We're RICH!!!! (just kidding)

We took those three calves to the auction Tuesday; two of them were ours, the other belonged to the grandson.  Here you can see what we got for our two... Grace's calf, Gypsy; and Moose, the Holstein who was more black than white.

I'm very happy about this turn of events.  The timing is fortuitous, because Cliff is planning to get a new hearing aid (he can only use one, since one ear is totally deaf), and it's going to cost plenty.  The check will come close to covering the cost of his one hearing aid.  The grandson received a check for his mostly white Holstein, and got a little less money than we did for Moose:  This makes me think I should perhaps pick out Holstein calves with more black on them than white, the next time.  By the way, we didn't get quite all the money shown here; the sale barn commision and other deductions took away $55 of our profit.  When I say "profit", I'm only talking about these calves.  If you figure in the calves we lost over the past two years and count the big picture, we are way in the hole.  But it's a hobby, not a for-profit venture.  

I will probably buy one Holstein when Penny calves in May, to put with her calf and make use of the extra milk, and also to ensure that I won't have to milk a cow twice a day until her own calf gets big enough to take all the milk.  At present, those three-day-old Holsteins cost $425 each, but if that's what is available, that's what I will go with.  The grandson is thinking about buying another calf for me and my cow to raise too, but first we'll see how much milk she gives.  She will probably give enough for three babies.  We'll see.  

Someone at Clinton has a Craigslist ad, "weaned and vaccinated Holstein heifers" for $550 each.  In the picture, they look to be about the size of the calves I sold.  If so, it seems like someone could make a little money just buying them and hauling them straight to the sale.  It won't be THIS person, though.  Never forget that I'm not doing this to make money anyway.  I'm doing it because it allows me to play with cows and calves, which is pretty much my favorite activity.  Where is the challenge in making a trip to the sale with calves I didn't raise?

So that's what's going on in our little neck of the woods; you can tell we aren't exactly rich, to be so happy over such a trivial amount of money.  

Today Cliff is going to haul the 550 Oliver to Lexington and drive it in the St. Patrick's Day parade.  I won't be riding with him, since there's no place for a hitchhiker on that little tractor.  But I will be watching him drive by from the sidelines, wearing my green sweater.