Mad Cow Disease!

       I still have to pinch myself - I can not believe that it is true, I finally found the PERFECT milk cow! Unfortunately, she was in Alberta Saskatchewan. When we set out, we believed that the farm we were looking for was at/or near Walsh, Alberta, but as we drove by the small town and then crossed the border, we realized that the directions given to us were leading us into Saskatchewan. When we passed by the "Welcome to Saskatchewan" sign, I got "the look" from Mike.

      My poor husband is convinced that I am loosing my mind and have entered into a full blown state of midlife crisis. Why else would I make him drive all the way (over 730 miles, round trip) to another province to buy a milk cow????? As if there are not enough cows in Alberta! And why a milk cow? Even though he was a little skeptical and not as excited as I was, about owning a Jersey, he was still a good sport, hooked up the stock trailer and drove me to meet Rosie.

      Little did Mike know, (or even myself) we were going to the mother ship of small farm animals. The second that we stepped out of the truck, we were met with an assortment of geese, ducks, dogs, llamas, chickens and horses. ANIMALS WERE EVERYWHERE!!! There must have been at least 30-40 breeding pens for heritage chickens and ducks, and I could not even begin to count all the "free range" animals. I am sure by the wild look in Mike's eyes, he was contemplating putting the truck in reverse and peeling to hell out of there! I jumped out as soon as the truck stopped - just so he could not bolt!

      Rosie was everything that she had been advertised to be. As soon as I met her, there was no doubt in my mind that she was coming home with us. I wanted to look around at all the chickens, but Mike knew better (chickens are like crack cocaine to me) and he hustled me out of there as fast as he could - I didn't even have time to stuff even one chicken in my pocket! I did, however, take the ladies business card and told her that I would be back in the spring, when she was hatching chicks!

       Rosie is a cross between a Jersey cow and a black Angus bull.

      She looks very much like the bottom picture, but she has doe eyes like the typical Jersey cow and a little brown hair mixed in with the black around her muzzle and in her top knot.  Most people that would look at her would think she is a beef cow, but she has the milking capability and the sweet temperament of the Jersey. She is the most lovable cow! Actually, I don't think she knows she is not a human! I am pretty sure that if you walked into the house and did not shut the door, she would follow you right inside!

       It has not stopped raining since we got home last night. I am not sure that Rosie likes the rain very much, she is presently standing by the fence, looking forlornly towards the house. I have not been able to go out and take any pictures of her, but as soon as it drys up, I am going to do a photo shoot with Rosie. 

      Now, all I have to do is find a friend for her! I am going to wait an appropriate amount of time and then bring up the subject of a second milk cow to keep her company. I am pretty sure that as long as it is not is Saskatchewan, I have a pretty good chance of getting a second Jersey!! Poor Mike! Maybe milk cows are my next fix! LOL

Autumn On The Farm

        It is hard to believe that summer is over and we are starting to shut the farm down for the winter. It seems like just yesterday that I was planting peas and stuffing colourful annuals into rusty old milk pails and washtubs to scatter all around the farm yard, making endless batches of freezer jam from the prolific strawberry patch and buying fluffy, peeping chicks. Now I am all pumpkin, falling leaves and cold weather sweaters!

       The girls are enjoying the autumn days, pecking around the yard and scratching under the trees for the last of the juicy bugs. Too soon, they are going to be locked in their snug henhouse and there will be no more days of free range bliss.

The fresh snow in the mountains each morning, reminds me that winter is coming and the days of frozen hoses and chilly mornings doing chores are right around the bend! It will not be long before I will be doing chicken chores in total darkness, to be able to be at the workshop on time to start breakfast for the ladies. Oh, I am going to hate that!! But, I know that it is just weeks away! The pumpkins and corn froze the other night, so I can harvest the pumpkins and zucchini this week - they were grown to feed my girls during the winter, to give them something to peck on and pass the long winter days. Boredom busters, so they won't start bad habits in the henhouse, like pecking on their friends and family!

     A couple of times, early in the morning, as I was feeding the ducks, I have smelt wood smoke from our neighbour's place. It is a satisfying, "full circle" kind of feeling. Part of me is ready for winter rest, a slower time, less outdoor work to do, no more "projects" or items on a list. It is getting time to hunker down with good books, photographs from summer activities to scrapbook and my cookie sheets and cake pans. It is time to test recipes. Time to fill the house with the smells of ginger and cinnamon. Time to see all my friends again. 

     But for right now, I am content to wander among the trees (with my camera in hand) and soak in the last little heat rays of the summer, try to capture the falling leaves and listen to the birds as they flock in the grain fields and the honking of the geese as they fall into line behind one another in the classic formation. It is a time to give thanks for all the glittering jars of fruit and veggies, safely stored in the pantry. A time for tidying up the garden tools and storing them safely away until the spring. It is my time! I am an autumn girl! 

      Bring on the pumpkins!

Today was an "interesting" day! Have you ever tried to bandage up a duck? A live, wriggling, squirming and SCREAMING duck? Me neither - until this morning!! LOL

This adventure started yesterday, when I noticed that Peaches had a wing sticking out at a 90 degree angle. A little search on the internet provided the diagnosis - Angel Wing. A condition caused by the duck growing so rapidly that the tender, wing tips twist under the pressure of the fast paced bone growth. A wild duck with this condition would die. Without the aide of flight, to escape predation, a duck with Angel Wing would be... (wait for it) A SITTING DUCK!!!!! ROTFL

Fuzzy Peaches, being a pet duck, could survive with a twisted wing. But she would not be pretty! Her cock eyed wing would stick out and bump on everything, she could be picked on by her siblings, Gumdrop and Jelly Bean, (yes, Peyton named the trio of ducklings!) but most importantly, it would just look WRONG! A quick Google search for a remedy led me to this morning's adventure! The only way to heal a twisted wing is to tightly tape the wing to the ducks body.

How hard could that be? (insert hysterical laughter)

With help from my dear husband (who just might think that I am losing my mind), a roll of green vet tape and two rolls of medical tape, we tried to catch the duck - turns out that even a handicapped duck can put up quite a fight! LOL. Then we had to hog tie  hog tape the duck! Not an easy task, when the patient is biting, hissing, screaming and defecating on you - did I mention that she was trying to rip my face off! LOL

The eventual outcome was one, football shaped, torpedo-ish, bitterly complaining, Muscovy duck. Peaches flopped pathetically around for the morning, refusing to stand or walk. I guess that duck wings must aide them in balance, judging by the sight of my duck rolling around on the ground. And did I mention the SCREAMING? There was a lot of screaming - some of it might have been from me!

Tonight, the tape is still on. Peaches is resting comfortably. I have to leave the tape on for about a week - please, God, do not let that tape come off! I might just not have the stamina to go through that duck rodeo again.

One thing is for sure - if I have to treat another duck, I will wear earplugs!