Puddle Jumping on the Farm

The day was long today. Long but good. But let me start with the details of yesterday. Yesterday we picked up our milk cow. There were so many emotions going on. I was nervous all day about it. See I have never been around a large animal like a cow or a horse, and I have a phobia of being kicked. We have had calves before but they were tiny (only a day old) we sold them at about 4 to 5 months. So they never got to be full size. which is probably good for me because they were Holsteins. Callie and Mudpie were there names. 

So there is emotion number one. --- FEAR

The man (no name for privacy) we usually get our animals from was kind enough to drive Ike over to the farm where we had looked at the cow 4 days earlier. We unloaded the April (the cow) and we had no place for her. Everything happened so fast we didn't even get a fence up for her. So there Ike and I were holding the rope, which was attached to April. She wanted to run so that was interesting. We thanked the man and told him he and his girlfriend could go. So they did. They pulled forward no more than one foot and there was a loud cry. He didn't hear it because his windows were shut. I turned around and looked and saw my beloved 30 year old tom cat Whiskers dragging him self off the driveway. I was devastated. I still am. But I am kind of relieved at the same time. See Whiskers was at least 30 years old. He was completely deaf, and almost completely blind. Along with that the family figured it would not be too long before Whiskers died on his own because he was not able to keep weight on him, no matter how much he ate. I ran up to the truck and scooped Whiskers up. The man and his girlfriend were also shocked. (However, even after they called Ike today they never even said they were sorry... but whatever.) I sat there with Whiskers as his spirit left his body and Orion came and watched as well. Orion was surprisingly strong. Here I was on the ground bawling my eyes out and Orion watched and then with out thinking climbed into my lap and hugged me until I stopped sobbing. I love that child so much. He is such a blessing in my life. 

Emotion number 2.---- MOURNING

While Orion and I were sitting with Whiskers, Ike tied April to the junk fiberglass fishing boat we have lying in the yard. He came up to me and said he was sorry. He felt bad that he could not be there for me as Whiskers was dying, but he was kind of tethered (pun intended). All of a sudden we heard this awful commotion! April was taking off with the boat! So Ike went running after her, which I think managed to scare her more, and then once Ike got to her realized she had her legs tangled in the rope and was going to go down. Once he untangled her she calmed a little more. Then, as the calmed she started to hear something she has never heard before. A train. We live right on the railroad tracks we have to cross them at the end of our 1/3 of a mile driveway. I have to tell you it is the funniest thing to watch a Jersey cow when she hears a new thing for the first time. 

Emotion number 3---- HUMOR

I don't even have to explain the next one. 

Emotion number 4---- EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION

Today, Thursday, I helped Ike clear the fence line for the pasture after his brother (Ben) had to leave for school. My goodness what a work out. While Ben was still here I was able to snap a few shots of Orion having fun in the puddles from last night's rain. He had so much fun! I loved watching him! 

I had to steal this stop motion idea from fellow blogger and my highschool art teacher. :)