Lions, tigers and pears, oh my!

I love my daughter.  After thirty minutes of fencing this morning she decided she wanted to go look for tigers and bears?!?  I have no idea.  Actually,  I wasn't doing a very good job of watching her and as I heard a horrible scream I ran around the corner of the barn to see her screaming her head off as she chased a chicken who did not want to be held.

Anyway, this search for "tigers and bears" ended up at the hog pen to visit Hamlet where she informed me that Hamlet loves "bears".  I still don't know how I made the connection, but I finally did.  Our neighbor had kept Sarah Katherine one afternoon and they had fed the pigs pears off of their tree so now that is something that she likes to do with the pigs.  So, I finally understood that she was wanting "pears" instead of "bears".  Here is a picture of her feeding hamlet her "bears"!  Probably one of the best mornings I have had in a LONG time.  I still have no idea what "tigers" could be code for.

That's a lot of bull......I mean cow!

Our first grass fed beef finally ended up at the processing facility!  She almost loaded herself on the trailer.  Every time until now this has been to move her to new pasture.  Danielle helped me back it up to the loading dock while Sarah Katherine snoozed in the truck.

This was the long alleyway that lead to the are where the animals go to be processed.  I couldn't help recalling a scene from the movie the Green Mile and whispering to myself, "Dead Cow Walking" as we moved her down the lane to her pen.  Sorry, it's just the way my mind works.

               

One last look as we close the door to her pen.  She has spent 14 good months living on the farm with no traveling on tractor trailers to put her closer to feed and being on dirt in a feedlot with 200,000 other head of cattle.  She has spent her days grazing and lounging in the sun with plenty of grass and fresh water.  I know that if I were a cow I would definitely choose the latter of the two scenarios.  

Breaking Out

What a trip!  I bought my first 80 acres when I was 22 years old and 3 days out of college.  After being turned down by dozens of banks I contacted the Farm Service Agency.  The agent was great and very understanding.  After I had built a farm plan, and done the necessary paperwork I had my first farm.  I still remember my hand shaking when I signed the papers!