About Me

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I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota with my husband Bill, 3 sons, 2 dogs,, 2 horses-now 1, bottle calves and Chicks. I love to Quilt. I enjoy Horses,Gardening, Flowers, Archery, Camping, Fishing, Bottle Calves and all things with animals. I started sewing when I was 8 for 4-H, and have sewed off and on since. I discovered how fun quilting was over 7 years ago. I still sew on a Kenmore that was a graduation gift in 1981. I have a New Kenmore 385.19, and a Viking 400, a Singer Treadle, a Featherweight. and a Viking Ruby. In February 2010 I purchased an APQS Longarm , and Love everyone of them. I taught my 1st paper-piecing class, it was such a blast!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Favorite Things Friday

Favorite things Friday...... What a Wonderful thing!!

But Oh how do you pick just 1 favorite??? I guess I will go with the first thing that popped into my head when I read it the first time......

The first thing I thought of for my favorite is my Bottle (Bum) Calves the most recent and the ones from the past....Quite often they have previously belonged to my dad and for one reason or another they have been left orphaned or need that litte extra care. We "try" not to get attatched but as you will see some from of the pictures it's impossible for us not to. When we first started taking in Bum calves we started with one my dad had that the mother would just continually bunt around to the point the only option was to take it away from her. We then claimed here and called her "Jenny" a couple of weeks later he(dad) had another calf who's mother died giving birth. We then brought her home with us and she was named "Sparky". When this all started if they were heifers we would keep them and put them back in the herd. Now I do have pictures of these two but as to where I have loaded them is the question. So I will say this though Sparky continues to live down at the ranch and his givin us three wonderful calves(she's such a good mommy), Jenny her future wasn't to be too bright. After we took her back to the ranch within the month Dad walked out to feed and check on them and she was laying dead by the water tank.

The next two were just as fun. We started out with "Sunshine". The picture you see here is after we had had her for awhile. But she also came to us thru a neighbor and her mother would not let her nurse and they had no other to draft her onto to they called and asked if the boys would be able to take her in. Then we ended up with another from my dad and he bacame "Midnite". (When we first got him he was pitch black) and agreed to taking him because Sunshine was starting to think she was a people and she needed to learn that she wasn't.

Sunshine, Casey and Midnite
Midnite today

Midnite

Then the next year we ended up with this little Gal. Whe was named "Oreo"(yes like the cookie that is was the boys thought she reminded them of) She was quite the baby too. Though, with her she should of been called Apple face. (If the apples would fall off the tree she had a sense of it and would be right there to eat them)

Oreo and Casey................Oreo Today (she will be having her first calf this next Spring)
At Last but not least this year we again had two calves the first one was from a set of twins. (I must add here I have a set of twin boys so these were extra special to me)The twin we brought home with us was not able to walk or stand so was unable to nurse. The mother was not able to nurse both of them so we brought the one home. He was so named "Tuffy" as I knew for him to make it he would surely have to get to be a "Tuffy". We put braces on his legs, and got him up several times during the day kept him fed and he started to get up on his own and after about 2 weeks we were able to take the braces off. Shortly after getting Tuffy we ended up taking Misty in. Her mother prolapsed and did not make it so she needed help too.

Tuffy and his twin at birth.......................Tuffy and Misty today
With Misty we had her about 3 days and she started going downhill fast! We had tried everything we could come up with and then called a neighbor of ours. He came over and gave her a shot, This had started in the morning we continued to go out move her and ect. thru out the day. Around 5:00 that evening my hubby and I were up on the hill raking pinecones and had been working wwith her off and on the whole time and had pretty much decided she wasn't going to make it. One of my twin boys came running out of the house ran down to where she was she lifted her head, he called her, she jumped up and went running after him. The rest is history...... They were best buds ever since....
She has since been sold which broke his heart but he continues to tell me he is waiting for the new one next Spring. It is not really something you hope for but it is a "Favorite" if it happens.

Misty and Carl............&................Tuffy on sale day
So yes, I guess when I think about it, though they come to us in a bad situation, and not under the best of circumstances, they are my "favorites" even though we must let them go whether back to the ranch or to the sale barn we learn a little from each. The 6 months we share in their lives brings enjoyment and growth for us all.
As you go thru your day jot on over to:
http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/favourite-things-friday_12.html as see what other favorite fridays are happening.
May your day be filled with Blessing of the most beautiful kind.
Judy

































































































































3 comments:

  1. I would become way too attached. It's great you can take them in and look after them, great photos of all the calves. Love the name Oreo for the black and white calf. Thanks for sharing FTF.

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  2. Oh they are beautiful! It would be hard to part with them after all your care and love, hope to see you next week, have a great weekend.

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  3. My parents used to have a farm so we had orphan cows too! I used to get very attached to them because they have such individual personalities.

    It's hard parting with them though.

    Thanks for joining up to FTF this week. I loved seeing a bit more about your life and favourite things.

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