Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo and Me...

Yesterday, my husband brought up the cows to graze in the field next to our homestead

I don't often get to see our cows as we usually keep them in another field down the road

the young bull loves to "play"...

and it takes all my husband's strength to keep him under control when moving him

he is very curious about me at the moment, and he stares at me while munching his grass

since I am on the other side of the fence, it doesn't concern me too much...

as he has the knack for romping towards a person to encourage playful activity

he isn't aggressive but, doesn't know his own size and strength...

and truth be told, I stay clear of him

after he's lost his curiousness about me, he continues on with his grazing...

with a cattle egret for company

now, Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo, who is the bull's mom...

she is such a gentle cow and so sweet

she became very curious and came over to the fence to check out my doings

I could hear her lumbering up to me with her soft snorting as she started to sniff at me

I was busy picking the hibiscus sorrel and gave her one to see if she liked it

she took it eagerly and promptly spit it back out

so now I know she doesn't care for sorrel

she opted instead, for a young papaya tree growing just over the other side of the fence

those leaves of the papaya tree are as bitter as can be but, she loves them...

while she disliked the tartness of the hibiscus sorrel

I get my share of curious stares when outside to do this and that...

and this wee peeper gave me a good looking over at what I was doing at the sorrel bushes

there was a flurry of tiny wren peepers from a papaya tree behind me...

of fledglings taking flight from their nest as anxious parents noisely encouraged...

their young ones to come out into the big, wide world

this wee one could barely fly as yet...

but, I knew the mama and papa wrens would take good care of it until it was safely in the air

truly wonderful the instincts God has given His animals for these things 

as the Bible says...

For every beast of the forest is mine,

and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

I know all the fowls of the mountains:

and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell thee:

for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

Psalm 50:10-12

May your day or night be full of God's grace.

Wednesday Victuals...

On Pilgrim's Farm...
there always seems to be something to feast on...

whether it be with the mouth or the eyes

and it is now the season for sorrel aka roselle hibiscus

we've been harvesting a few bucket loads

and still the bushes are growing out more

more sorrel juice, please

which is okay with us...

because we dry most of it anyway for use throughout the year...

and some we make into concentrate juice for tea making

and this next bunch coming up on the bushes will be made into jam...

which I hope to post on

my husband sits for a couple of hours and cuts out the seeds...

which go into a bucket for later sowing for next year's harvest

after I have made bottles of juice from many of the calyxes...

I put out the rest for drying and give the used ones to the chickens...

along with some other tidbit treats

our 15 little chicks have been growing quite nicely...

the mama hens have been weaning them off in the last few days...

and they are now pullets and cockerels

more eggs, please

the baby bull born September 2012 is just about as big as his mama...

she is the cow in the front

we enjoyed her milk for several months and now...

she will be giving us another calf in another few months

and I'm looking forward to her milk, again

more milk, please

my rose bushes are busy lately, too

and because I love to feast my eyes on pretty flowers...

I will snip a few off to set around the cottage shelves and tables

I do so love to fiddle with pieces of natural bits to stuff around the flowers

the fibers around the roses are from off the trunk of our coconut trees

because curried onions are so good...

I've been making gluten-free pita bread to wrap them up in for breakfast

I hope to post on how to make this in a future post

and in the meantime...

On the last day, that great day of the feast,

Jesus stood and cried out, saying,

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink".

John 7:37

May your day or night find victual in the grace of the Lord.

Organic and Range-Fed...

We keep our cow and her calf out on the range that overlooks the sea

lots of food for the cows in a lot of space

it's a beautiful outlook from there and I always like to stop and just...well...look

our calf is growing fast and he has been fitted with his very own training rope

until he got used to it, he took my husband on some real "rides" down the road

he may be small, yet, but he packs a wallop of power in those young muscles

we have no real technicality to the way we milk

and we don't cut style with modern equipment

Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo just gets tied down for a bit...

just in case there is some head butting or back kicking

while her calf is brought to some other grazing for a few moments

a calf vying for the milk doesn't make for a good milking experience

husband cleans the udders with disinfectant

while Ms. Moo Moo gets busy with the banana bunch put down for her

she is not trying to pull away here...

she's just busy with enjoying her green bananas she loves so

she gladly lets her milk down for a bunch of bananas anytime

my husband has gotten quite good with the milking...

he prefers to use one hand and squirt the milk into a container that's been cut out on one side...

and then poured into the milk container

less dirt and such gets a chance to find their way into the milking container...

especially if Ms. Moo Moo happens to move

and no, I have not gotten around to milking the cow, myself, as yet

I prefer to milk the goat...

she's more my size

one side gets milked, then the other

once he's finished getting our share of the milk...

it's time to let the calf untied to get his share

and while she finishes up the last of the bananas, he's finishing up the rest of her milk

and we all live happily with everyone's share of raw, creamy milk

just another sweet blessing from the Lord who created all these things

May your day or night be delightful in the grace of God.

Moving Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo...

Early morning and time to change out the cow

language for "leading the cow to fresher pasture"

come along with us, if you please

it's a job that does not require office dress

we like that

well, good morning! Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo and baby

the little tyke is going strong and getting big

and he sure does love to romp and jump

"c'mone, mama! you're too slow!"

patiently waiting for Ms. Ruthie to get her fill of fresh, green grass

and here, it looks like a good place to graze for the day

the chickens went out to the cocoa orchard to scratch for their morning protein

and little boy bull took a liking to chasing them around the grounds...

which ruffled a few feathers

we will start milking Ms. Moo Moo this week

I can't wait for fresh cow milk and making some butter

these sweet little doves hope...

that your day or night rest in the grace of God

He's Here...!

Come with us down the bush land on Pilgrim's Farm and meet the new baby

all shiny and new...
cute as a button with saucer eyes and looking much like mama...

this tiny bull arrived September 24  in the wee hours of dawn...

just before we were up

Ms. Ruthie Moo-Moo very quietly gave birth to our first farm-born calf

at first, he seemed unable to nurse...

until my husband encouraged his sucking reflex by putting his finger in the calf's mouth

it seems to have worked

he is doing quite well now and we hope he continues to do so

and this little guy reminds of the Lord's sovereignty...

"For every beast of the forest is mine,

and the cattle upon a thousand hills"

Psalm 50:10

May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.