Frisco, the beginning days.
☆ March 18, 2010
Whether it is the birth of a human child or the birth of a calf into a Farmily, the entrance of this new and unique being turns what-had-been into something very different…. and, in the first days (which seem to strech into an eternity each), life becomes chaos.
Suddenly, after two weeks of keeping vigil over Daisy’s pregnancy and therefore barely sleeping, I was milking twice a day along with all that milking entails: washing pails and jars, trying to keep ahead of the ocean of milk… ok, that’s just two things but oh, my, how they can take over one’s life.
Daisy, meanwhile, was doing her best to keep up with her baby, but, as you can see from the photo above, she looks a bit haggard. She was haggard. Frisco, from the first hour, was a lively, curious, incredibly energetic little guy who just wanted to jump! Explore! Kick his back legs! Race around the corrals and run smack into Daisy! And then eat his fill of milk.
Drinking is exhausting.
Luckily, I discovered the ecstasy of bathing and showering with fresh milk and became less overwhelmed with the overflow, and Daisy had The Aunts to help her out with Frisco: two 18-year-old black Angus cows of Mike’s. Eighteen years is an advanced age for a cow, but Mike does not sell his beef cows, as most ranchers do, when they reach a certain age. The “old gummers” live out their final years in comfort, and these two became Frisco’s nursemaids.
Frisco also has a manny ~ a male nanny ~ in the form of a crochety old goose that happens to love cattle. We thought Ricardo only had eyes for one of the Aunts but he has become quite enamored with Frisco, and feels such a kinship with Sir Baby, my Angus bull, that he ferociously flaps his wings and honks vicious threats if I have the audacity to intrude whilst they are together.
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17 Responses to “Frisco, the beginning days.”
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March 23rd, 2010 @ 8:22 am
I would like pictures of Ricardo!
March 23rd, 2010 @ 8:31 am
I grew up on a farm and have some experience with raising bulls. He’s sweet and cute now but bulls are not domestic farm animals, they can turn on you at any time. You do need to think about finding a suitable home for this guy in the not so distant future.
March 23rd, 2010 @ 9:13 am
I love the idea of a manny!
March 23rd, 2010 @ 9:18 am
i LOVE this blog! i love reading about the rest of your amazing life and your farmily. :D
March 23rd, 2010 @ 9:51 am
Far bulls would not have near as much attention as this guy will. I’m sure that Mike has experience with steers as well. I would think a lot would depend on the type of cow. Just like some dogs are more prone to aggression than others, I’m sure the same is true of cows. I know it is for chickens.
March 23rd, 2010 @ 9:55 am
My horse had a goat for a friend, it was wild , the two of them would go everywhere together. No pictures though, 45 years ago a camera was considered a big treat for us.
March 26th, 2010 @ 11:43 pm
If he’s gonna be a steer he’ll be much more manageable but leaving the horns on could be a bad mistake. We had normally about 150 head of cattle at any given time And I vividly recall the damage a cow can do to another cow once she finds out she has horns and leans how to use them. And a pet steer that will probably grow to well over 1200 lbs. can think of a human as another member of the herd and hurt someone very seriously when their actually just playing. I’ve had 400-500lb cattle charge me, I was trampled once and am very lucky I wasn’t seriously hurt. Cattle are great, they all do have unique personalities and I made plenty of then very docile pets but don’t ever underestimate them. And if one ever does become unmanageable don’t take it personally, get rid of them immediately.
February 20th, 2019 @ 10:15 am
Do you heat the milk before bathing in it? Or take udder-temperature baths?
February 20th, 2019 @ 10:20 am
Can you tell the difference in your skin using the milk? Didn’t Cleopatra bathe in milk? I mean..she had beautiful skin, right? I’m curious about Mike’s beef cows..if he didn’t sell his beef cows, what did he have them for? Did you mean dairy cows?
Is the goose still around? :)
February 20th, 2019 @ 10:22 am
Aw…Back in the day…And Ricardo – gosh how I miss that goose…
February 20th, 2019 @ 10:59 am
Ok…I just fell in love with Mike all over again for not selling his old cows! Gummers — love it!
February 20th, 2019 @ 11:45 am
How wonderful that is!
XXXOOOO
February 20th, 2019 @ 11:52 am
Love the memories!
February 20th, 2019 @ 1:15 pm
What a refreshing read in the middle of the day – to stop and take in what life is really all about! Thank you for sharing the farmily with us always! Always enjoyed!
February 20th, 2019 @ 1:17 pm
PS Last week on my drive home from work I saw a baby Texas Longhorn that was had just been born … I pulled off to the side of the road and watched him take his first wobbly steps! I felt a little slice of your world :)
February 20th, 2019 @ 1:19 pm
had just …
May 1st, 2019 @ 11:59 pm
I really miss Ricardo :( I think about him quite a bit. He truly was the only goose I loved.