Opposite the cottage is the Church Field.
It was gifted to the Church as an overspill of the graveyard, but as the Church is closed and the county no longer extends graveyards, I am sure at some stage the land will be sold.
Presently an old school friend has ponies grazing there.
Beyond the field are the livery stable fields.
The stables are grazing a gaggle of young cows at the moment, all of whom have recently left their mothers.
The noise of their calls for their mothers is almost chilling at times, especially in the middle of the night.
They started a few days ago, around 1 am in the morning.
One caller bellowing in the dark followed by another and another.
Roger woke from downstairs and raced first to me and then to the window seat, scanning for where the noise was coming from. He was joined by Albert and before long we were all awake listening.
There is something incredibly sad when the young call for their mothers, especially at night when the cries are lost in the dark and the wind
They are still calling this morning.
Anyway today, I’ve decided will be a productive day. I’ve bought some printer ink and will be printing out the first of the TCA certificates to send out to the villagers who have sponsored windows in the hall.
Each person will have a thank you letter, a certificate naming their sponsored love one and a map detailing which pane of glass is theirs. I have also purchased some large rigid enveloped so that the certificates aren't bent.
The kitchen looks like a mini production line.
It’s college later tonight too, we are being filmed using our counselling skills !
Note to self , find a clean T shirt. And remember the camera puts on ten pounds.
It’s weigh day today and I’ve lost nothing more this week , which was to be expected as I’ve had dinner and tea out twice last week. I’m not disheartened at all, I will catch up next week.
The printer is clattering out certificates like a good un
And above the noise and activity in the kitchen,
I can still hear the bellows of the calves from beyond the pony field.
Oh, those poor babies and mums.
ReplyDeleteYou're a powerhouse, John.
A regular Duracell battery xxx
DeleteOur old house was very close to a farm and at this time of year, when the calves were separated from their mothers, the sound of their cries could be heard quite clearly. Well, to P anyway. I am too deaf to hear anything.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your printing marathon. Possibly calls for a bucket of coffee?
Look closely it on the table lol
DeleteThis is a sound from my childhood, mothers and babies calling for each other from parts of the farm. Quite haunting. Good luck with the filmed counselling!
ReplyDeleteIt went well , I think …
DeleteMum.
ReplyDeleteDAD!!!!
DeleteIt's breaking my heart just thinking of those poor calves. Now trying to push it out of my mind, hard as it is.
ReplyDeleteOh Raymondo you and your big soft heart xxx
DeleteFully aware that I'm one BIG softie, JayGee, but wouldn't have it any other way - though must admit it does get in the way of living my own life. Simply cannot abide witnessing, or even just knowing, that animals are in distress, whether or not that includes physical pain or discomfort. It's the major reason why I've been veggie (for the most part) for what must be around 65 years now.
DeleteI love the way you are xx
DeleteI built my first house in 1982, moved in and was awoken the next morning to the sound of cows in a field a couple of blocks away that I never knew was there before.
ReplyDeleteI built my first home in 1982
DeleteFucking hell I need to know more about this story lol
Please tell me
DeleteI spent 15 years working for home building companies in central Florida. It was a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 940 square feet, 1 car garage, neat little house. I owned it a couple of years, and built a larger one.
DeleteA talent xx
DeleteIt's a sad day when the babies are separated form their Mums, and calves seem to call out for longer, and obviously much louder, than lambs, who usually quieten down after a night as a gang alone without their Mums.
ReplyDeleteAt least the calves are all together
DeleteRodger might be dim as you say, but he is caring. GG
ReplyDeleteHe’s smiling at the tv as I write this
DeleteThe calling by calves for their mothers is a rekindled childhood memory for me. The call is so plaintive.
ReplyDeleteIt also sounds like every stampede scene in any western we have all sat through
DeleteIt makes no sense to me - to raise an animal for slaughter. Those mamas and their babies - I hope one day this stops. Cow milk is for cow babies. Peace for all creatures.
ReplyDeleteI have raised pigs for slaughter sheryl and slough it was hard , I know they had two years of wonderfully dirty, well fed lives in my pig pen
DeleteI wouldn’t do it again though
DeleteSad - it hurts every time John - but we drink the milk that is the end product. Suckler herds are best - the only comfort is that the calves soon forget. And lettuce for you all week next week.
ReplyDeleteYes weave,, wise words from you today x
DeleteOne of the reasons I could never eat meat or cheese or drink milk again. You're doing stellar work with the window sponsorship. I think you need a PA! xx
ReplyDeleteI’d love a housekeeper HH
DeleteSOMEONE who would worry about me , pop toast in my mouth, coffee cups in front of me and who tut tut at my behaviour
If I ever decide to come out of retirement... xx
DeleteMy Mom's been gone for awhile now and I still talk to her most days, sometimes right out loud.
ReplyDeleteThat’s nice and pretty normal I think Ellen
DeleteOh, what a heartbreaking sound floating over the breeze and in your windows.
ReplyDeleteWishing you well on your production line and I see your bucket of coffee standing ready!
Hope you have a clean shirt at the ready, too.
Hugs!
All but two of the certificates have been sent or delivered…I bought a new t shirt
DeleteCoffee was bought from McDonald’s ( who make great coffee) before I went to college which turned out rather fun
The calves calling for their mums was particularly sad for me this morning. My 21 year old son is entering month 3 of his backpacking trip of SE Asia. I woke up in the middle of the night worrying. Just as I wrote that my son began sending messages from Cambodia. My spirits have lifted. Have a wonderful day, John.
