Announcing...

The New Member of the Ahlgren Farm!!!

This update is slightly delayed... by about three weeks! But I only know of one dear person who's missed not having something new to read here (Maybe next time they're anxious for a new post they should write about what they think we've been up to!) ;)> This true tale was mostly finished two weeks ago but the computer crashed, so we lost nearly all that was written, so that was a major set back! I'm also a slow and deliberate writer... I can talk fast, but if I'm writing a story, I don't do it fast!

After making preparations late Friday night...

... at a tad after ten Saturday morning we headed out to procure something that we pray will one day be quite useful on the little homestead the Lord has blessed us with!Following a quick stop for supplies at Atwoods, we headed on out to the middle on nowhere! After a few minutes of driving around the middle of nowhere, we found our destination; a family owned and operated dairy farm! We pulled into the drive, grinned excitedly at each other and hopped out of the truck! My dear husband eventually found the lady (wife of the co-owner) working there and she gingerly pointed to about 10-15 calves in pens over yonder telling us that the weaned calf we came to look at was over there. Moment of silence. My dear husband kindly told her that we have no idea which ones are for sale etc. so she offered to go show us. Thank you!

As we were checking out the calves, there was one big beautiful calf that was out roaming free amongst the others. We asked about her, and the lady told us she was sold, but she got out hopes us for a beauty. While looking the calves over, we kept in mind the advice from our friend Jonathan who has done a lot of livestock judging, he said he hadn't judged dairy cattle, but to make sure they look healthy and agile! After looking at several several Holstein/Jersey crosses and a one sickly full breed, David again asked about the other calf wondering about. As it turns out (blessed Providence!) she wasn't sold, just nearly spoken for! A local man that buys a lot of Holsteins was interested in her. My wise husband later commented that if a "Holstein Man" was interested, than she's what we want!

Our choice was made and we headed back up to the barn to talk with the co-owner (the ladies husband). As we made our way, I murmured to my Beloved that I hoped they didn't tell us, "If you can catch her you can have her!" Once at the barn we haggled out a deal with the co-owner (the ladies husband). You won't believe what her next comment was, "If you can catch her you can have her." Ug. We'd both been feeling somewhat puny and weren't exactly relishing the idea of wrangling a stout looking 5 month old calf! Thankfully, she was kidding! After procuring a tempting bucket of milk and our halter and lead rope, she headed to the battle line!

Here is the calf, the lady, the co-owner (not her husband, hereafter referred to as "old co-owner"), and her husband (young co-owner).

Thus began the "45 Minute Calf Rodeo"! We remained spectators for a while, not wanting to get in the way. But, after getting nowhere for quite some time, David joined the circus! Round and round the little calf would frolic, into one pen then out she'd leap, into an expansive field then back again. I stood back with the owner's three children who were putting on a private circus for me... well, two of them were, the little girl for the most part just stood by sweetly smiling occasionally!

After a while, I tired of the rock and rope throwing exhibitions and sought out a little more excitement! We (My Beloved, the co-owner's wife, the old co-owner, the driver of the milk truck, and me) thought we had the dear little thing caught once; she'd jumped into a pen and got her hind legs caught! The old co-owner grabbed her legs while the co-owner's wife tried to get around front. Well, being the healthy agile calf that she is (thanks Jonathan!) she kicked her way out, gaining her freedom and giving the old co-owner a nice gouge with the fence! Ouch! Finally, the Lord allowed us to maneuver the little darling into a pen with a little shed.

The milk truck driver held a piece of fence to keep the calf in place while the old co-owner got in with her and the young co-owner's wife maneuvered around to get the halter on her! Sweet success! (Thank you Lord!!!)

Next came the long drag to the truck! Hehehe!

Then the trailer shove.

Then the watch-out-for-you-feet tie-up maneuver!
Finished! We were happy, but the calf...

After another stop at Atwoods and grabbing a quick bite at Braum's (the drive through ladies loved the little calf! Hehe!) we were on our way home, with her rocking the truck and trailer the whole way!

Once home, we drove into the pen and excitedly got to work. We tied a rope to a tree in the middle of the pen to tie her up to because we really didn't want to risk a repeat of the morning with only the two of us!

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (Gen1:26) After getting her out of the trailer (a little test to see who was going to have dominion over who!) we just loved on her, drug her around a little more, showed her the food and water and tried to get her used to us and our leading.

Here she is getting her first whiff of the electric fence!

After a while she started warming up to us quite nicely! The next day she did even better and started to do much better with us leading her. She even had visitors her second day and she did very with them, even with their shooting,oh she flinched a little, but eventually got used to it!

Since then, we no longer have the camera, so there are no pictures :(, but the calf is doing WONDERFULLY well! Praise God! She's SOOOOO cute and we love her a lot! She eats out of our hands, is easy to lead, follows us around, chases us (playfully, not maliciously like some people's cattle), follows us to the gate when we leave or go get the mail, moos at us when we walk away from her and is just so delightfully fun! It's great to hear a cow on the farm, and seeing her, oh! what a pretty sight! We're very thankful for the Lord's provision of her!

"And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him."(Gen2:20) That last part is where I come in!!! My sweet husband has declared that he will name all of the children and all of the animals, but, God has given me to my Beloved as a helpmeet! ;) Anyway.. the calf's name is...

ANNABELL MOOVETTE ADVENTURE AHLGREN

It's a long story. But that's what it is and there's no way it could ever be anything else! ;)> Most of it was of our (my Beloved's!) invention but then another part is from the help of our neighbors derived from their nicknames for my Beloved and me, Maverick and Mavette (female version of Maverick)! For the record, we only call her Annabelle, and my dear husband says she came running to him this morning when he called for her! Of course, it was time for her breakfast, but we think she is recognizing her name, at least a little!

We pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in raising her, and that she will be healthy and someday give us a calf (for meat) and lots of milk for all kinds of good things! "And for the abundance of milk, that they shall give, he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall everyone eat, which is left within the land." (Is7:22) Lord willing, we might have some cheese someday too!