Typhoon's Diary, April 21

Typhoon has asked for the podium ... again.

 

 

La Dorada Typhoon's Diary

  

We all know how I feel about being let "out" to pasture with the girls, right? Well, we also know this is not a frequent occasion.  Here in the bull pen, we are left to our memories and stories of beautiful dames with horns the size of … well, you get it.

 

This day was unlike any other, we were eating grass, enjoying the sunshine, day dreaming and relaxing when we smelled something sort of reminiscent of a heifer. We all puffed out our chests, straightened up our posture, and made sure there was not any grass or hay stuck in our teeth. I led the pack, casually strutting around the pen over to the fence by the road in hopes of finding a beautiful dame awaiting me.

 

By now, I am sure you know I have an affinity for blondes. And yes, I have a soft spot for the red-heads too. I was starting to imagine the beauty I was about to encounter when, all of a sudden, the strangest looking thing I had ever seen walked up the road!

 

First, she was quite different in shape. Plus, she wasn't blonde or red-headed or even spotted. She was strutting around something awful. I mean really!!!

 

I started to turn back, to warn the boys not to come to the fence, but I was too late. As I turned around, they were all standing there in a row, mouths gaping open in disbelief. I nudged them and brought them back to reality. We made a plan to not make any eye contact with her. We even acted as though we hadn't seen her. We all casually tried to get as far away from the road and her as we could, trying to hide ourselves behind some trees . After what seemed like ages, someone came and led her back where she belonged. Her head was hanging low, and we boys were giggling. We all got a chuckle out of this one; she was so unsightly! She didn't have any HORNS!!!!!

 

Later, Carl came out and asked what we had done to the neighbors' cow to make her so self- conscious. Well, we did act less than gentleman-like, but we didn't mean to hurt her hornless feelings. Carl said next time we saw her we should apologize. We agreed, but she has never been seen again.

 

 

Weaning

I separated out Mom's four calves on Sunday. Working cattle can be easy, if you understand the "dance". It's the way you hold your head, the direction you look, the shift of your leading shoulder as you glide sideways that can tell one cow that *she* is allowed to go out the gate while you keep another cow inside the pen. If the sun is out, and you work slowly so the cows think *they* are in control, you win. LOL

These calves were born last June. We usually wean at 5-6 months of age, but winter was bitter this year, so we left the kiddos with their mothers instead. The herd sleeping together kept everyone comfy. 

The calves were familiar with that section of pens before weaning, because that's where the herd accesses the molasses tubs and salt blocks. (We start that preparation a month or so ahead of time, so the calves will find it familiar when we wean.)

These four youngsters are close to Mom's house, so she stands out there and talks, sings, etc. to them while she's filling the stock tank for the cows. She puts a little hay out every time she visits them, 4-6 times a day, so they think she's the cat's pajamas. LOL

But the calves do wonder why their mothers don't miss them. (I know why. Those mommas were probably tired of sharp little teeth grabbing on to their teats. hehehe) The mothers come up once a day for a nice drink of water. Stop and stare at their kids. And then nonchalantly walk away.

Typhoon's Diary, October 19

Typhoon has asked for the podium ... again.
 

 

 

La Dorada Typhoon's Diary

 

 You have all heard me speak so highly of Meredith and how nice she is. Well, what I am about to tell you may come as quite a shock. (Carl doesn't know, so please don't tell him.)

 

This was over a year ago, in the heart of another cold snow-filled winter, which as you know, we Watusi are not so fond of. It was getting late in the day and dusk was approaching. We had not been fed! Carl is never late with our feed. What was going on??

 

Low and behold, here came Meredith with grain (and range cubes for me of course). She was tromping through the snow with grace. (At least I thought so.) She filled the water tank, filled the grain bucket, and started to pull the tubs in toward the fence to feed us.

 

She mentioned that Carl was going to be gone for a few days and that she and Becky would be taking care of us for a bit. I was ok with this because Meredith always gives me extra loving, scratches my head just right and I get range cubes!

