Tri-County Fair

The Tri-County Fair was last week in our small town and the kids were there to show their dairy heifers. I didn’t get to go this year because I was splayed out in my bathroom floor with my face on the cool tiles, mouth wide open, eyes glazed over, on the very edges of death, trying not to throw up. Stomach bugs are the devil. So, I had to rely on the farmer and his sisters to supply me with some pictures.

Here, the girls are waiting for their time in the ring.

Taeter and Kissy

When you’ve got calves around, who needs chairs??

Peanut was the youngest one to show there, but don’t think that puts her at any kind of disadvantage!

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This is the visual definition of competence if I ever saw one!

Daddy was there to show her how it’s done.

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However, we have to thank Aunt Tanna for putting in all the time to get the calves ready. I have to thank her for the good laughs it gave me along the way. I have no right to laugh, because I didn’t help in any way. But, I got the pleasure of standing on my deck watching a breeding-age heifer on a rope run full boar across the yard, (bellowing and kicking because she thought she was finally free), with my husband running as fast as I’ve ever seen him run, holding onto the other end, refusing  to let go (because he hates to lose). It causes me to laugh. It doesn’t matter that he’s spitting mad. It doesn’t matter how many times this happened. I laughed. Every time.

And once the fury wears off and I give him the play-by-play of what I saw, he has to laugh, too. He enjoys a good ol’ rodeo around here every once in a while. It reminds him that he’s still got it. 😉

But, we are grateful to Tanna for doing the majority of the work, because if she hadn’t, Peanut probably wouldn’t have had the chance to participate this year.

"Mmmm, you smell like...like... apples."

“Mmmm, you smell like…like… apples.”

And here she is holding her little ribbon! She had a great time and I’m certain this will become an annual thing for her now.

A proud mama,

The Dairymaid

Calves and Cats

Peanut now has two head of dairy cows in our herd. The farmer picked out one of our finest calves and gifted it to her. Her name is Virgo. (When you start running out of names for your cattle, you get really creative and just name them their sun sign. )

Anyway, Virgo is now our youngest milk cow. In October, she gave birth to another little heifer. We gave Peanut the privilege of naming her because, naturally, she owns her.

Now, most 2 year olds would have named her “Brownie” or “Goldie.” Or some Disney name. But, no, our precocious little daughter named her Milka.

So, Milka it is.

The second character in this riveting story is She-Devil. She-Devil comes from a long line of feral cats that we once had around the place. The only 2 left now are her and her brother, Stormy. She-Devil lives up to her name in every way. I’m pretty sure she just might BE the devil.

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Beautiful, but Deadly

But, not when it comes to Milka.

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She-Devil is putty in Milka’s hands (hoofs?).

Baby calves will try to eat/suck on anything you put in their pen. Including She-Devil’s ears. Let me tell ya, to this cat, there is nothing better. (If you’ll notice in the first picture, the top of She-Devil’s head is soaked.)

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“Stop that!!”

I don’t know how many times I have caught this cat just taking a bath anywhere she pleases! This is a family-friendly farm! See what I mean… She’s a good mouser, but her professionalism could really use some work…

You all have a wonderful Thursday!

The Dairymaid

Copyright. Breauna Krider. 12/20/12.