cows

It's a strange spring we're having.  I guess I should be glad we aren't badly bitten by the motorcycle bug this year, because there have only been a handful of days warm enough to have an enjoyable ride.  Even then, the wind was often so strong it would have ruined a ride.  
We've been had forties and fifties for highs most days.  Tonight's low is predicted at 30.  My peach trees are loaded with blooms, and I'm hoping that won't ruin my peach crop.  All frozen peaches from last year have been consumed.  I'll have to cover three tomato plants and a pepper plant that I set out hoping to get a head start on tomatoes for the table, but it's been so cool, they probably would have done better had I waited.  They are looking somewhat puny.  Tomatoes do not like cold weather, even when it's above freezing.  On the plus side, the little cabbage plants I started in the house and set out in the garden a couple weeks ago are almost dancing, they're so happy!  I've heard reports of people finding morel mushrooms in the area, even as cold as it is.  Morels definitely like wet weather.  
I had a weird thing happen yesterday:  I always put Jody's calf in the barn in the evening, so when Jody comes up in the morning she has a full udder.  I take what I want from the two quarters on the right, and the calf gets the other two teats.  Yesterday the front quarter on her left side was totally empty!  Her calf wasn't with her, so I'm wondering who the culprit is.  Bonnie's calf gets lots of milk from her mother.  I don't think she would go looking for another source at the age of five months.  George and Gracie have been weaned for months, but George has had a habit of sucking Gracie's ears; so I'm wondering if he discovered something better than a calf's ear to suck.  Strange that it should just be one quarter, too.  Normally if a calf starts, they don't stop until every fountain has been exhausted.  I'm guessing that George grabbed on, found it delicious, perhaps while Jody was occupied grazing.  Then perhaps she looked back and said to herself, "That isn't my baby!" and butted him away.  I'll be watching if she comes in again with some of her milk gone.  In the old days, people thought that milk snakes sometimes stole milk from cows.  Just another old wives' tale.  


Adam has a new horse, a gelding.  His other gelding, Tude, has decided to declare war on the newbie, so Adam is keeping him (Newbie) in the lot.  Even then, Tude will spend a lot of time at the fence with ears laid back and teeth bared, trying to reach over the fence and get what he considers to be his rival.  Anyway.  The new horse only has what little grass is in that lot, and my cows insist on spending half their time in there eating HIS grass!  I think I'm going to have to totally lock them out of the lot.  They stay there hoping to get on that small patch of clover, but they are banned from there for awhile.  They broke in and spent a whole night there, leaving huge holes everywhere they stepped.  Oh, did I mention we are getting plenty of rain?  2 1/2 inches since yesterday morning.  

This morning I led them out of there and all the way to the back of the point.  Guess what?  They're back.  Yep, time to lock them outta there.  

See how much grass there is out yonder?  Why, why, why do they insist on eating that horse's only source of food?