Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Blessed Bovine update




At long last, here they are, updated photos of the pair. Look how nicely they both have filled out. No more ribs showing. Their coats are shiny and glow in the fall sun. Downright purdy, they are.


I've been trying to figure out how to tell the rest of the story. Why I call her the blessed bovine. It's not just because she managed to survive the winter on her own, give birth and care for a healthy calf. It's what she has brought into my life. Warning, I am going to get really sappy here, but it's unavoidable.


I lived here on the farm for five years before Mom moved in, and always thought myself fairly independant. Never got lonely, was never afraid of living alone on the farm. (Which is what most people asked when they found out I lived in the country by myself...aren't you afraid?) Since Mom moved in, now I find myself feeling alone. Not lonely, mind you, just I've never been more aware of how alone I was. No safety net. Isolated. The caregivers out there know what I'm talking about, I'm sure, AD can be very isolating. I've never had someone dependant on me, either. It's downright scary, dammit!

The Blessed Bovine brought the neighbor family whom I had never met into my life. The woman close to my age who I now call a friend, her handy husband who shored up my barn so it won't collapse under the weight of the snow this winter, her strong teen-aged son who needed a service project, and did a lot of work for me as that service project, (and has another for confirmation class, so will be helping me out again!), her daughter who loves animals so now I have an experienced farm sitter when I need one, and her young son who is just so darned funny and always good for a laugh.

Her husband is an electrician and will be doing some work for me this spring. They helped me bury a llama that I lost this summer.

They have haying equipment, I had an empty field but no way to work it. A partnership was born. I bought the seed, they planted it and did all the work. They kept half of the hay we harvested, the other half went into my barn. Here's the all-female haying crew:

If that cow hadn't wandered into my yard, I probably wouldn't have met them. I don't feel alone anymore. I know that they are two minutes away.

"We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over." James Boswell







7 comments:

rilera said...

What a wonderful installment of the Blessed Bovine story! I know what you mean, you and I have a lot in common. I too lived alone before Mom moved in and I had never before had anyone dependent upon me. I'm glad you have met your neighbors and created a strong bond...thanks to our beautiful bovine friend!

hopalong682003 said...

I love your stories. And, I think it's great when you let opportunities come into your life...even if it is in the shape of a cow. :-) I see you taking the same opportunity with your Mom. You don't have to share your experiences with us, but you take the opportunity to do so, and I think we're all better for it. I can tell you that you have single-handedly changed my understanding of AD. As hard as it can be for you, there's a love and unexpected humor that I didn't realize could exist with AD. Thank You!!!

cornbread hell said...

that's not sappy, annie. that's the real deal.

blessed bovine, indeed!

Annie said...

Robyn, I don't know how parents do it!

Hopalong, thank you. You've reminded me of another story, which I'll try to share later.

Rick, I felt awfully sappy when I wrote it. No, maybe soggy. My eyes were certainly soggy. Is it silly to get soggy over a cow?

Sunset Knitter said...

I'm glad to hear that you aren't alone. Sounds like a great friendship!
I really enjoy your blog. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon your blog, but I'm truly happy to read your entries.

cornbread hell said...

is that you by the truck or on the tractor?

Annie said...

Rick, neither, I'm behind the camera. The neighbor is on the tractor, her 13 year old daughter by the truck.