I celebrated my Birthday for the entire weekend leading up to Labor Day! My day is the 6th but why not? So we loaded up and went to the State Fair. Gorgeous day and I had plans of trying every indulgent food there. I almost did too...but while we enjoyed all the barns and buildings and animals of all colors and breeds, I had my eye set on seeing who in our state raised Guernseys. I have Jerseys and one Jersey/Guernsey bull and really would like a splashy Guernsey to add to my herd.
I had called ahead to a rental place that supplied the electric scooters and reserved one for my Father who just had some surgery. At 80 yrs old...why not get to use a scooter anyway!!
So all over the fair grounds we tromped and through every barn and food court we could find.
I finally found a whole barn full of Guernseys and introduced myself.....to the gent who owned them anyway. He was a fella you could talk to all day on cows and I was having quite a chat...when I heard my Father exhale quite loudly and cross his arms like...(gad this is going to be all day)...so I said..oops...sometimes I can talk all day about animals and I better entertain my Pop for a bit. About then Dad asks what he wants for that little calf over in the corner. One of his helpers hollers over..$500. I perked up and thought, boy if its a girl, I'm taking her home. So I was quick to ask more questions. He is smiling pretty hard so I go along with his prank and say" So how old is SHE!" He laughs and says...about 3 days..born right here. So I walk over and check for boy parts about then and know all the while...its a bull calf. Pretty hard to come by a female dairy calf born on a Dairy Farm and they are willing to part with them. I said..OK now..whats he worth. Thats when the owner piped up and says, about $100.00. My Dad grabs for his wallet and is ready to pay right now....while me...I have 7 bottle calves at home already. Seriously...mine at home are about ready to wean. Do I want another steer calf to feed out? I told Dad to put away his money. I wouldn't let him pay anyway..I would buy my own stuff. That way if it dies I won't feel like I let him down. You just never know about babies and such.
But I needed to decide.
So...we walk around lots more and eat and enjoy the Fair. But just before we leave Dad says..."SO?" He really really wanted me to go get him...and I did happen to put my cage carrier in the back of the explorer. So I waivered just long enough to say OK!
Here's the picture of the calf after he stretched his legs in the carrier. Lets just say, he was happy to be home and stretching out proper after his 2 hr ride to my house. He's a big boy!
Doing very well on fresh goats milk ...now if only miraculously he would change his gender. I really would like a Guernsey! I just need a girl of a different color!
My cage did suffer a little after that ride though...it isn't quite as square as it used to be and some seriously rounded walls now. Oh well, at least he wasn't riding on someones lap!
Atticus is easier to get to the River in the back of the mule..when he has to run...it takes him a half hour longer to get there...much faster to simply load him up. Course he just might be smarter than we give him credit though...
windy day....
.......gate opener??
uh...oh.....
..........................help......snake...oh wait..thats justa chunk of rope!!
windless side of the river.....and releasing a pet baby bass.
the windy side of the River!!
the getting wet first before the wave crashing side.....
loading up to go home...
and the video is the windy side of the River on a cool September evening....funnest times are had when the waves are whitecaps and washing you ashore. Good memories for a wonderful reason we live so close to the river!
