/USA
Good morning, Celi. Lovely description of Paisley Daisy. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the East Bay, in San Leandro (California).
I’m sure the cow is nearing birth time… sure sounds that way… hope for an easy birth for her, hated having to get in there and turn calves that wanted to exit the wrong way… our one dog developed a lump like that and I actually lanced it .. it was full of pus… powdered the wound with terramycin powder and gave it an injection of terramycin… it filled again and needed a second lance… and more powder… spoke with the vet who in passing the farm came and had a look, said it was a spider bite and I’d done the right thing… but who knows what it could be… from Sunny South Africa…
Buy the way love the header…
I am hoping it’s a fatty tumor like my big ol’ lab has in central Illinois!!
Fingers crossed for all playing the waiting game on the farmy. I’m sending healing hugs and Lán grá ( much love) from County Antrim on the north east coast of Northern Ireland.
Beautiful pictures and a well-written piece! All the best to everyone on the farm
So enjoy your posts and wish the best for Ton. So hard to see our 4 legged friends in pain, but the joys of birth will be celebrated soon. Hang in there Daisy, and Celi. The best wishes and good thoughts coming to all of you from Arkansas where we still have unusual for us at this time of year snow on the ground and it’s so foggy out right now, I cannot see our pond.
A gentle hug for Daisy: your description was wonderful. Poor Tonton, I pray that it’s nothing serious. That Boo has the most astonishing nurturing instincts.
Love,
ViV
in sunny NW France – we live in that finger that sticks up towards England, region: Basse Normandie, departement: Manche, canton: Cerisy la Salle. – dairying and cider country.
I’m in Ohio – cold like you but warmer days ahead. Keeping Ton in my prayers as well. And Daisy – I have felt like she looks 4 times over, though many years ago. I’m impressed with how much you get done in the course of a day! I love the new format, and it feels like I drop by your enchanting little farmy every day for a short visit. Thanks for your honest thoughts.
I love your Boo stories, such an intuitive dog. I live in Tennessee, but I will always be from Iowa.
I love your Boo stories, such an intuitive dog. I live in Tennessee, but I will always be from Iowa.
Fingers crossed for Ton. I can remember how Daisy feels totally uncomfortable being so heavily pregnant.
Love the pics of the farm. Hoping you have a good day from Nottingham, England
I can remember those last days of my own pregnancies as well, feeling like there’s no comfortable way to stand, sit or lie and just wanting nature to “get on with it, already!”. So dear Daisy, I empathise and hope that soon you’ll be back in your element with a tiny Daisy by your side.
I bet those sheep are feeling the breeeze now they’ve been divested of that warm, woolly layer. Fingers crossed that the weather turns warm for them quickly.
Miss Sophie sends her healing thoughts to Ton – I know how much we fret about them when they are sick. But Nurse boo seems to be on the ball. Animal intuition is a wonderful thing (except maybe for that 3am “feed the lamb” call). Sending sunny thoughts from Oxelösund, Sweden where the first crocus have opened today!
Perhaps I should add that I’m originally from Adelaide in South Australia. Where it’s 33C today, compared to 5C where I am now…. sometimes I wonder why I moved!
hope the vet has good things to say, you big girl is ready to pop soon for sure, have a great day from by Ottawa, Ontario, canada