Tiny Miracles

Each and every new birth is never less of a miracle than the next one. Here at home I am able to witness the magic of life nearly each and every day.

This past Sunday was no different. However, the miracle we were blessed with came about two months early and so very tiny. He was an embryo calf that was due to arrive in June but decided to make his debut already. 

I have yet to name this little guy, but he appears to be fully developed and so far doing well. I am able to feed him with a lamb nipple and Coke bottle. He has such inner strength and drive and has already exceeded our expectations!  

I don't believe anyone in my family has seen as small of a calf as he, especially one that is alive and well. Wish him luck and all name suggestions are welcomed!

Our tiny man enjoying his afternoon meal!  He has gradually developed a greater appetite and is drinking more and more each feeding. 

 Still unable to get up on his own, Mr. Little always looks so relaxed and comfortable snuggled in around the straw.  At night, he keeps warm with a nice blanket.

 

One can hardly see how small this boy is in a photo with just him.  Therefore, our wonderful Red Heeler has so graciously posed for this photo to give comparison to the size of our baby calf.  Julie looks looks pretty cute, too! 

 Its so amazing how well this tiny man is doing...and only the size of a small dog!

Still A Free Range Kid

Growing up in the country, my parents gave my siblings and I pretty much 'Free Range' on the farm.  We would spend hours playing house in the old hired man's house.  Or we'd walk down to the spring in the cow pasture and wade in the water, skip rocks, or have the rare mud fight.  We also loved to play Pioneers in the heifer pasture by an old rotted out tree.  By this tree we cooked up mud pies, planted fake gardens, and pretended that days went by in the few hours of an afternoon. 

While we played, there was frequently the chance to also do some treasure digging. 

Over a week ago, Julie and I were bringing the pre-fresh cows up to the shed for the night and I nearly tripped over a delightful find in the dirt.  Sitting down on the ground, I picked up a couple sticks and began my quest uncovering my treasure.  Finally after about ten minutes or so, Julie and I found ourselves a little glass electrical pole insulator. I find it quite fascinating! It is always amazing what one may uncover in the very earth beneath us.

Even though some may say I'm too old to play in the dirt, I enjoy it just the same!  Age is only a number, right? 

Happy treasure hunting and don't ever think being a Free Range Kid is a bad thing, it is NOT!

Life On The Farm

I am so happy to say that Spring has finally arrived and Southwest WI is shaping into a more beautiful place every day! 

Since being home from Texas for four weeks, my activities have not much diversified. I feed calves each morning and evening, finish odd chores or nap in-between, and then hang out with my family at night. Can't complain. 

Even as what I do here at home is not the most glamorous, there is always something to do -- whether that's chasing heifers who escape from their pen, weeding flower beds, or nursing a new born baby calf!

Here is a tiny tour of my family's farm as spring arrives and everything seems to brighten with life!

Buttons and Megi are always around to 'help' when they feel they are needed. 

Here, Buttons decides to play farm collie on the back of the mini truck, while Megi just tried to strike her usual 'Look At Me' poses. 

 

Mom and I were able to uncover the beginnings of spring, literally! 

Cleaning out the flower beds is quite rewarding.  Here to the left are new sprouts of a Bleeding Heart plant.  And the Easter Lilies didn't disappoint making their beautiful debut!

Sweet Lambies! A new year is never complete without a few new baby lambs running around.  As the warm weather creeps in, it is so wonderful to watch them romp around their pen playing. 

And Chickens? Yeah, we have a few of those, too!

Can't have find any better eggs than those from your own hens at home.

When the sun comes out, these chickens are not shy about scratching around everything in sight! 

And the most wonderful faces of the farm: Beautiful baby Jersey calves! 

Here to the left we find Janessa: a delightful bundle of energy! She loves to get out of her pen and run as fast as she can around the calf huts. 

To the right, we find one of the twins, Miss Lane, enjoying the sun.  Just one day old, Lane escaped from her pen and we finally found her beside another building.  Quite the adventurous one!

And lastly, we have here Bristol.  Two years ago I was also home feeding calves and Bristol's mom, Brooklyn, was one of my first babies.  Its so amazing to see the cycle of life continue.

New calves are my favorite part of spring!

  What about the cows that make the farm really run? Here in the free stall barn are a few of the cows that keep my family's business running.  We milk around 250 cows and these lovely faces are some of the happiest animals around! Can't beat good feed, soft sand for a bed, and sunshine through the windows! 

And last but not least...

NIMBLE!! 

The most fantastic, wonderful, amazing, beautiful cow on the farm!  This big girl loves my hugs when I return home and is the sweetest lady ever.  She definitely brightens this photo better than me! :)

And that's it!  Thank you for checking out the happenings on my farm as we slide right into the warmth and life of spring.