Greetings from Glen Haven! Since I’ve been lax in posting over the summer I would like to bring you current on the latest events. We’ve grown tremendously, making lots of progress (hence the lack of posts) and we’re pleased with the results. Back in May we experienced our first cattle auction where we purchased a tiger stripe cow with her calf. We named the cow TigerLily and the calf Camellia in order to continue with our floral theme. They have hit it off tremendously with Violet, relieving her tendency to gaze at her reflection in the workshop door for hours on end. So, here’s the 411 on life in our bovine community.
Camellia is looking a little forlorn watching the dogs play because she’s been all alone the last few days.
Her mom, TigerLily left on holiday a couple of weeks ago to run with a neighbors bull.
Here she is in the stylish cattle limo Mr. Brangus sent to collect her. Mixing in with the Brangus bunch makes her the only redhead and quite exotic! From all reports she and Mr. B have hit it off marvelously.
If everything goes well she will be carrying his love child when she returns.
Aunty Violet wasn’t so lucky. After a few days babysitting Camellia (while she bawled for her mum) Violet had to go to the clinic for her booty call. Because we live in beef cattle country there are no Jersey bulls hanging around for us to ‘borrow’ so we had to order a straw of bull semen (you can buy all sorts of things online nowadays) in order to have her artificially inseminated. Chemically induced AI is great for novices like me who aren’t sure if their cow is in heat or not.
I won’t go into all the details but basically her cycle is chemically stimulated to ensure correct timing for fertilization. This required a 3 day stay in the clinic which necessitated us going to the clinic twice a day to milk.
Violet is hamming it up for the camera while Adam milks her at the clinic.
Camellia was lonely, not just because her mom was away but because cows belong in a herd – they weren’t created to be alone and neither are we.
Just like cows we belong in a community. God created us to be in relationship with Him and each other. Being involved in a body of believers encourages us, can be iron to sharpen our iron and gives us perspective so we don’t remain self-focused. Sometimes it takes a few visits before we find our ‘church home’ but don’t give up – get involved today – you’ll be blessed!
P.S. Aunty Violet is back now and has comforted Camellia with lots of kisses until her mom returns.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. ~Hebrews 10:24-25