Spinning My Wheels

Do you every have those days where at the end, you are tired and yet haven't really accomplished much? This was one of those days. I had such high intentions. It was going to be perfect weather; cool, upper 60's, a little too windy, but sunny.

This was milk day. Went well but for some reason she withheld her milk and shorted me about a half gallon so I let her yearling baby nurse....don't know what that was about. Need to take her to the vet to be preg checked soon.

DH told me the stray cat who lives in my milk barn looked skinny this morning so we figured she had had her babies. She had; under the feed manger where I feed Willow. I didn't disturb her but could see some babies. I later took a picture by just sticking the camera down there. One has a Strange pink protrusion from its rear. I may not post the picture until I can determine what we are dealing with.

Then got the garden cart with all my tools out and headed over to the bed in front of the kitchen. I had never pruned the dead sticks from the swamp mallow and the Endless (hah!) Summer hydrangea. Did that and began to rig up another "Nell" trellis for the clematis that was sprawling and beginning to attach to the hydrangea. By now, DH wanted a coffee break so did that with him. Phone rang.

Our neighbor girl wanted me to tell her "one more time" how to tube (esophageal feeder) her baby calf. A heifer had a calf pulled and the calf couldn't stand without assistance. She had managed to drain by dribbles colostrum and milk down it a pint at a time. I decided it would be easier to just go over. I also wanted her to identify a dead baby something in our back yard.....this is living in the country remember.

Bagged it and took her some eggs and drove around the corner to our old farm (they bought from us). She had a nice black calf and the heifer was a pretty thing with a perfect udder.
I do hope the baby will begin nursing soon.
He can now stand but is very weak and falls over easily.

I got him outside the pen just in case new Mama got too protective. Got the tube feeder and about half the electrolytes down him and suggested I pull it and let her do it while I was there. Went without a hitch. She just needs self-confidence and not to listen to all the horror stories about killing calves by inserting tube incorrectly and allowing the fluid to enter the lungs. I think in a couple of days the calf will be fine.

Now it is noon and we are hungry so lunch was made. Then the phone began ringing....my sister was having a slow day! Now it is after 3 PM. Trucks are running up and down our road creating a white cloud.

No more work today! Tomorrow will be warmer but much windier so don't know about working out in that.

The iris are beginning to bloom. Immortality, Clarence, the passalong purples, Suky and Barb's iris are beautiful. The orange poppies are still popping.

From Gardening 2010

Afterthought: the dead thing was a kitten...wonder what that is about??? I figure it must be from the stray but how did it get all the way to the house. She never leaves the barn and milk parlor area. Maybe it was dead and she drug it out of the barn away from the others......and the dog found it.
I sure hope that is all it was. He is in enough trouble now as it is!