 

As she worked, the sun was setting and it was getting colder. She bent down to pull a tub in close to the fence for grain, and that is when I heard it! She let out a yell loud enough to scare the neighbor's cows! She dropped the bucket and grabbed her eye. She was saying words I had never heard before! She was doing some sort of jumping dancing thing too! Upon closer investigation, I noticed that there was a piece of fence wire sticking out and I could only assume that she had poked it into her eye. She was so mad! I never knew she knew those words!

 

Now, at the time, Aries and Texas were still with us. Those boys were in shock!  Aries said something about her sounding worse than a drunken sailor!  Man, she was mad..

 

However, she finished feeding us ( and the cats), closed up the gates, and left. I was pretty worried about her. So you can imagine how relieved I was when she showed up early the next morning to feed and she wasn't swearing anymore. She sure had a mark on her eye, but hey … thought it made her look tough!

 

 

He is such a caring guy. ;-)

Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis And Vasculitis In Dogs

From Veterinarians Skeptical Canine Circovirus Alone Is Sickening Dogs
It might look like circovirus and act like circovirus … and still not be circovirus.  That’s what scientists investigating the mysterious illness that's sickening and killing dogs in Ohio and elsewhere say after diagnostic tests of some infected samples came back positive for Dog Circovirus, or DogCV ...

Typhoon's Diary, September 9

Typhoon has asked for the podium ... again.

 

 

La Dorada Typhoon's Diary

 

 Ahhhhh!!!! What an awesome time of year! Fresh mowed grass hand delivered daily, sweet feed mixed in occasionally with my grain. (I think I get an extra handful from Meredith -- what Carl doesn't know … won't hurt him!) And yes, the wonderful apple peelings and apple cores!

 

Things had been going along pretty uneventfully, until a few weeks ago. Carl and Becky showed up with a trailer and the corral panels were all moved around. Hmmmm … Do you suppose Mica is moving out? (I could be the top bull again!!)

 

Well, it would seem everything was changing. Next thing I knew, I was being invited (heh, heh, heh) to wander out of the bull pen and to go into the open pasture with all the girls! Really??? Well, I was pretty sure I was good with that!

 

Several days went by and I was loving this new life. The pasture is so awesome, the girls smell so pretty and they have such lovely … horns. Last week, I was just hanging with the girls and I saw Carl's truck coming out. This meant he might have more fresh-cut grass for us. I was not paying too much attention at this point, as I was … ahem, distracted.

 

All of a sudden, I heard, "Hi Ty! How's my boy?"

 

“OH NO!! Meredith is here.” I sort of glanced and sure enough; she was standing right there watching me talking with this other blonde!

 

Now, Meredith is nice, and all, but she has no horns! This dame I was talking to, she was beautiful! Her horns were perfect. And the way she chewed her cud! Wowza! I could tell that she liked me as well.

 

Well, I didn't want to upset the proverbial apple cart here or risk not getting that extra handful of sweet feed in the future, so I tried so hard to act all aloof and nonchalant about it. I just strolled on over to some grass and tried to not show interest in either of my two favorite blondes! I figured this was the safest route a bull could take …. I mean what would you have done?

 

As it turned out, Meredith was ok with this plan and so was the other dame. Whew! I avoided a conflict there for sure.

 

But, what about next time?

 

And what if she sees me when I'm out to dinner with this redhead???

 

 

 

 

 

My my my, he's a busy guy. [snicker]

Thoughts To Ponder

History's most overlooked value: its ability to influence the way we live our lives and how we treat one another on a day-to-day basis. At its best, history nurtures with us humility and gratitude. It encourages respect and empathy. It fosters creativity and stimulates the imagination. It inspires resilience. And it does so by illuminating the simple truth that, whether due to some cosmic fluke or divine providence, it's an absolute miracle that any one of us is alive today, walking around on this tiny sphere surrounded by an ocean of space, and that we are, above everything else, all in this together.

Here Is Where: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History by Andrew Carroll

Points To Ponder

Today's Points To Ponder ...

 

Never interrupt someone who is doing what you said couldn't be done.

 

Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.

 

Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts. -Bernard Baruch

 

I believe in evidence. I believe in observation, measurement, and reasoning, confirmed by independent observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous something is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence will have to be. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992)