Early Morning Check

For the past 6 years or so I have been doing the midnight check during calving season. I had chosen this check because it was easier for me to stay up late then to get up early. This year, the schedule is different. Our son has taken the night check, my Farmer does the 2am check, which leaves me with the 5am check. In the past, this shift would NOT have worked for me. Remember I am not a morning person. However, with all the snow we had been plowing in February, which meant getting up at 3am to start, this 5am shift isn’t a problem this year. I seem to be having no problem getting up at 5am. Weird, I know. If you know me, right now you are agreeing, its weird. I will stress one thing, just so you know I haven’t completely lost my “not a morning person” charm, just because I am getting up at 5am does not mean I am ready to be chatty. I’m not. That’s why I can do the cow check. I’m out there all alone. The cows are not chatty. They are kind of in the same mood I am that early. I take my morning brew, walk around the quiet field, and they lay there and kind of look at me like, we are fine don’t bother us. Ya, I kind of like these cows in the early morning.
After my check this morning, I came back to the house and sat in the quite house having another cup of my morning brew, and was just about ready to fall back to sleep when my Farmer got up. I fixed him some coffee (yes that is an uncommon occurrence) and we sat there watching as the sky became lighter and the world was starting to wake up. I was just about ready to nod off again when my Farmer commented that he better get going because he wanted to be in the cows just as the sun came up as that’s when the babies get up and start looking for something to eat. We had one new baby over night that had not eaten when I checked at 5 and we have one that was born the day before that had not eaten from his momma without my Farmers help. I kind of just listen, wanting him to just leave, as I had done the check 2 hours ago and I really wanted to go back to bed. Then my Farmer says “you could go with me to look at things”. I’m like ya I could, but I don’t want to. Then he adds “you could help me persuade those two new babies to eat”. That did it. That one little statement reminded me that I am the one that has the patience for the new baby calves that wont eat. Not my Farmer. Those little babies need someone with patience and that’s me. So fine, I’m going. When we get to the corral, the new baby still had not eaten. My Farmer gave it the necessary vaccine, this is where he is good and I am not, and then he went off to do other things. I stood there and watched the baby and new momma for a while, mentally willing the calf to eat. By the time my Farmer came back, the baby had eaten. I just smiled and said yep, I’m good, he’s eaten. I know, I really can’t take credit for that, but I did watch and I was there. Now off to the other calf. This momma cow is not a happy cow right now. My Farmer had to bring her to the corral so we could pull her calf. She did not like it one bit and she is still mad about it. Plus she has big teats and the baby could not get one on his own. My Farmer had to put her back in the squeeze chute and helped the calf eat. I was not around to help but I could tell by my Farmers reply when I asked how it went, that it did not go smoothly. Either time. That’s why he asked me to come along this morning. I was there to help and I was confident that I would help the baby so he could start getting it on his own. My Farmer crawled over the fence and both momma and baby jumped right up. The momma saying stay the heck away and the baby saying yeah, it’s time to eat. The baby started walking around heading in the right direction, so my Farmer stepped away to see how it’d go. Before to long the baby was eating on his own. His little tail was swinging back and forth and he was happy, happy. And momma didn’t have to be put in the chute again so I’m sure she was happy too, she just wasn’t gonna show it. And my Farmer was happy. See why my Farmer wanted me to help. I’m just there and all is good. Haha. I hurried back home, got that nap in finally, and I’m happy too. I’m always happy though right?!?! Of course I am. After all, I am….Livin’ the Life, the Farm Life that is. Oh right, unless it’s early morning and someone is chatty. Then maybe not so happy.