ReplyDeleteTelepathy perhaps Melinda
DeleteI have a friend whose daughter had a tracker on her phone when she went to Australia …she was followers everywhere
Hope all the calves and mums are OK. Is it normal to hear such constant bellowing? I love how you get all gussied up -- with a clean T-shirt.
ReplyDeleteI guess most of are sanitised over such situations
DeleteIt’s all pretty normal I guess
The calves calling for their mothers is so sad. You've got a busy day today. Keep the coffee brewing and all will be good.
ReplyDeleteIt’s been a productive day all told . I saw a villager who is poorly and took them some flowers . It was nice , touching base
DeleteI'm afraid my first thought after reading this was "How did that make you feel, Clarice?"
ReplyDeleteThat was my intention Mike.I’m glad you picked up on it xxx
DeleteI thought that too—“The Silence of theCalves”…
Delete—Fresca
Our local organic dairy sells Cow with Calf milk...happy calf, happy cow, happy customers. Quality milk too.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally they farm the same farm as Rabbie Burns..Mossgiel near Mauchline
Now tell me what exactly is cow with calf milk …? Isn’t that just …well…..milk
DeleteIt's where the calf stays with mum and we share the milk. Which is how we did it for many generations, living in close proximity with our dairy animals to mutual benefit, until some greedy b decided they'd make more money if we took it all. Tina in west oz.
DeleteGZ, our milman used to deliver milk in bottles recycled from many different dairies and I still have two on my kitchen windowsill from Mossgiel Farm. Sadly our house backs on to a dairy farm and we can hear calves and cows calling out for each other, very sad.
DeleteThank you I see xxx
DeleteWhen I first moved to the farm with my sweetie and they weaned calves, my mother-in-law advised my beau to tell me what was going on when they were calling for their mothers (and vice versa; the cows were calling their calves and this all went on for several days). "Kathy cares about animals," she told him, knowing I'd be worrying.
ReplyDeleteOne might not think I care about animals if you'd read my most recent post on my own blog. However -- this post of yours made me remember.
Shortly after that, I took over the feeding of a newborn calf that wasn't doing well; I forget why, now. It couldn't stand so I bottle-fed it several times a day, sitting on the barn floor with it. I remember the last time because it was as if it waited for me to come and feed it -- and then it stopped breathing as it lay with its head in my lap. I walked back to our house in tears and haven't volunteered for such a task since.
-Kate
Those moments are traumatic despite a farmer’s sensibilities or not. I’ve seem several hardened farmers get emotional over a dog
DeleteRoger is my spirit animal.
ReplyDeleteHe was incredibly good humoured when I took him into the hospice , gently greeting my colleagues in turn without silliness
DeleteThose poor calves! :(
ReplyDeleteAt least they have each other for company
DeleteI echo Steve's comment above. Poor calves who need a cuddle.
ReplyDeleteI guess it’s just normal farming practice, it’s just one we all don’t want to see
DeleteI like your collection of jugs balanced on the radiator
DeleteThank you
DeleteThat makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteHello John. Good to hear from you again. I am pleased to see that you are still blogging and please send my sympathies to the calves.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you too xxx
DeleteWhere I live in France, no-one sells milk any more; it's too hard work and doesn't pay. Instead they leave the calves with their mothers and produce 'healthy' Veal. In the UK they call it Rose Beef (I think), and it fetches a premium over that horrible sick looking pale Veal that we all know and hate,
ReplyDeleteSo where does the milk come from
DeleteHuge indoor milk 'factories'; elsewhere. There's no money in milk for the farmer who kept 15-20 cows.
DeleteWe bought a small acreage back in the late 90's, we had only been in about a week when we were woken up to calves pitifully bellowing for their mothers. They were outside my daughters (8 years old) bedroom window. She was really upset at the sound of the calves calling for their mothers. Unbeknown to us the previous owner had a "gentlemans" agreement with the local farmer for the calves that were separated to be put in the paddocks around the house; earning him 1/4 of a beef cow at the end of the year. We had to put an end to the agreement as it was so harrowing to hear. We ended up with our own agreement where the farmer could use our paddocks for extra winter grazing with the provisio they weren't calves; also earning us some beef at the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland
When are calves usually weaned . I have no idea
DeleteThe crying babies was so sad and so well written.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much
Delete“Good-bye Clarice. Will you let me know if ever the lambs stop screaming?"
ReplyDeleteYes dr Lecter
DeleteDecades since riding the big yellow school bus along country roads, I think kindly of an old farmer who kept a dry old dairy cow to nanny the herd of calves at weaning time.
ReplyDeleteHe said it was for the sake of peace in the neighborhood; his wife said it was for the sake of his feelings when he couldn't bear to send his pet to slaughter.
I’m not very knowledgeable on the timeline of weaning cattle , I need to update myself
DeleteI want a beautiful country view like that John!
ReplyDeleteSome quiet cows thrown in would be lovely too.
Mary -
I’m very lucky Mary, we bought the cottage on the power of that view
Deletethat picture along with the beautiful yet haunting description you wrote about the forlorn young cows is gold...
ReplyDelete