I don’t like it when I look out from the porch and I can’t see my cow.
She’s enjoying her new home and she has a bad habit of taking off for the hinterlands. For the past few days, I’ve had to go hiking to find her and remind her when it’s milking time. We haven’t been milking again for very long, plus she’s in a new location, so new training is required.
I put my boots on and go tackle her.
Or, I pick up a big stick and go hiking, to be more exact. BP doesn’t like sticks. I don’t actually have to touch her with the stick. I just show it to her and she starts moving in the right direction.
There she is.
Oh, my. That thing is so cute.
C’mon, BP!
It’s impossible to show in photos how far away this is. It’s a hike to get out to her, and through a lot of tall grass and downright thickets. Let’s just say it’s a fur piece from the house. I don’t like it.
I’ve been working on training her. I can’t complain too much because milk cows are easy to train. I just need her to show up at the appropriate times at the appropriate places. I was excited when she showed up right here by the gate first thing yesterday morning. Yay, BP!
Then I had to go hiking into the hinterlands to bring her back yesterday evening. But by today, she was trained! Only….
She showed up at the gate at four o’clock.
FOUR O’CLOCK.
What am I going to do with this cow? I said, “Beulah Petunia! WE DO NOT MILK DURING JUDGE JUDY!” I mean, seriously, what was she thinking? Everyone knows this is the only TV show I watch. Except when I remember to watch American Idol or Design Star or The Next Food Network Star. Or HGTV anytime. Otherwise, it’s Judge Judy all the way, people! She comes on at four. We aren’t milking till FIVE.
PERIOD.
We need to watch Judge Judy yell at people.
Beulah Petunia was patient and she sat down and waited.
Then, after I milked her, Glory Bee went CRAZY. I wished I’d had my camera with me. That baby was SO BAD. She kept running under the fence into the yard. Because she can go anywhere she wants. And BP was mooing and mooing and getting so mad and that baby wouldn’t go back to her. Because that’s the way babies are. Then she ran back to mama–after I shooed her back because I felt sorry for BP–and Glory Bee ran out toward the hinterlands. BP moved that way. Then baby ran back. BP moved back. Baby ran back and forth and back and forth. Boomer was sitting there and he almost tried to play, but I could tell he just wasn’t sure if he should get involved. Glory Bee reminded me of how Poky sometimes will run and run, just working off energy. And poor Beulah Petunia didn’t know which way to turn.
I told her, “I understand. I’m a mother, too.”
And then finally Glory Bee calmed down, and like all mothers, instead of spanking her for being so bad and scaring her, BP kissed her and told her she was so glad she was okay.
Sometimes I get all sentimental about this being Beulah Petunia’s first baby she ever got to keep.
Then they went off to the hinterlands and I’ll see them in the morning….
Kim says:
Morning is so far away! How can you stand to not see Glory Bee until then? Such a cute baby.
On September 22, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Staci says:
Oh, ‘the first baby she ever got to keep…’ I have a big lump in my throat. I love that cow and her kiddo!
On September 22, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Kathy in KY says:
Hi Suzanne – I can just picture this scene as you write it – too funny! It looks like BP is fleshing out some, which is a great thing to see. GP is just feeling her oats. Just think of how she’s going to run to and fro when the mornings get a little crisp, and she gets a snoot-ful of that cool air – there’ll be no stopping her. Poor BP and you, when that happens! Take care, and have a great Wed evening. See you tomorrow (or later on tonight!) :wave:
On September 22, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Kathy in KY says:
OOPS! Meant to write GB – not GP – I’m bad that way, and should’ve just written Glory Bee out – DUH! :moo:
On September 22, 2010 at 8:20 pm
B. Ruth says:
Please get a leather neck belt and a cow bell…..It will help you listen for her…and she truely looks like the bell wearing cow type….I can almost see you in your little dutch bonnet with the milk thingy across your shoulders with two buckets of milk walking back up to the porch…LOL
On September 22, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Runningtrails says:
That’s so sweet! The first one she gets to keep!
You are so blessed to have such a good milk cow and that baby and all that milk!
Babies are handfull, anykind! Mine’s a 8 mo old giant puppy! (Destroyed son’s shoes today and I’ll never get all those tiny pieces of the recycling cleaned up off the property!)
Kids will be kids and sometimes its very naughty! I can’t imagine that little girl being bad! She’s is just too cute for her own good!!
