Last weekend we were feeding the cows... at the farm. So today, being a Friday at the farm, seems like a good day to show you some shots of us feeding the cows.
We were on our way to get a load of firewood. Farm firewood for our home fire, not desert firewood like we collected here. It was after lunch, late afternoon actually, the sun's angle probably gives the lateness away;-)
Given that this is the farm we were multi-tasking! Off to get firewood with the ute and trailer = ideal opportunity to take a bale of hay out to the cows. And so off we went. Calling the cows all the way. We didn't stop until we were a paddock or so from the back boundary fence. Then the farmer found a likely slope/hillside. He then cut the mesh around the bale, in an exact-sort of way... flicked and pulled...
And with a little bit of help from his friend(s)... (and a tight grip on the mesh!)
Delivered the hay right to the mouths of them that feed...
And weren't those cows happy about that?! In no time at all every mouth was full, plus a bit. The small people were made to be silent and listen to the contented chewing. Then the small people were reminded why they themselves should eat with their mouths closed; otherwise they sound just like these cows!
The cattle are very quiet while they are eating, well this mob are. The bull is probably the quietest of the mob, amazing given that he's a pretty big black Angus bull. His name is 'Bunty' and we will all be very sad when it's time for him to go. Anyways, while they are quietly chewing away it's a good time to get amongst them, check them over and try for a count. In this hilly country it's hard to see over every rise and down every gully, so counting stock in the mob is one way to tell whether any are missing and perhaps sick, hurt, or needing attention. So, the farmer counted. And then he started again. Well he tried too. You see, though they are quiet they don't keep still. They jostle one another or move for a better go at the hay. And their backs look the same, at least the black ones do... So a friend was again called in to help, this time to count.
The children were told to again be silent. And I silently giggled, behind the camera lens. You see there was something rather funny about it all. Cows chewing with hardly a care in the world, and the farmer looking oddly like a traffic controller. Or perhaps the conductor of an orchestra! I'm sure he wouldn't have seen the funny side at this point...
Once we'd all given up trying to count cows and the small people were allowed to make noise they discovered a lovely mound of hay conveniently located right beside the trailer. Being children they immediately recognised the opportunity to jump and land softly - so they took it. Lovely wholesome fun in the late afternoon sun. In clean country air. Listening to contented cows chew! What more could you want on a Sunday afternoon?
Well, we actually wanted a load of firewood! So after the cows were fed, and the small people had finished jumping, we headed off and found an old branch that had fallen from a still-living tree. Not those you see below, they just looked gorgeous in the late afternoon sunlight. And so ended our jaunt to get some wood, and feed the cows.
Hope your weekend starts and ends as nicely as this one did! In sunshine with contented chewing! Well, as long as the chewing is done with ones mouth closed of course ;-) I'm off on a trip this weekend, just the littlest one and me. So that will be interesting! Hope I get a chance to take some pics... Have a nice weekend.
