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
The Kitchen's Garden 
42 responses to “Up and Running”
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