Carlye calls her calf

Last evening i stopped up at my Dad's (he lives next door) but he was mowing the lawn, so i figured i'd go and do a couple of chores and then come back. I had Duncan's bottle with me, and even though i was an hour or two early, decided to go find him and give him his evening feeding.

Duncan is a three month old Scottish Highland bull calf. His mother is Carlye. Carlye is an old cow, she delivers lovely calves, but doesn't have milk available to feed them. So this is the third calf of hers that we are jointly raising.

It's a good system: she mothers, i feed.

Carlye and her calves live with the fold of Highlands and she teaches her calves everything they need to know about being a bovine here on this farm. She's a good mother, calm, attentive, and she's also our most intelligent cow.

So last evening Jade

(6mo old PWD pup)

and i drove the mule (Kawasaki ATV) into the cattle pasture.

Most of the cows were leaving their shady creek poolsto go graze....but Carlye and her bff, Katherine Lynn Hadler, were both still in the creek. When i arrived and began calling Duncan's name, both the girls (Carlye and KLH) ambled out of the creek. Katherine Lynne Hadler joined the other cows grazing, but Carlye stayed near. I called and called for baby Duncan, even drove over to another favored spot nearby and called there....Carlye followed me, shaking her head (at flies i'm sure, but still.......) So i went back the the spot were the two girls had been loafing, (Carlye following me to there also)....still calling Duncan's name. I'm sure because i was early he wasn't on cue, but i did start worrying. All other cows and calves were in the field, but Duncan was NoWhere. When the worry/fear hit my voice, Carlye BELLLLLOWED!!!! and Duncan came trotting!

That's my story>Carlye called her calf for me. (she's brilliant isn't she?!)

a little story about Tank

a cyberfriend lost a ram last night, and that tragedy reminded me of how grateful i am of the the relationships i enjoy with a few of our rams. in particular, there is my BFR (best friend ram) Tank. Tank isn't very handsome, nor does he have great fleece, don't know whether he produces good lambs or not because he is not in the breeding pool....but he has soul. And he is mine. He's my boy.

our rams and wethers are in an 80ish acre upland pasture that hasn't a good water supply. so i get to visit and check on everyone everyone when i take water up to their stock tanks. the main stock tank is near the large meadow and this is where most of the sheep and their llama drink. there is a fen waaaay away thru the woods, it's in this area where the four 'new' boys hang. i fill the big tank one day, the smaller one the next day.

and yesterday, as i was scrubbing and refilling the tank and visiting with the fen boys: Wally, Wyatt, Wylan and WonderBoy.... i decided to set up a catch pen in their corner so we could check their eyelids, (to see if any of them are pale, which would be because of too many barberpole worms, a stomach parasite which causes anemia....)
so i went back down to the yard and piled some cattle panels on my truck and grabbed a couple of dogs (Rock and Westfield) and went back up to the fen. there i spied a black sheep grazing near the gang of four. i walked in the gate and he turned and came walking to me. It was Tank :)))

Tank must have heard me there earlier when i was filling water, but it's a pretty far trek thru the woods, and i was gone by the time he arrived. I wonder if he comes every time i freshen that tank?? He almost always comes to say hi when i do the big-boys ' water, so it's really possible he tries to see me when i'm at the fen too! so sweeeeet!

well, so. i scritched him some, picked a tick or two off of him....Wally came up for snuggles but Tank seemed so distressed that i paid only cursory attention to little Wally...who finally wandered off to eat. And Tank sat down and chewed. (to non-sheep people, it's very unusual for a sheep, esp a ram, to lay down beside you) so i too sat, right beside him and watched squirrels and a bunny.....listened to the birds....watched how leaves from different types of trees swiggled and swayed so differently in the breeze. at one point i stopped scritching him and took my hand off and he nudged underneath my wrist to get my hand back on again :) needing to get more comfortable, i laid down and put my head on a big flat stone and Tank stretched his neck and laid his chin on my shoulder. for a couple of minutes anyway, then he lifted up to chew. (you know, they chew cud....if they're not grazing, they're chewing) so there i was, perfectly at peace, my two good dogs digging gophers nearby, and my other good dog, my ram-dog, happily beside me. i don't know what i'll do when it's Tank's time to go.....rams just don't usually live very long. we give him the best care anyone could possible give a sheep.....i dote on that guy! but i am quite aware that the time i have with him is so precious.