Blind Calf Gets His Name - Stevie Wonder

Dear Friends,

The morning sky was a crystal clear blue. A gentle breeze, 72 degrees, and low humidity, odd for July, was welcome by all.

We recently had weaned our calves that were born last Fall. We give them about 9 months with their mothers. Now, the juvenile bunch is re-negotiating their own herd structure. They are flighty and cautious but still very curious and eager. This particular morning I was moving them into a new pasture with a series of turns. Our blind calf is now in this group.

This blind calf having grown over the past months is now a blind steer weighing over 500lbs. He no longer can call to his mother and have her come to his rescue to show him the way. She will have a new calf this Fall and needs to save her energy. As I watch him try to adapt it is both heart-wrenching and miraculous. Heart-wrenching because his lot in life is fraught with difficulty and struggle. It just is. Miraculous because he makes it work, as best as his limited steer brain can manage. I've named him after Stevie Wonder.

This particular morning Wonder didn't catch on to the move to fresh pasture. Maybe he struggles in the morning hours like I do to make sense of things. Apparently the sound of the ATV mule didn't register with him, or the sound of my calling, or the sound of the reel being wound up, or the sound and motion of his peers all moving in the direction of my voice. Back when he was still with his mother, some of the old cows were slower and he could pair along with them to the next pasture, but these juveniles waste no time in getting to fresh grass. They are hungry and growing at about 2lbs per day. So Wonder was left behind.

Now it's my task to get him around or through the out-cropping of rocks and trees, up the pasture, and turning through the water station into the new pasture. It was only about 30 yards but it might as well have been an obstacle course 3 miles long. Herding a blind animal does not work very well. Some times we've been able to accomplish it but the mules are noisy and more often than not they confuse him and he slams into fence posts and hot wires. It is hard to take but at 500lbs you can't try to redirect him without peril to yourself. Doc and I spent 45 min one morning, pouring sweat, trying to get Wonder through a gate. He would get to the opening and turn and go another direction.

I knew I'd never get him to the new pasture by trying to "herd" him. There he stood, ears forward, trying to figure out where all his buddies went. That's when I began to pray to my Shepherd about what to do..... I mooed. Yes, that's right, I mooed. He turned his head in my direction and mooed back. I was encouraged. I mooed again. He started coming toward me. I positioned my self slowly past the gate opening so I could keep drawing him with my voice. It seemed to be working. The the breeze picked up. I was up wind. He got scared and headed off in the opposite direction. Ughhh! 

I finished hooking up my reel, checked the water station, repositioned the mule so I could close the gate thinking that Wonder would just have to stay behind until I could figure out something else. But I decided to moo again. He turned and started heading back in my direction. I reached down and pulled off some grass trying to make cow-like noises. I had his attention again.

About this time, Simon, my ever-faithful farm companion emerged from the rocks about 20 feet from Wonder. He was in search of a rabbit or something. It startled Wonder and he moved away from Simon instinctively. Without making a human sound ('cuz I'm pretending to be a cow) I gave hand gestures to Simon to sit and stay... and he did. Simon watched with fascination and on occasion would stand up and try to move toward me but another hand gesture made him sit back down. So proud of my good, cow dog!

Some of the other heifers and steers were now getting thirsty and coming to drink water. Perfect timing. Wonder heard them. Though I wished they would moo or something, their drinking and snorting noises were enough to fully convince Wonder that was the direction to go. I quietly slipped around the back side of the rock pile and trees. His attention was still focused on the animals at the water station. Perfect. As I came around the out-cropping I began clapping my hands and talking to him. Not to scare him but to cause him to move. And he did. He moved out of the trees, away from me, and toward the water station. Once he got closer to the other animals he went straight toward them and into the pasture! Success! 

Simon sat motionless the entire time. He has been such an amazing companion here. My head was filled with thoughts as we rode across the farm over to my next task: the cow herd. Really, we are all blind. We are blind to the future. No one knows what tomorrow or the next 5 minutes will bring. We think we do because we make plans and we count on that because we had yesterday then surely we will have tomorrow. I'm so thankful for a loving God Who, though we have such limited understanding and vision, is looking out for those who call Him Lord. John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." . Do you know Him as Lord? Who is leading you through the twists and turns of life to safety and 'green pastures'?  Who is holding your tomorrow? John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." I hope you will consider accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

In other news, I am staying in NC. I have written a new business plan to start the farm education program here at Braeburn Farm in March of 2016. I have also entered a challenge to win some start up money for new farms (up to 30K), so if you are the prayin' sort... please do! This whole farm journey is God's gig so it only happens as He allows and I'm surrendered and stepping out in faith. God leading the blind here! 

I've met an amazing, godly man here and we've been dating for almost 9 months now. God is so good!

I still make way less than I used to and yet I have everything I need.... and more. God is such a great provider!

My house in Columbia is for sale. I will share the link on Facebook when it's online. Please share, share, share!

