One Cow Down

Meet "Buster", the bull.

He's Anabel's dad--a Lowline Angus, and therefore classified as a miniature. Well, miniature is subjective, as was underscored yesterday afternoon...

It seems that Buster has injured his left rear foot and has been down a lot the past month or so. He's lost a whole lot of weight, too. I guess not being up and around tends to shed a few pounds--if you're a cow. The worst was that he had isolated himself in the farthest corner of the main pasture, far away from food or water. We carted it out to him, but it just wasn't enough. We were really getting concerned that we may lose him before his foot could heal. So, we had an idea...

At this point, there was nothing we could do but TRY to get him over to the arena barn and in a stall where we could readily supply him with much-needed water, hay, and grain. Although he doesn't normally get grain--he's grass-fed--this is an emergency and the extra nutrition would be helpful. The problem? The journey to the stall was at least 200 yards across the pasture. Granted, this doesn't sound like a long journey in the grand scheme of everyday life, but when you're a bull who's still weighing in around 12-1300 pounds with a foot/leg that is out of commission, it is an undertaking. We thought, "Hey, why not take the horse trailer out there, load him up, transport him the distance, and off-load him into the stall...SIMPLE!!" ...NOT!

Unfortunately, Buster couldn't make the step up into the trailer. He was certainly willing, and he was so agreeable and in a terrific mood, but he just couldn't navigate the step. He sure wanted the bucket of grain, however.

So, we had another idea... I would tease Buster with the grain and get him to walk the distance to the stall....SIMPLE!! OK, at this point, you're probably thinking, "Is she stupid? TEASING a BULL with a bucket of grain?!? IS SHE CRAZY?!?!?" Well, you really have to know Buster. Lowlines, by their very nature and breeding are docile creatures. Buster, it seems, is the most gentlemanly bull on the face of the earth. Yes, he's still a bull, and we give him that respect--you know, the gee-this-massive-guy-could-crush-you-in-one-move respect. But we know our limits with him. So, we embarked on the looooooooooong, arduous journey across the pasture--one step at a time.

It took over two and a half hours. Zak was on the golf cart with horse whip in hand to keep any curious onlookers away from the bucket of grain. Buster got tired three times and needed to lay down and rest. But, as I said, he was in a great mood and very willing. He seemed to sense that we were doing something for his greater good, so he worked...and worked....SO HARD...and worked some more.

We were finally within twenty feet of the stall door, when he decided he should go back to the pasture's edge where the love of his life, Scarlett, stood watching. I'm sure you can imagine that keeping Buster from doing what he wants is almost impossible for us mere mortals. But, with the aid of a bale of hay, a red feed bucket, a couple of path railings (4"x6"'s laid out to visually block his path away, we finally were able to get Mr. Bigstuff into his new quarters and shut the gate behind him. WHEW!!! We were exhausted!

We then busied ourselves getting him comfortable with all the water and hay he could handle. At least now, he's out of the rain and hot sun, he can be easily fed and watered, and I don't mind going out and spending a little time with him now and then to scratch his knobby head and ears.

He really likes that.

Success!

Though the crowds were very light and the weather iffy--with a huge competing arts and crafts show located just two hours to our north, this past weekend's Chickasaw Arts & Crafts Festival was well worth attending for us. With my son's patient help, we set up shop early Saturday morning, barely ready for the 9:00 a.m. start time. Our booth was full, and you could smell us just walking by--and that was a GOOD thing! The candle and soap scents wafted on the breeze, calling in shoppers to look through our wares.

We had a wonderful time, and we met folks from all over--some from Tennessee; others from Arkansas, Ohio, Florida. And our products' reception was fantastic!

We're really happy with the results, and we are looking forward to the next one!

Lessons from a Car Show

The party's over, and the fans are all gone. We've packed up, cleaned up, and gone home with our goods--tired but happy.

The weekend car show at the Chester Country BBQ Fest was on Saturday, and the weather cooperated very well. Sunny, 70 degrees, light breeze...PERFECT for sitting a booth! And sit we did. Five hours spent answering questions, plugging the farm, and hocking our wares, and we have come to the conclusion that it was time well-spent. We sold items, we introduced the farm, we met new people, and we laughed a lot. The exposure, in itself, was well worth the time invested, but we got so much more out of it. We discovered that there are a lot of local folks out there who a) didn't know we existed and b) really would like to come spend some time at a real farm rather than an attraction. WooooHOOOO!!! We DO matter! Our message IS valid! We're doing a GOOD thing!

Affirmation is ALWAYS good. Good for the soul, good for the psyche, and good for business.

Next weekend? We'll be at the Chickasaw Arts & Crafts Festival. Weather permitting, it should be a great time. Stop by and see us, if you get a chance!

All's FAIR...

The State Fair is over, and the midway is all packed up and gone.

Even the remnants from the crowds have been cleaned up. And I have reclaimed my entries in the photography competition this year. There was some stiff competition, too. Amateur photographers from all over West Tennessee were represented. I met one teacher, while in line to register, who had brought photos from some of her students at a high school over two hours away. Local people entering just a picture or two, and maniacs like me who entered in every category imaginable. And my reward for my efforts? Two second place ribbons and a check for four dollars. In this age of over-the-top sensationalism and extraordinary reward, it may not seem like much. But, in my estimation, two second place ribbons and a check for four dollars means that my photography spoke to someone, and that means a lot to me.

And the winning photos? Well, you see 'em here. One is a shot of my husband and a friend working on Ol' Lena, our 1947 1-Ton Chevy. The other is a shot of our farm that I use as a logo of sorts for my soaps and other farm craft.

I'll continue to enter the State Fair every year--with its stiff competition and overwhelming number of entries. It's good, clean fun, and the rewards are far beyond what you could put a price tag on.