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