Up and Running
Yesterday we found a great home for Elsie and Beatrix Potter. The Dutch Belted Cow and calf. Their new owners are cow people with fields and a similar way of thinking to us. Their animals are raised in an old fashioned way on grass. So I am confident that they will both get the best care and attention. Potter will be their future house cow. What surprised me is how fast they sold. But who could turn down that face.
As an extra bonus they have a bred Hereford gilt! So hopefully if all goes well I can buy a little boar from them. So between us we can help breed each others animals. That is a bonus.
Naomi turned a corner yesterday and began to actually run everywhere. She has been a bit slow to find her ‘get up and go’, but I think that she has finally got over the shock of no longer being in utero and is coming alive. Though compared to Potter she is still a small calf.
Her mother is still milking for me every morning though she has woken up as well and is getting a bit kicky but I am still able to get a couple of gallons. I don’t need more than that. She needs training. And with Naomi being so small I am happy to leave her with her mother for the full 24 hours. Every time I feel Naomi’s belly she is warm and full so she will grow and she and I can continue to share.
Naomi’s collar is very useful for me. It is a goats collar that will break if it gets caught on anything but strong enough for me to be able to grab her as she ducks past so I can keep her friendly with me. Plus it looks kind of cool.
John is home from work today so we will continue with top sowing the fields : Daisy’s field today. We have also stepped out another two acres of field across the way and that will be sown in hay. Grass hay this time. And rain on the way!
Oh I have more news. In about ten days (if all goes well) our first volunteer from the Woofer site comes to stay. He is a young architect from Argentina. He and I have been talking about designing a system to get rainwater to every trough. Plus around the house. So when it rains everything fills up and the spill fills up the next container and so on. I also want to construct a moving sculpture that comes alive only when it rains while ferrying water into the barrels and troughs around the house. I also want it to make a noise. Maybe bells? Using found objects. Of course – I don’t ask for much!! He likes this challenge and will be here at the end of the month for a few weeks. Though he wants to farm too. Bless him.
So far so good. Getting up and running.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm
celi
42 Comments on “Up and Running”
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Good Morning! Glad you are moving forward at a nice even pace now. It is great to feel at the end of each day that the steps taken forward out way the ones going backwards!
Had loads of rain here in the past few weeks, so getting things done outside is a challenge. Managed to get beans, peas, lettuce, spring onions, radishes all sown yesterday. And mowed front lawn and half the back before my back gave out on me and screamed for me to stop! More rain on its way today, so the other half of the back lawn will have to wait 😦
I’m interested to hear about your Woofer experience. The people in our area use Workaway, which is a similar thing and also worldwide. We are going to have our first Workaway in May. It’ll be a new experience for us. There is plenty to do here!
Using different size pebbles and rocks and lowering and heightening the distance that the water falls will give you plenty of noise as it moves along. I looking forward to seeing the design of this project. Glad the two girls have gone to a good home. Perhaps shackle Lady A before she becomes too settled in bad habits at milking time. Laura
I’m excited about the upcoming water constuctions and glad the cows have found another good home. It’s dry here; hope we get rain this week. Blessings. 😊
Another busy farmy day and I am looking forward to seeing how the rainwater catchment system works. I only use rainwater at home but we only have the one tank and would love to get more so will wait and see what you guys do.
Have a beautiful day and wee Naomi looks lovely in her red chain collar.
🙂 Mandy xo
I’m so glad you’ve found a good home for Elsie and Potter, and that you will be able to keep in touch. The Woofer visitor sounds ideal, and the prospects for projects is really exciting.
I’ve started a crochet project for some specially warm indoor slipper socks. If it works out well I’ll make you some.
Enjoy your day
love,
ViV xox
I LOVE the picture of Naomi in the red collar. She really is a beautiful little thing.
OK, one last try; my previous two attempts to comment just disappeared. I wonder if you’d be interested in a Japanese Deer Scarer (Shishi-Odoshi) water feature, made from bamboo? You get a nice trickling sound till the water burden tips a pipe on a pivot, which then clacks (the scaring part). I wanted one myself and went hunting on the web. There are loads of different YouTube videos and other instructions for making them. I’ve seen them in operation and it’s a soothing, repetitive sound. Miss Naomi is looking very fetching indeed in her red bling, she really is the most beautiful little girl… I’m very glad Elsie and Potter are going to a good home; peace of mind for you, and a bit more safety!
Excellent news 🙂
Lots of good news this morning!
So happy for you that Elsie and Potter sold so quickly , and what a bonus to maybe have found a kindred farmer to share breeding! I adore Little Miss Naomi’s necklace. I wonder if she will now be full of spunk or always dainty (can a cow be dainty?!?) and angelic. I’m looking forward to seeing the rainwater catch system. One of my favorite pictures is of your different size pitchers spilling water down to the next…
Frankly i cannot believe how fast she sold. And I have two more people asking about cows and calves. Makes me think about just raising milk cows. hopefully better behaved ones! c
It is a rather nice feeling when things all begin to click in a positive direction, isn’t it? I cannot begin to picture in my mind what this new water feature will look like, but find the entire idea ingenious.