On September 22, 2010 at 8:30 pm
stephanie says:
I’m so darn excited to meet them!! (And you too, of course! But Glory Bee is awfully darn cute.)
On September 22, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Joycee says:
It did look like a fur piece, not to mention the ticks and chiggers! I didn’t realize you could “train” a cow, but that means I know nothing about cows! Glory Bee gets away with murder because she’s so dang cute!
On September 22, 2010 at 9:24 pm
CindyP says:
I’m so glad you have BP — so she can finally keep her baby!
A cow bell!! BP needs a cow bell…and GB needs a little baby bell :cowsleep:
On September 22, 2010 at 9:54 pm
lifeisgood/ Melinda says:
Glory Bee is just toooooooo beautiful!!
On September 22, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Robin S says:
Glory Bee is one of the cutest things i have EVER seen. So precious
On September 22, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Cousin Sheryl says:
And now we know why Suzanne stays so skinny!
Cow chasing – – better than Zumba!
😆
On September 22, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Nancy in Iowa says:
More cowbell! Too funny – my mom lived with me her last 2 years and turned 100 right after moving in. Her legs decided to go out with the birthday, so we got a wheelchair. But Mom still thought she could do things herself – my sister came down (I was in Atlanta then) and brought some bells for the bed rail, then I got a couple of cowbells – put one on the wheelchair and one on the bedrail. I think Mom was a little insulted, but she was a good sport – I just reminded her that she had grown up with cows and cowbells!!
On September 22, 2010 at 11:20 pm
farmershae says:
Oh no! GB is far too cute to be bad, she looks so innocent!!! I can’t wait to have a bad baby calf of my own!!
On September 22, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Darlene in Ks says:
It does bring tears to know this is her first real experience as a mama. GB’s behavior reminds me when my hereford calf grew up and had her first baby. Her baby would run here and there as all calves do and she tried so hard to keep up and mooing at her baby cause she couldn’t. At first it was sooo funny watching her then it got a little sad as she worried so, wanting her calf next to her ALL the time. With her second baby….she realized her baby was not going anywhere and was content to just keep a watchful eye. Ya gotta love these mamas!
On September 23, 2010 at 12:22 am
bonita says:
Preface: I’m a city gal.
However, I used to visit a dairy farm in WI. The farmer would stand at the barn door and call out the names of three or four of his cows. Soon all twenty cows were lumbering toward the barn! It was quite a sight to see.
On September 23, 2010 at 2:31 am
lauren says:
It warms the heart to see the wonderful home she has now 🙂 BP hit the cow lottery!!!
On September 23, 2010 at 6:16 am
Zusiqu says:
‘the first baby she ever got to keep…’? What happened to her other babies?
On September 23, 2010 at 7:31 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Zusiqu–BP was a dairy work cow. Her babies would have been taken away so all her milk would go to the dairy operation.
On September 23, 2010 at 7:35 am
Dawn Carrica says:
I love your little blurbs about BP and Glory Bee. It makes me realize how in love I am with my Jersey girls. There is, no doubt a connection between milker and milkee. Beautiful pictures and wonderful stories!
On September 23, 2010 at 7:48 am
Kathleen H in Indiana says:
Do you ever worry about them in the woods alone? I would be scared a coyote or whatever might get them! Of course I worry about everything.
On September 23, 2010 at 9:59 am
Tina says:
What a great post! I got a little teary reading about Beulah Petunia finally having a chance to mother one of her babies. Your description of her behavior as little Glory Bee ran around reminded me of myself when my first son was born…so worried and doting and up-tight. As each of the next children came along I relaxed a lot and got to enjoy them more! I hope BP doesn’t worry herself too much. It’s so sweet to see a good Mommy, of ANY species!
On September 23, 2010 at 10:26 am
Miss Becky says:
this is such a touching story Suzanne. I LOVE it! and the accompanying photos. especially the last one. :airkiss:
On September 23, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Sheila Z says:
Suzanne have you noticed any white snakeroot growing where BP is grazing? Just asking because it looks like you have her mostly in a wooded area now. White snakeroot is common in wooded areas and produces a toxin that gets into the milk. It causes milk sickness and is what killed Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks. I just thought it was something I should pass along as a precaution. Hopefully, it doesn’t apply to your situation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Snakeroot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_sickness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Lincoln
On September 25, 2010 at 2:08 am