When I lifted her with the forks, water ran out her mouth, confirming to me she had drowned, poor girl. Last night in the milk parlour, after I’d milked her, I’d rubbed her head talking softly to her and giving her an extra bit of corn. Oh Hope, I’m so sorry. I’ve had animals die over the past 14 years, but this is the only drowning. What sodding luck.
Yesterday I was rearranging the garage to accommodate the new milk fridge and a longer milk table for the additional crates for the 5 new herdshare owners, and today I’m taking a third of my production out back. Holly is skittish now because she’s been following Little Boy in disregarding the electric fencing, he snaps the fences while I’m trying to fix them, so has had some run-ins with Lisa. She came to the lower barn with the others this evening, and her tummy didn’t look hollow. She is eating grass already, but is only about 2 months old and I usually leave girl calves on their mums’ milk for about 9 months, so she’s going to have to grow up fast. I took a bottle out into the lower barn this evening, but although she took a bottle from me for her first few days of life, she wouldn’t come near me today. I poured some into a bucket and tried to place it near her, but she left the barn with her dad without coming near it. Oy, I’ll have to watch out for her. She might start nursing in her ½ sister Annabelle, or on Ginger, I don’t know. Annabelle will probably let her, I don’t know about Ginger.
So I’ve spent most of today crying again.
I texted the herdshare owners as this impacts the milk availability, plus the cream, yoghurt, butter and cheese production will probably slow down or stop and I’m going to have to shuffle some owners to different days, and maybe cut some quantities, as I know I won’t have 9 gallons for Mondays’ current owners, or 7 gallons for Fridays’. They’ve all been so wonderful, and I’ve had many offers for help and prayers offered.
I sort of feel that me being on the farm may not be Gods’ plan for me. Since Herbie died, I’ve also lost 2 sheep, 2 lambs, one cow, one heifer calf, 2 geese, 1 duck, about 8 chickens, 3 chickies and 1 dog. It’s too much. But I also realised walking back through the tunnel tonight with the milk, that at some stage I’m not going to have any of the beasties that were here when Herbie was here.
But I did make my MSU zoom course at 6pm today, Foundations of Gardening. It’s the precursor certificate course to becoming a Master Gardener through Michigan State University. I previously tried to get into the Master Gardener programme, but they no longer run it in this county, I’d have to go to Lansing or Grand Rapids and I’m not sure how the volunteering portion will work out as I’d have to travel to one of those bigger cities for it too.
Earlier this year I did a pruning course also through MSU and an elderberry course through another group, so have been learning new farming stuff.
Craig, my tractor fixer guy will stop by tomorrow morning to see what the yellow light is on ‘Lil Blu. The only tractor that currently runs, and it needs something and I couldn’t figure out how to open its bonnet.
I did buy a rental property in Ionia last month, it’s divided into 2 x 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom units, but I had to put in a new sewer line as a previous tenant pushed a nice green metal fence post into it, have bought 2 replacement stoves and fridges as upgrades to the existing ones, the electric stove didn’t even have a window in the oven door ! A window is broken in the main bedroom of the smaller unit and a few other things need fixing before I can get tenants. I’m trying to finish that as quickly as I can so that I start getting some monies coming in, besides milk, egg and meat monies.
If you have a moment, please send a prayer up for me, I could sure use as many as I can get.