motherhood

Tuesday, April 10:The cows are tired of the barnyard, but it will probably be another week before the forage in the pasture is high enough to bear any real grazing.  In the meantime we have been turning them into the lane for an hour here and there, with little girls to keep them from the neighbors’ yard and from the county road.   Baby Belle had us down in the pasture this morning thinking she was laboring with the long-anticipated calf, but it was a false alarm.  From the house she looked like a very pensive animal, but when she heard the chain on the pasture gate rattle, she got up immediately to see if we would turn her out in the lane for some fresh grass.  We didn’t, but she got a nice rubdown anyway while we assessed her condition, and her baby gave us a nice kick to let us know he was still there.  Only we hope he’s a she.Yesterday’s rain didn’t amount to much.  High winds this morning probably evaporated whatever we got, and blew the plastic cover off the low tunnel as well.  Now winter has returned for a brief encore; temperatures in the thirties and even a few snowflakes.  We hope the onion sprouts won’t feel unwelcome.