Return To Thursday

On May 20, 2016May 20, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture1 Comment

I haven’t come up with a weekly feature to follow Calving Capers just yet but I do always plan to enter something to my blog, at minimum, every Thursday as I had originally set out to do.

As I write tonight I am in a state of happiness and gratitude as the rain has been coming down for the past few hours. Puddles are starting to form and the dust is good and gone at last. Or at least long enough to let the cows and calves clear their windpipes of the nasty stuff for a few days. I hope and pray we are about to depart from the drought that plagued us through winter and now into our spring!

Another highlight today was a little treat I have come to enjoy whenever I get the opportunity. From time to time I get to gather eggs from the chicken coop at my brother-in-law’s place. I even get to keep said eggs! I don’t imagine this would be so “romantic” a lifestyle that I would want to have my own laying hens…I can see there is a significant chore load that accompanies these happy little cluckers.

Photo Challenge – Face

On May 20, 2016May 20, 2016 By colleengbergIn Photo ChallengesLeave a comment

That’s right everyone, Face the camera….

Look at me – up here in the bucket of the front end loader of the tractor! [Of course they’re going to look at me)

Calving Capers 15

On May 13, 2016May 13, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Calving CapersLeave a comment

Hard to believe but for all intents and purposes our “calving season/calving capers” has wound down to this handful of faithful cows due any day now. We don’t need to check on them every two hours as had been the case during the beginning weeks of our adventures. We are content now to let these girls do it on their own. After all, they’ve done so successfully for many years now.

I did however have a little short-lived excitement this week when hubby brought in Dilbert from the field. From the slough actually, which is where he had been lying in. He couldn’t stand up and his mother was certainly not able to assist.

Dilbert has been “slow” from the start. He is “different”. He has small eyes and big dumbo-elephant-like ears and it took quite awhile before he took to naturally feeding from his momma. We’re not sure what set him back on this day to be stuck in the slough but whatever the reason, I was ready with the bottle and nursette and ultimately to be his caregiver. There hasn’t been a year yet that I haven’t had some little character to fuss over.

But this episode turned out to be short-lived. I guess it was my few hours of TLC that encouraged him there was hope to carry on. By the end of the day he was standing on his own and able to navigate, albeit unsteadily, around the pen. By morning, I was out of a job and he was happily reunited with his momma…health returned.

Thankfully, hubby agrees that we should keep Dilbert and his mom close to home this year instead of the pasture. After all, he’s a little bit slow and he just might need me yet!

Countrified Blessing – The Drive

On May 6, 2016 By colleengbergIn Countrified BlessingsLeave a comment

The “Countrified Blessing” theme on my blog is just a fancy title to showcase the little things I appreciate about rural life.

The Drive…

A leisurely, stress free and relaxing drive down a country gravel road whereby the occurrence of an oncoming or tailgating vehicle is rare to none. Where are you going to find such a state in the city?

And, by the way, the only windshield nicks or cracks I ever experienced were on a paved highway!

Calving Capers 14

On May 5, 2016May 6, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Calving CapersLeave a comment

Calving itself has it’s own level of stressors and concerns but I find that the “harder” part of calving and raising cattle is keeping the little critters healthy, thriving and ultimately alive!

This little gal [ears drooping, lethargic, barely able to keep up to mom] needed to be brought closer to home for treatment. Yes, we care for our sick animals with proper medicinal intervention and close observation throughout. To my mind, this is humane treatment of the animals in our care who depend on us for their well-being. I would much rather provide effective antibiotic medicine and see our little calves return to their energetic selves within a few days than have them needlessly suffering and dying in misery in the fields.

Calving Capers 13

On April 29, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Calving CapersLeave a comment

My girls certainly stepped up to the plate this week. All my original cast of characters decided to become mothers within days of each other and some with more drama than the others.
My dear Shirley Temple (from Calving Capers 4) was the first. With no problem at all she brought her little fella into the world but gave me such a look perhaps wondering…”what just happened?”

To top off that surprise, she and her calf then spent their first night together under a spring snowfall! Again, she gives me the look….”what just happened?”

A day later, little Miss Goldilicks (from Calving Capers 1) presented us a real adventure. We had to pull her very large calf as she wasn’t able to push it out on her own. And this episode was what we define as a “hard pull”…”difficult”…”stressful” for both man and beast.
Mother and son looked pretty sore and exhausted after delivery ….

….thankfully though, after a couple days of rest and sunshine and TLC from us, they have turned out to be a most attractive pair.

Last, but not least, 3B-Marble Dip (from Calving Capers 3), yes…I named her finally, from the Vanilla Dip Family, delivered while I was away from the ranch again. Everything went well thanks to a little gentle assist (which means – a less stressful pull) from hubby who continues to hold down the fort on his own while I tended to my off-farm commitments with the family.

I am so happy to see that each of my “starlets” have turned out to be fine first-time mothers and thus solidifying their position in our herd for years to come.

Countrified Blessings-Introduction

On April 24, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Countrified Blessings3 Comments

There really is nothing finer than living in the country. Living on a ranch in the country is even finer! In celebration of the rural life and all it’s uniqueness and specialness, I’ll post another feature called “Countrified Blessings” from time to time. Nothing regular, just when something catches my attention and that I feel the urge to share with you all on the blog.

Simple stuff like….

The purely exquisite luxury of tucking oneself into bed at night after a long hard day of relentless chores between freshly washed sheets that have hung out on an outdoor clothesline warming and drying under a glorious sun complete with fresh air breezes.

Photo Challenge – Dinnertime

On April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Photo Challenges1 Comment

My “take” on dinnertime on my ranch is of course feeding time for the animals…. all we do, day after day, is feed the animals or take them to where they can feed. It’s always Dinnertime for cows.

Calving Capers 12

On April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Calving CapersLeave a comment

I find myself at somewhat of a loss for words when I consider just how close we came to losing our entire home and ranch this past week. Just a mile away from us a raging bush fire was out of control and rapidly growing, fuelled by gusty 70-75 KM winds and heading our way!

My husband and other neighbouring farmers quickly got into action by hooking up their tractors to their discing machines and racing to the surrounding fields to work up the ground around the menacing flames in an effort to contain the inferno. The entire community of local and surrounding volunteer fire departments wasted no time either in getting on scene, working together along with the farmers and ranchers to save all the surrounding properties.

I wasn’t even home when all of this was happening. I was at a photography convention in a city five hours away! When I got the call from my husband, as he headed out to the “war zone” with our own tractor and disc … well, all I could think of was his safety and our animals. What do you do to protect 400+cows, calves, bulls, horses, dogs and cats? At that point, and for the first time in my life, photography meant absolutely nothing to me. I just wanted to get home.

Instead I was encouraged to stay where I was, of course I would be no good for anyone driving alone in a panic for 4-5 hours. Cooler heads prevailed, the community proved themselves as heroes and the fire was contained and controlled by midnight.

The aftermath from a close call such as this is extreme gratefulness and a further enhanced appreciation of our home and livelihood. We came so close to losing everything in a matter of minutes. Our diligence towards safety is heightened as we continue to face a very dry spring with daily winds and no hint of moisture for sometime yet. It is most comforting to know we have such a great community that will jump into action and work together for everyone’s safety.

And so….my husband and I have made a pact, a promise to each other for next year’s calving season . No more conferences, seminars, curling bonspiels, conventions or long trips away from home from mid-March to mid-May. We need each other’s support and joint efforts on-site to run this operation safely and effectively during the critical calving season. Because, through wind, rain, snow and even fire…the calves just keep coming!