Not For Vegetarians...

One of the most difficult thing to know as a meat eater is all that meat had a face once upon a time.  As a farmer who lives off what we raise and what we can harvest in the wild we can't think of that. A chicken is merely dressing or dumplings or fried pieces. Calves are hamburger meat, roasts, steaks and innards. We save the parts: liver, tongue, mountain oysters and heart.  Same with deer.  Waste not want not.  But it's okay if you thank their spirit for feeding you or so I've been taught.

Today we said goodbye to Sir Loin.  He will feed us well as we have fed him.  It is the way.  We thank him.

Sir Loin's live weight was 1010 pounds.  

I had guessed around nine hundred.  

I hand fed him clover for the last time.

It's never easy.

He will return in sacks of wrapped servings

and we will forget he had a face.

We must.

Sir Loin One...Dennis Zero

Farming or ranching is not for candy asses.  You who have experienced this know what I'm talking about.  It is a farm law that the worst thing that can happen is usually what happens.

Sir Loin before he was fattened.

Sir Loin, the fattening calf, is in a pen of his own.  The cows are in summer pasture.  He has constant fresh water and a feeder so he never has any wants.  I believe he does get bored because cattle are herd creatures.

They say, Never name what you are going to eat.  We did.  Marcy hand picked her grasses from flower beds and feed the poor baby.  Dennis mows clover in the orchard to haul to Sir Loin.  The little bull is spoiled rotten food wise and other wise.

Sir Loin has become a people bovine.  When Marcy or Den are close, he yells for them to bring fresh clover although he has a constant supply of all needed things including hay.

Bonnie, our pit bull, plays tag with him.  They have grown very close and even lick each other a lot.

We THOUGHT Sir Loin was a gentleman.  That thought can kill you with cattle.

Sir Loin is probably topping nine hundred pounds.  Den weighs much less.

The gate had blown shut where Sir's shelter was.  Den's thought was to go in the large corral and open that gate to improve Sir's comfort and tie it back so this would not happen again.

Sir Loin had other thoughts.

Den was in position and pulling the gate to the fence.  Sir thought he had a playing companion.  When you weight nine hundred pounds you pretty much can do what you want to do.

Sir came running at a mad gallop to play like he does with Bonnie.  Den stepped behind the gate just in time.
Sir Loin knows how to use his head.  He repeatedly butted the gate and the fence with Den caught inbetween.

Den can't move.  He can't climb.  He's trapped.  All he has with him is a 380 and that wouldn't pistol whip an ant much less a playful bovine.

Den did mention he thought of shooting him.

The temps yesterday even with rain were in the eighties.  Luckily Andrew came home from school and distracted The Beast while Den was able to climb the fence and get out.

I missed it all.  I was hauling a car load of items to the shop.

When I returned there is an ashen Den setting in his recliner and he tells me his tale.  He is a far better story teller than I and he had me wondering if the calf still stood.  His punch line for me was, "I shot the SOB" After my mouth dropped open, Den smiled and assured me Sir Loin was still living for his June 9th date with the butcher.

Den doesn't think Sir is so cute anymore.

I did ask if he would show me what happens so I could film it.

I won't tell you what his answer was.

There will be no guilt when we eat this calf and Den escaped unscathed.

The Back Forty and Weekly News...

Marcy and I ate out on doctor day.

Our nephew, Toni, met us at the doctor's office.

Stormi, Toni's daughter joined Aunt Marcy (cancer free), Toni and me for lunch.

Zander, my youngest grandson, graduated Kindergarten the 22nd. He's headed to Big School for Big Kids.

Hubby found me an amazing rock and delivered it to my water/rock garden.  That guy knows the way to my heart!

Bonnie, the pit bull and Sir Loin, the meat giver, have become fast friends.  They are now exchanging licks! They say never name an animal you are going to eat but, alas, we did.  Marcy carries him fresh clover and we all pet this bull calf.  I will remember to thank Sir Loin for his gift to us when I bite into that first meat.

My other sister, Beverly, and I keep on working every day at the shop. The farm keeps us busy, too.   I wondered what happened to retirement??