So much for a quiet little Christmas.
Our lives have been INSANE the past few days.
I don't even know where to begin--
so I'll begin with the cliff notes on Christmas.
All the girls wanted was a puppy.
That tricky ol' guy with the white beard and red suit
left them a stuffed puppy and a note-- saying he couldn't find
them "a puppy" and that we'd have to go as a family to pick
out one that would be a perfect fit.
But he did say he left a couple of small presents up in the barn.
We all (and I mean all-- the Bodily's, the Moomey's, my parents
and Byron's mom) traipsed up to the barn-- where the girls
found these two little fur balls.
Drum roll please-- meet Lola...
and Monroe (as in Marilyn). They call her Ro for short.
The sisters are Aussie/Border Collie and Blue Heeler mixed.
Trust me, they are even cuter in person.
The funniest thing is they think Kean is one of their chew toys.
It is so funny to watch them interact.
As if two puppies away from their mama for the first time
isn't enough... we came home Christmas night to find one of our
cows had literally just given birth.
It was about ten degrees outside and the new mama cow
didn't go over and clean off her baby.
So as hypothermia set in, we rushed the baby to the barn
(Byron's extended garage) and with the help of Ron Moomey,
dried the baby off and cleaned him up.
We all took turns blow drying the fur on the little guy.
Crazy... not something I ever thought I'd do in this life!
Between the puppies, the baby calf and Kean who got a new bed
for Christmas (have I mentioned he does not like changes in his routine?),
we were up ALL night.
The baby calf-- I think the girls have decided on the name Elfis (like Elvis
but the Christmas version), was really struggling by Saturday morning--
a runny nose, weak and wouldn't get milk from his mom.
We weren't sure whether it was the mom or the baby-- but he wasn't
getting any milk and was really worrying us.
So even though Byron had put him back out once he was dry,
he got cold again and we brought him back into the barn.
The most we could get the mom to do was nuzzle him and moo--
but no milk.
So Byron went out and found a supplier open and bought some
colostrum and got that down the baby, plus some vitamin shots.
By Saturday night, he still wasn't latching on- so we got the mama
into the trailer, Byron tied her up and forced the baby onto her.
It has been a long two days (and nights) but the Cow Whisperer, aka,
Byron thinks we have rounded the corner and the little calf is now strong
enough to drink and will survive.
That's the good news.
The scary news is we have 7 more (yup, 7)
pregnant cows.
Arrggghhhhhh.
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