I joined the Triad Cowboy Church and am very active in the education ministry. Check us out and if you're in the neighborhood we put on an annual rodeo event in May each year (...and then you can come visit me at the farm!)

Please keep your emails coming. I love hearing from you all and how you are doing! 

Mooooooo!

PS... To read my first post about Wonder and why he became blind (January 2015) 

Blind Calf (Stevie Wonder) is Born

Nothing like coming in from the morning's work to a nice, warm fire and a great cup of coffee!

As I sit here in my long johns and sweatshirt and ponder all the things I could write about, Simon lies snoring under my chair, the fire crackles in the wood stove, the frosty air blows through the trees outside my window and a random, lone, wild turkey hurries across the pasture. Out front in the pond are seven Hooded Mergansers diving for food while a Blue Heron stealthily stalks a meal. 

Today, the sun is shining (we've had a spell of cloudy, cold, rainy weather)

and every living being seems happier. To just sit and be totally aware of the amazing life going on all around me, living and breathing in an awesome (miraculous) exchange of energy, resources, and nutrients. THIS is living!

I so struggle to put into words what I experience here, living in the midst of God's creation (Job 12:7-10) on this beautiful farm. So tangibly aware of life and death, suffering and healing, and great sorrow and joy! 

Most of our calves are born between late September and November each year but we had a calf who was born out of season this past summer. This was the result of some bull shenanigans the previous year. So, this little black bull calf was born. It was hot for this little calf in the summer sun so he hid himself in the shade under some grasses by the creek. His mama knew where he was but alas, we humans could not find the calf.

The cow herd was moved daily and when it came time to move the cow herd to the other side of the farm (through the shop yard and down the road) we had not seen the calf in a week or more. 

Presuming the calf had died, we moved his mama with the herd. However, the next day we noticed this mama was missing from the herd. Thinking she was grieving the loss of her calf back across the farm, we searched those pastures but could not find her anywhere. Each day Doc, Howard and myself would ride out and search the pastures for the cow but no luck. It was totally amazing to me that we could lose a cow on the farm!

About a week later, one of the girls from the horse barn let me know that she had seen a black cow in a certain pasture. I decided to check the pasture at dusk.... sure enough there was our black cow... and her calf! This was exciting news! But there were complications. The calf had contracted pink-eye in both eyes and was in very bad shape. Doc and I caught the calf and treated both eyes but in the days to follow it became sadly obvious this calf would be blind.

As I've watched this little guy grow I've gained such respect for a mother who would not give up on her calf and for a little bull calf (7 months old now and about 400 lbs) who has had to learn to negotiate life without sight. Sometimes moving the herd involves going through several gates, across a creek, through some woods, and around corners. If he stays with his mother, he can make it safely through, but if he gets separated from his mother, he is lost. 

It is extremely difficult for a human (usually me) to herd a single, blind animal of his size. I have watched helplessly while this little calf runs head first into fences, fence posts, and trees and falls into hedgehog holes while trying to find the opening through the gate. It is heart breaking! But don't you know, his awesome mama will slip through the gate some how without tearing it down and braving a pretty stiff electric shock to get back to her calf and lead him back up to the herd.

This all reminds me of abiding in Christ (John 15:1-16). As God has been teaching me to abide in Him through various means (Dr. John Barr, Jesus Calling, Secrets of The Vine) I can't help but see the parallel of the blind calf. When we stay closely focused on Christ we have peace and avoid many obstacles but if we don't, life is full of hardship. 

We are always abiding in something... worry, TV/Internet/smart phones, what people think of us, how we've been hurt, or what's next on the task list. Perhaps we have made a habit of letting our minds dwell on unhappiness, despair or the busyness of life? Sometimes I have. But these are dead branches. There is no sap or life in them and they will not bear fruit. Abiding in Christ means fully understanding and being fully aware in each moment that Christ holds our future, our reputation, and our hurts. Living in this truth gives us freedom to live in complete joy!

This day, this hour, this moment is not repeatable. It's the only moment like this we will ever have. It's a gift from the most awesome Giver of gifts ever! Where are you abiding? Where is your mind dwelling?

In personal news, I have learned so much about farming here. It seems the more I learn though the more there is to learn! I am now able to operate the tractor to load and unload round bales of hay, operate the tractor's bale unroller, load and unload cattle and drive the truck and big stock trailer, catch, tag and administer oral vaccines to calves, determine daily forages (paddock size) for the varying nutritional needs of our herds, manage customer accounts and retail store sales/inventory. It is exciting that everyday I have the opportunity to become a more resourceful and capable person. 

I have also met a very special person (Dennis). Lord willing, we are planning a future together which may very well include an agritourism business and youth outreach. As we abide, God will provide according to His will! Dennis and I are also ministering to the Greensboro, NC, Teen Challenge organization. I'd encourage you to read the book The Cross and the Switchblade. I have learned the ministry's financial and the participants nutritional needs are great. Please pray for and give to this ministry or a chapter more local to you as God leads you.

I love hearing from you about what is going on in your life so please email me!