What a Day!

The peaceful pictures of the calves that I took today do not reflect the kind of day we have had on the farm but still we count ourselves blessed.

This picture almost looks like a watercolor but it was just out of focus on my iphone.

The rancher was bringing up the cows with calves for us to choose our 10 steers.

Then the rodeo began.

Once the calves were seperated, we had to sort them out according to which ones we wanted.  One bull calf was not happy at all and wanted to take us out. Everyone got pushed around but Wayne took the hardest hit ending up on the ground with the calf trampling on top of him.  Thank goodness he wasn't hurt.  We didn't bring that calf home!

Shots, eartags, and banding proceeded and then to the farm we went.

All the calves checked out their new pasture.

They didn't stay together for long though.  One got out of the four strand barbed wire fence and was nearing the Expressway near our house when we found it.  There is still another one not accounted for.  We are praying it is hiding in the tall grass licking it's wounds.  Animal Control and neighbors are on alert though.

We've stopped looking for now, since it's 100 degrees, and will resume the search in a few hours.  Until then we are trying to get the water to the property back on.  We awoke to four feet of water in the storm cellar where our pressure tank is.  Between rounding up cattle, the boys have been bailing water.  What can I say?  Holiday or not, it's been one of those days!  Hopefully I will be bathed and in bed by the time fireworks start.  Hard or not, I'm thankful we have the freedom to live the way we want to in our faith and on our farm.