a lesson in cow care

With our local friendly farmer along side us, we had a lesson on rounding up the cattle to tag and band. I stayed long enough to get a few shots and when it became a little bloody I decided inside was calling. It was an experience and confirmed my thoughts on the type of farming future for me- one that does not involve blood. Give me dirt and green, horses- oh yes, calves that need milking I can do but herding stubborn cows and banding away their ability to produce offspring ah no.
These Herefords are doing a brilliant job tackling the grass that was growing well above the children's head and keeping us all away for fear of running into snakes. the first few nights the calves ( though they  looked too big to be calves to my untrained eye) cried all night for their mothers but they soon adjusted and now they happily graze and graze. Certainly not as cute looking as Norman and Grace who are no longer with us they were causing a lot of trouble escaping and in Isabella's words 'they've gone to grow up' .
I think after this exciting day Matthew got a taste for farming and we are certainly taking as many opportunities we can to experience all we can of and on the land.

What could be better after this hot, smelly work than to head 2 minutes down to our local waterhole-such a treasure and delight.