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”
Enjoying my online visit to your farm every morning, from Metro Detroit Michigan. (via Wellington New Zealand) Miranda
I love your blog. Every day I find myself following your stories and hoping all will turn out well for you and the animals. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I’m stepping out from behind the curtain of all of your anonymous followers, saying hello from northwestern-ish Missouri and to let you know that I look forward to checking in on your critters each morning along with all of mine at our little ranch. I have a very lumpy 14 year old coonhound pup who doesn’t let all of those knobs and bumps slow him down. Keeping the same positive thoughts for Ton Ton.
Hello Celi & Everyone from Asheville, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Yesterday a beautiful spring like day inspired me to take down the Christmas wreaths & lights. Snow in the forecast today so I may have “jumped the gun” a bit. Typical March here -One day up in Spring, Two days back in Winter. We’ll get through it. My dear old Luc, 13, a German Shepherd mix fellow. has several lumps on his body that the vet is watching, but so far he is eating & running the fence-line, barking his head off at dogs in parkas passing by. I read your beautiful blog first thing every morning with my coffee & am sending all my best thoughts to you & Daisy & Queenie & Ton & Boo & Marcel & All!
hi celi! i love the look of your blog now! poor daisy. now i know where ‘big as a cow’ came from. i sure hope ton will be okay. i bet the sheep are wondering why it got cold all of a sudden! pennesylvania.
Impatiently waiting for spring in Ortonville, Michigan. 😉
Thank you for posting pictures of Marcel. He just brightens my day. My dd has him as her desktop picture. 🙂
Have a wonderful day Miss C.
Reading about the farmy everyday makes this Iowa girl, turned Guadalajara, Mexico transplant, not feel so very far from our own family’s farm.
Sending positive thoughts for Ton.. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be “relief” news from the vet..
Thinking of Daisy.. Poor little darlin must be so uncomfortable…
And thinking of you.. Your love shines through…
xx
I hope Ton is fighting fit again very soon, and my fingers are crossed for a smooth calving for Daisy. Love the new picture of Marcel.
Writing from rural Massachusetts, New England, US; currently Land of Winter.
You know I am a city girl, because I’m worried the sheep will be too cold without their wool. It does not yet seem that winter has left you and it’s time to take off one’s sweater so to speak. Although it’s hard for me to comprehend the bitter cold you’ve experienced this year. Where I live, the season never really changes. As my blog name says, I’m in California – the central coast of CA in Santa Barbara County.
I work 5 miles and live 15 miles from the farmy. I am hoping that Ton’s lump will turn out to be nothing to worry about. It is good that Doc is looking at him. The sun is a welcome site today. I bet your semi-naked sheep are enjoying it’s warmth lol The streets of our little farm town are trying to melt. Yay! I am so ready for green yards…..the birds are chirping in the morning and the time changes this weekend so Spring MUST be right around the corner!
Hi Celi, love the picture of marcel blowing a kiss! Hope all’s well with ton. Poor Daisy, all of us that have had babies can relate to that groan I should think. I’m from chorleywood, Hertfordshire, just outside london
Janet! That is where I am from (well actually Rickmansworth!!) Can’t believe I meet someone on here from my birth place!!
Wow what are the odds! I’m from Ricky originally and so are my family, we moved up the road!
When I got married and had kids
My daughter lives in Chorleywood, and the rest of my family are still in Ricky I have lived in the US for the past 19years. Get back home every 3/4 years. Still can’t believe we meet on this blog LOL
excellent!!.. c
I know the wonder of the internet and obviously the fellowship of the farmy!
Your barn is soon to be a bevy of activity…if it’s not already. Those lazy days of winter are soon to fade away with the birthing of your calves. Very exciting! Hope Ton Ton is well….(do you pronounce his name like “Tun Tun” or like the Basque word for Uncle…”Tone Tone” ?) Hoping for good sunshine for you today…we are having wind and rain storms with just shy of 3″ of rain in the past two days! Take care!! Tami from Salem, Oregon area.
Sorry in uk
Your sheep look cold! Hope the vet has good news for you and To . From the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, Santa Fe.