A Girl and her Heifer

This sounds a little like the type of short, coming of age story one might find in a dusty old FFA pamphlet, handed out at an after school meeting in order to promote the character building benefits of becoming a future farmer of America. Which reminds me - I was one of those people in high school that made fun of kids who spent their weekends at ag fairs and their afternoons in the barn, grooming show goats. Truth is, I was jealous of them then and I'm jealous of them now. The value of FFA is highly underrated by psuedo-cool kids in high school - so listen up all you teens - eat right, get exercise, and attend those ag classes. You might kick yourself later for missing out on farming and hoof trimming classes. Really.

Moving on.

I do so love my heifer, Matilda.

I just don't know what to do with her. The land is actually taking some shape and reality has set in that eventually, these animals must serve some purpose in order to earn their keep and help us establish an agricultaral tax exemption. Meaning: this cow has to have a kid sooner or later, otherwise, all of the hay buying, fence mending, and manure scooping will have been for naught - and that would really piss me off. Although, at the end of the day, I just love the stupid cows and their equine counterparts....

whether or not they prove to add some tangible value.

Some exciting developments include the complete and total filling of our pond-lake.

It received our dog's seal of approval.

And do you see those wee sprouts on the ground? A bit greenish and floppy? It's grass, we have grass!! (Jer planted rye seed everywhere last week and it grew. Grass for the animals to eat falls into the "Big Deal" category of accomplishments).

More trees burned...

(curious cow)

animals tamed...

More of the same but never boring. I know there was a time before the cows and donkeys, the acres of dirt and jumping cactus, but I don't remember it. And I don't miss it.