Ouch

Early yesterday evening, our sweet Petunia delivered a stillborn calf nearly three weeks early. The sight of that beautiful, lifeless heifer was tough, but her mama’s distress was heartrending. The pain of it caused my knees to buckle, and I just sank to the ground and sobbed.

When we brought Petunia up from the pasture and put her with her old friends, Princess and Daisy Mae, she began to calm down. I felt a little better when Hubby announced that Petunia would not be rebred and is now officially retired. Hubby, like the vast majority of ranchers, has never “retired” a cow that was no longer reproductively sound. He’s sold them at auction. Feeding an unproductive cow indefinitely is the worst kind of business decision, but Petunia isn’t just a cow. She’s more like family.

“For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion upon His afflicted.” –ISAIAH 49:13b (AMP)