Good morning Celia, I have just joined your site and am enjoying the peacefulness of your life compared to my urban one. My sister is Faye Blondin in Ontario. She said that I had to introduce myself to you. I live in central Alberta in a small centre just outside of Red Deer Alberta, pop 90,000. I do live with a charming black Lab named Neo. He keeps us busy walking and fetching. I am an avid outdoor activity person just like Faye. Love your photos and your tales. Hugs to all Del
Your name is Del? How wonderful. My great aunts name was Del and we all just loved her. That is why I named a calf after her. Thank you for coming over to visit, Welcome. Welcome. Love to Faye! c
Naomi is a cute little thing. I’m hoping that Naomi’s mum doesn’t become a kicker also. All the best to you, c, and to the farmy. xx
I got john in to hold her tail up this morning – it is really a matter of perserverance, sometimes it takes a while to train a cow. c
Nothing but good news. I talked to my brother in Germany yesterday . He now has a herd of 26 sheep many of them babies.
Wow! He is farming again.. what a delight for you all and your old family farm. That is wonderful news and we know what your fields look like so even better!
That is surely good news about Elsie and Potter…I reckon that if you fell into a dung heap you would come up smelling of roses…He! he!…..truly it is great news. Now this rain water trough sounds very complicated but I dare say that it will all end being absolutely beautiful and we shall all be green with envy…. Carry on with the good work.(that is easy for me to say as I do not have to do it, but you know what I mean! ) lol xxxxxxx have a great day
oh and I forgot to say how pretty and cute Naomi is,,such beautiful big cow eyes and a nose you could kiss
Is training a cow like training a dog in that you only have to be stubborn one more time than they are? (Our dog is quite sweet, and tries hard to please, but is not so smart as some dogs.)
Things are happening at the farmy! How exciting about the idea for the water system, and Elsie, Potter, a potential boar baby. So glad you found a good home for them. Was yesterday’s picture Elsie instead of Naomi? It’s hard to tell them apart. Good to hear about Naomi getting her “get up and go”. I admit I was a little worried about her. Have a wonderful day, C.
Yes, that little gal is so pretty. A knockout! Her expression so sweet. And I love thecrimsonneck.ace too. It sounds like a cat collar–able to break away if needs be.
Like everyone else I’m so happy for Elsie and Potter. It sounds like you might be able to visit them in the future. It also sounds like these people don’t care than Elsie is a kicker. Do they plan to just leave them to their own devices and not “ask” for milk from Elsie for themselves?
Also I love that you have challenged this you ng architect to build you a water system. Will this alleviate your having to carry buckets upon buckets yourself?
Hooray on your quick sale!
Between you and me, I don’t think I’ve seen a face more exquisite than Naomi’s.
I’m thrilled that Elsie and Potter have a new home to go to. Lovely when things work out, and even better when they work out quickly. I’ve just come in from puttering in my gardens. I have carried three green inchworms in the house with me – one just fell out of my hair. Ah, spring! Look forward to seeing what sort of whirligig you and your WWOOFer guest can work out for the rainwater. Cheers!
how exciting to have a helper coming- am fascinated by your plans….we took an acoustic sculpture class once- great fun!
you will have some great ideas then, as well as water maybe we could use wind.. we have enough of that, it would make great sounds.. c
Getting caught up with everything running is such a good feeling!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
Back in 1996 there was a movie called “Twister” with Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, they were tornado chasers. Helen’s character had (I believe) an aunt whose yard was filled with found object sculptures that were meant to be “activated” by wind. Perhaps there would be some inspiration there – at least for the sounds part. I think the sculpture big scene is probably 3/4 of the way through. Perhaps you can rent the movie and let your architect see it also?
Naomi has the most beautiful face! The last picture could have a caption ” Oh Mom – you’re embarrassing me!” because I can see her eyes rolling.
Loved today’s post.
Chris S in Canada
I loved that movie and in fact those wind structures in her aunts trees have stayed with me all this time.. And I have a welder out here.. I should be making those myself!
Well, way back when I learned a lot of my English from the Beatrix Potter tales: so for silly, stupid, sentimental stories [how is that for accidental alliteration 🙂 ?] I shall be sorry not to be able to talk of Potter again !! But as you oft say ‘life is good’ and I am so happy to begin my working day with a cuppa at the farmy . . . in spite of horridly stormy weather we shall make it good here also. Love the idea of the guy from Argentina: think of the ideas you will be able to get from him . . . hugs galore . . .
he cooks too!! John is pleased.. oh YES life is good.. morning eha mama
Sleep well Milady and look forwards to the days arriving . . . the trials, the tribulations, the ‘wins. and sometimes losses . . . . how full a life . . .
I remember some years ago discovering a Kiwi sculpture that fed water around a property. but I can’t remember the details, I also remember when I lived in a house with a pond that was fed by 3 little human-made waterfalls, when the pond guy came he said, ‘I’ll tune the pond for you.’ He listened to the water, moved rocks, and ended up with a bubbling stream sound, not a gushing tap sound. Water, it’s so vital. Look forward to hearing what happens.
Another sculpture idea if it could be adapted… I once stood transfixed by a Japanese water sculpture in Auckland Art gallery. It was a block of ice frozen with pebbles in it. It was somehow raised… can’t remember that bit, but as it melted, the pebbles and drops of water fell randomly and as they fell, hit piano wires stretched above the trough where they landed…. the sounds were mesmerising… your projects sound wonderful…
I can’t wait to see what you and the volunteer architect make together!
I am sure the two of you will come up with a wonderful watering and noise making system. I think bells are a great idea
Glad to see things working out a bit more smoothly. To find another farmer so close with the same outlook is phenomenal. I’ll be anxious to see what your architect comes up with.
I thought you had gone away? The Power if the internet.. c
Naomi is so pretty!
Oh, good – a suitable home. Makes it easier to see them moooove on. Managing water is going to become a major interest to many in the future. Can’t wait to see/hear the rain sculpture – what an interesting farm visitor is coming!
Ooh just catching up on all the good news!