A day in the country

Today the kids and I went out to my Mom’s house in the country. She bought some cattle yesterday and the kids love seeing the baby calves, so we headed out to check out the newbies. The babies were precious. There was one little white one who, while he was nursing, stuck his tail straight up in the air and hooked the very tip of it over in the shape of a candy cane. When he would get really excited, he’d flick it back and forth really fast. I love how exciting babies of all kinds get about mommy’s milk. Once he was done, he took off running, bucking and playing. Life is good when you’re a calf.

Alex helped Grandma plant some black-eyed peas in her enormous garden. It’s so fun to put those seeds in and know that before long, we’ll all be eating fresh, yummy veggies. Her squash and green beans are already sprouting and promising to be a great crop! Alex looked like a natural out there.

Actually, he looked like a city boy stuck in the country and wanted his MP3 player while he worked. Mean ol’ Mommy did not allow it.

Then I remembered that I needed some hay to put around my strawberry plants here at home. Alex, in full swing of farmerhood at this point, got out of the truck, grabbed a pitchfork and went to town. He and Grandma successfully bagged up some hay for me. Elliott and I waited in the truck and I swelled with pride at seeing my little man use a pitchfork like a real pro. Something so wholesome about it. Something so…real.

Just when he thought his work was done and we were driving away from the hay, I glanced out the truck window and spotted a fine specimen of dried cow manure. I thought to myself, “What better way to organically fertilize our strawberries!!!”

I quickly stopped the truck and Alex got back out with a bucket and a pitchfork. He worked hard and fast (with Grandma’s supervision) and collected us a heap of cow patties.

Oh, the berries we will have!

After finishing up our visit over cookies and milk back at the house, we headed home. For 45 long highway minutes, we traveled. With cow poop in tow. Oh, the smell. Oh….the smell. Because, you see, I don’t drive a long-bed farm truck. I drive an SUV. Shewwwweeeeee!

Now…

Two things:

1) I am furious with myself for leaving my camera in Grandma’s house during our adventure. You can imagine the fantastic photo opps that were missed. I’m really very upset about it.

2) It sounds like I was being terribly lazy and making my 6-year-old son do all the work. I had 2 very important jobs, though. I was driving the farm truck and that’s a serious job. The other was keeping Elliott in the truck out of the wind. It was gusting terribly and brought a yucky chill with it. I worked hard to keep her protected. Worked hard in that warm, safe, windless truck.