That's My Boy

Mother and son doing well.

New Calf on the Block

We had been playing bridge online later than usual last night, me with Penny against Paul and Jules. We finished about 11.30 pm and Paul then took the dogs out. I had had a bath earlier so was in my jimjams and therefore excused duty.

While he was out the phone rang. Experience says that it is never good news at that time of night.

It was Margaret next door. She was having difficulty with one of her cows giving birth. Could Paul come round and help. I said I would send him round as soon as he got back in and I rushed upstairs to get dressed. I was just coming back down when Paul returned. Straight on with wellies and back out the door.

When we got there the calf was well out but Margaret and the mother where both exhausted with the effort so far to complete the job. Paul was told by Margaret to just grab the calf's legs and pull, and out it came.

A big un according to Margaret, and a boy. It is to be named Paul...



Relieved and shattered mother.




Whilst proud aunties come to investigate...




The next job was to move the calf to a pen, which was relatively easy - Margaret and Paul taking a pair of legs each and carrying it in. And then the difficult job of getting the mother up and also into the pen...

She got up okay but was not cooperating, keeping going back to the other cows. On the other hand there was no lack of interest from the aunties wanting to join the calf. Eventually we got the mother trapped down the side of the pen, Margaret untied the end of the pen and we could drag it back to make an opening for her to get through.


Mother and calf re-united...

Cows Found and Other Things

The cows have been found. They had made it all the way to a field in West Blanerne.

Redcurrant jelly has been made. It was almost a disaster. I was not convinced after pouring the first couple of ladlefuls that it had actually reached the setting point - normally the last few drops of the ladle go all gloopy but this didn't appear to be the case. I decided to pour it back into the pan and boil it up for another couple of minutes. The plan went awry when I dropped the jar into the pan. Panic. Took it off the heat, and with a spoon uprighted the jar so I could then pull it out with the aid of a tea towel. Anyway, I eventually ended up with about five pounds. Still not convinced yet that it will set, but signs are hopeful as the dregs in the jam pan have. Everything has been washed up ready for another batch of strawberries this evening as this is proving popular not only at home but with Margaret. Anne and Janet have also both been given a jar.

Sheila (solicitor) from up the road has photocopied and certified that I am who my driving licence says I am. Hopefully I can now open my savings account.

Camera is on its way. I can track the UPS shipment. It started in Los Angeles. Then went to Long Beach CA, Louiseville KY, Philadelphia PA, East Midlands Airport for the weekend, and arrived in Edinburgh this morning. Should make the one hour journey to here sometime tomorrow.

But still no sign of the builders...

Runaway Cows

It was the Edrom route for the dog walk today. As we headed off on the short-cut across our building site I noticed a big cowpat a pace in from the edge of the lawn. This may explain me being woken up at around 3 a.m. by the dogs barking...

Another one just before the road.

And two more on the road/verge on the other side.

No more were spotted on the walk.

The full quota of cows (three) were still happily munching away in Margaret's closest field.

When we got back and the dogs were fed and watered I wandered around to Margaret's with two punnets to pick some of her redcurrants. She was not in. Aha - probably out looking for cows again. She seems to have been very unlucky this year with escapees. So I just got down to the picking.

A while later Ian drove up with Margaret in the car. Shortly afterwards Ian went back past in his car, followed by Margaret in hers. About ten minutes later they were both back and I could hear them by the gate to the track to the river.

I had filled both the punnets by now so went to find out what was happening. My powers of detection had been right. I told them I had seen no evidence of them on the road to Edrom. Luckily I could also see no evidence of them on our lawn...