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Monday, March 12, 2018

Life Around The Hilltop

I am fortunate to live where I do.  I am able to get on my quad, ride out into the pasture, and observe my cattle anytime I wish.  Sometimes I even get to see wildlife.

I grew up working on my family's cattle ranch. When you see a large number of animals,  you are almost sure to see some things that are humorous ,if you keep watching.

My father used to love to tell about coming into a flat one day, to find a cow nursing her big calf.  The cow was next to the road, with the calf standing on the far side.  As Dad drove up, the calf looked underneath his mother's belly to see what had driven into his field.

The big calf's mouth was foamy from the milk he'd been enjoying. But what tickled my father so much was that his tongue was hanging out of his mouth.  Dad wished he'd had a camera ready to record something he got a good chuckle from.

One day a few months ago, I was trying to get a picture of some of the cattle to us in a column I wrote for the local newspaper.  I had my camera at the ready and caught a hungry calf not willing to wait for his mother to get up.

A gentle cow and an impatient calf.

Another of the residents of my pasture is my herford-angus herd sire, called Mr. Boo.  He's very gentle, but also feels very regal.  I can tell it's him by his outline.  He always holds his head in a very regal manner.

I simply titled this one "King Boo"

As you've read earlier in these blogs, Mr. Boo was purchased from a family in the very small town of Flournoy, west of Corning in the northern San Joaquin Valley.  He'd been raised as a bottle-baby, taking his milk as a calf from a plastic bottle rather than nursing on his mother.  She'd had birthing problems and could not be saved.  Mr. Boo was raised for the first few weeks in a big cardboard box beside the wood stove in the kitchen.

When we brought him home, we were warned that he not only will come up wanting attention, but with a little encouraging he would give kisses.

Mr. Boo is very gently, and carefully licking my chin with the very tender tip of his tongue.  The rest of the tongue is very rough, and if we were licked with that part it would be quite painful.  But Boo is careful to just use the tip of his tongue.

I liked this shot so well, I use it on my business car for Foothill Writer. 

He sometimes come up with Old Momma to get a treat of grain first thing in the morning.  She needs the nutrition as she is aging and can use a little help.  He's in fine physical condition, but likes the grain, so we give them both a little in separate pans.

Old Momma on the left with her big curved horns, and Mr. Boo enjoying a little treat of grain at the patio gate.

Every once in a while, if we are looking carefully, we get to see a wild animal.  Black bears live in our area, and are not very particular about what they eat.  In fact this bear had been to my Dead Pit and filled up on an animal that had recently died.  The bear was so full, he didn't even try to make his way through the fence.  He simply lay down on his belly, and scooted under the wire where it was a bit over a foot above the ground, then got up and proceeded toward the hill to take a nap.

A bear with a very full tummy had just gotten drink, and was headed for the rocks to take a nap.

4 comments:

pamreeves555@gmail.com said...

Brent, This story is so sweet and endearing. Love to hear about your life up on that mountain!

Foothill Writer said...

Thank you so much Pam. I am indeed a fortunate guy.

Annis Cassells said...

Loved the cow photos. Reminded me of visiting my grandparents in rural Ohio. Thanks, Brent. xoA

Foothill Writer said...

Thanks Annis. I enjoy the pictures as well. Glad it brings up a few good memories