Happily Healed

We took the casts off of Shadow’s forelegs today. As expected, Princess was the helicopter-mama, hovering over us as I held her getting-bigger-by-the-day calf while Hubby cut off the wrappings. Fortunately, Shadow is used to us messing with him, and he only struggled once, at which time I realized that he’s grown so strong that he can almost lift me off the ground.

When we let him up, he just stood there for a few moments, getting used to his cast-free, now-straight limbs. Then—very uncharacteristically for such a big, mature, slow-moving cow--Princess playfully took off around the corral, bucking! It seemed for all the world like she knew that everything was finally okay with her little guy, and she wanted to celebrate. For his part, Shadow commemorated the occasion with some lunch!

“The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!”             –ISAIAH 35:6a (NLT)

Company

Grace, a beautiful black Lab from town, has come to the country for a few days as she does once or twice a year when her family has to be out of town. She barks more than we’re used to, she’s often tracking in mud after her swims in the canal, and her tail wags can leave bruises on our shins—but we adore her sweetness and irrepressible enthusiasm for accompanying us. Every chore, every trip, no matter how short, is joyfully anticipated and fully enjoyed. Grace fully expects to have a good time, and she’s never disappointed! Oh, for the grace to be more like Grace, I pray. Just don’t give me her propensity for chasing rabbits!

“For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received…one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.” –JOHN 1:16 (AMP)

WHAT Tree?

Today I hauled some alfalfa compost out to one of the new windbreaks to apply to the little golden willows. The job would have taken minutes, not hours, except that most of the tree fences were nearly disassembled and required reshaping and rewiring. Many of the t-posts that the fences been fastened to were also bent this way and that. The black hairs stuck in the fencing, trampled ground, some broken willows, and the many cowpies revealed that the culprits were of bovine ilk, and they must have mistaken the tree cages for scratching implements. Ironically, there are two mature tamarisk trees (a weed and a nuisance, in these parts) only yards away that they could have scratched on.

I’m tempted to take back every good thing I’ve ever said about cows!

A victim of an itch.

“A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench….”     –ISAIAH 42:3

Spit and Polish

Cows may not be the most hygienic of creatures, but most of them spend quite a bit of time scrubbing and grooming their calves, their rough, wet tongues serving as water, soap, washcloth, and brush. It doesn’t sound very sanitary, I know, but after their baths, those calves look every bit as spiffy as do people who have just showered, shampooed, moisturized, deodorized, gelled, and blown dry! 

 One of Isabelle's frequent baths

“I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you.” –EZEKIEL 36:25 (MSG)

At Long Last

Much grumbling has been uttered, and very few birdsongs have been heard, during these past unspringlike days of cold and wind. According to our thermometer, the early morning temperatures have been in the lower teens. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this tiny-but-tough viola, the forerunner of many, many flowers to come!

“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” –SONG OF SOLOMON (KJ21)

Disgruntled

Shadow is much improved but still having trouble with his forelegs. Hubby and I have little formal training for our jobs as physical therapists, so we consulted with Dr. Miller before we began our administrations. 

First we gave Shadow two shots to help relax his tendons. Next, we splinted his legs with a combination of splints carved from PVC pipe and ground smooth, old dish towels, stretchy Vetrap, and duct tape. Shadow is normally quite affable, but he apparently took offense at being poked and held down for the procedures because after we let him up, he casually walked passed me and aimed a sideways kick at my leg. I suppose it’s not ethical or respectful to laugh at a patient, but we did so anyway!

Hubby, who always has football on the brain, said that Shadow now looks like an Oakland Raider.

“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].”

–1 PETER 4:8 (AMP)

Names and Numbers

I probably should give readers a break from my incessant cow-calf parables. I don’t want to leave people with the impression that my life revolves around cows. Oh, well, maybe it does, particularly during calving season, anyway.

At a recent trip to the hardware store to pick up sealant for the stock tank (aka watering trough for cows), I met a kindred soul named Susan who also loves her cows. Just like me, she’s often taken quite a bit of flack for naming her cattle.

Traditionalists give cows numbers in lieu of names. Ours have numbers, but numbers are too boring for me to remember them. By the time I get from the pasture to the house to jot down the number of a heifer in heat, 129, for example, I’m having to ask myself if it was 219, 192, or 129, necessitating another trip to the pasture. Besides, I can’t help it. If one is around an animal long enough to observe its unique characteristics and personality, the critter just ups and names itself!

Speaking of critters: I just happened to catch the cutest shot of these two little cherubs in the pasture today.

Dazzle and Wings

“He rode upon a cherub, and flew; and He was seen upon the wings of the wind.”                       –2 SAMUEL 22:11 (NKJV)