The Bag Lady had to do some ranch work this morning. Because of the snow, the Rancher decided that the cows needed to be fed, so the Bag Lady took 4 feeders and 4 bales to the cows. The Rancher knows that cows are inclined to wander if they don't think there is enough to eat where they are, so feeding them helps keep them happy and inside the fences!
On her first trip to feed the cows, the Bag Lady had a look around and did a quick nose count (it's faster to count noses than it is to count legs and divide by 4....). All but one of the cows had a calf this spring, and two of the cows have two calves. One of the Bag Lady's old cows didn't have a calf in the spring, and the Rancher and the Bag Lady thought that perhaps she was just too old and would have to go for slaughter sometime soon. This idea didn't sit well with the Bag Lady because this particular cow was one of the first cows the Bag Lady bought. The cow was old when the Bag Lady bought her some 11 or 12 years ago, but she has produced a good calf every year since! The Bag Lady calls her Marble because she reminds her of marble cheese.
When the Bag Lady was doing her nose count, she glanced over at old Marble and had to do a double take. This is what she saw:
The Bag Lady had been working in the corral the day before and had seen Marble, but she didn't have a calf at that time. She must have been waiting for the storm!
As most of you know, the rest of this years' calf crop were all named for bloggers. The Bag Lady gave the opportunity to Marianne, who passed the honour on to her children. They chose to call this last calf of the season:
Autumn!
This is a comparison shot. The black calf (Mojo) was born June 8th. How quickly they grow!So calving season has officially ended at Scratchnut Creek Ranch. Finally.
27 comments:
OMG! Autumn is so cute - and so late!
Well, at least marble is safe for a little while yet then.
DAMN they DO grow fast!
casts a glance at Toddler and is thankful...
What a happy surprise for you. Autumn looks like a fine figure of a calf.
As for the snow, well, it's thoughtful of you to start us out easy.
Reb - imagine my surprise! At least there was no trouble, and she is a nice, healthy calf!
Carla - don't they? You don't really realize it until something like this happens.
dfLeah - I was definitely happy that Autumn finally arrived! :)
Sweetness! That is a big Moo-er for a newborn....
Pretty snow! Still grey here, but we had Bonfire Night last night so it certainly wasn't cold... (or quiet, grrr fireworks!!)
TA x
TA - Bonfire Night? Fireworks? What is that in celebration of?
Very cute calf!!
And BRRR that snow looks cold! I'm willing to wait a while longer before we get that!
Aw! What a nice surprise to find! I'm so glad, because I don't like the idea of you having to...uh...send Marble away either.
That border to the land of Vegetarian gets closer every day.
Bag Lady: I'm not sure, but I think TA was celebrating Guy Fawkes Day.
And I'm really glad Marble got to be a mommy again this year.
Sarah - I would have been willing to wait a little while longer, too, but guess there's not much I can do about it!
Javachick - I was really happy to see that little calf, too. In fact, I got so excited, I called the Rancher at work. He said Marble had just saved her own life.....
*gulp*
Tricia - I wasn't sure if it would be Guy Fawkes already or not - thanks!
And I'm glad Marble had such a good little calf, too!
Go, Marble! Us Old Girls can produce (although not, in my case, calves.)
Snow is so pretty until you have to work in it.
Mary Anne in Kentucky
Wow, I didn't know cows calved this late in the season, at least not in cold climes like yours. (Almost-perpetual summer here, you know.)
Yay, Marble and Autumn!
Send along some of that snow if you get the inclination. Eight and humid is what I'm looking at today. Ugh. So un-autumnlike.
Never underestimate us old gals! Make sure to put pink tags on her, ok? LOL
So cute! Congratulations to Marble:)
Awww!! Cute little critter.
Send snow this way! I want some this year puhllleeeze!
I can't believe you have snow already- it's going to be 75F here today!
My mojo is getting so big. I will most def show to the hubby when I get home (he pretends to care that a cow thousands of miles away is named after our dog!)
Mary Anne - I was quite relieved that Marble came through again. Better a late calf than no calf!
BG - we don't ordinarily have them this late. Some ranchers start calving around Christmas - gives them a head start over those of us who take a more traditional path.
Wait until you see the pictures I'll be posting tomorrow! It is absolutely gorgeous here today!
darksnark - totally going to get special pink tags just for Autumn! :)
Sagan - thanks! Good ol' Marble!
Missicat - I'll do my best to get some snow to you, really I will!
Emily - your Mojo calf is almost as tall as your Mojo dog now! Hehehehe
Awwww, they are adorable! My grandmother used to have cows. When a calf was born, she'd name them after her grandchildren. Yes, there was an "Aleta" out there. Lol.
Little baby calves!!!! My parents live on a farm and they have cows too. I love it when they have babies. *sniff* I miss my parents.
And my mother-in-law was kidnapped on election day. Seriously. But we're working on it.
Guy Fawkes night! November the 5th! To commemorate the Gunpowder Plot, when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses Of Parliament many moons ago, but they caught him and burned him on a big fire. Every year we Brits celebrate it with fireworks displays and big bonfires with a "Guy" (not real person, a bit like a scarecrow) which we burn on it. And we have toffee apples and bonfire toffee and sparklers. It's a cute tradition but there's WAY too much fire involved for my liking! Very busy night for the fire service and hospitals :0(
TA x
those pics are so beautiful. We had a cold front come in last night and brrrr.........did you send it on down to us!?
Aleta - having a cow named after you is a great honour! :)
Melissa - Sounds to me like you need to make a trip home for a visit!
TA - Dangnubbit, I missed it again! I'll need a reminder next year to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, 'kay? In fact, you might have to come in person and help me light the bonfire!!
Annette - I would never do something like that....well, okay, I would if I had any control over the weather! But only for a day or two to remind you to savour the warm days!
I'm definitely in the camp of "don't live near snow but like seeing it." I felt cold just looking at the pics.
Hi,Charlie - makes me cold to look at it too....oh, wait, I live here!
:)
Thanks for stopping by!
Autumn is a great name and so cute. I'm glad the mom came through and had her calf. I would hate to have to say something like "That Bag Lady - did you hear? She's lost her Marble!" ;)
Hilary - that cracked me up! Thanks!
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