Author life – Living de Good Life

Saying Good-bye

Saying good-bye is difficult, whether it is expected or suddenly unexpected. As I have written in a few previous posts, we have dealt with many unexpected deaths here on de Good Life Farm. Of course, we raise cattle and chickens for meat, so those are planned and expected good-byes, but even so, are difficult. Life is precious, whether it is a meat chicken you have raised from “chickhood” or a steer you have loved and raised from birth. We take caring for our animals very seriously and thus, the loss of life is painful, regardless of whose life it is.

As I sat on the bucket milking Mocha this morning, I was very sad knowing that the events of the day would be very hard–hard on her and on me. If you have read My Name is Mocha, you know that Mocha left her mama behind when she came to our farm almost seven years ago, and it was very traumatic for her. She was fifteen months old and pregnant with her first calf. She cried the whole trip through town to our farm and for days after. I later found out Jersey cried for Mocha as we pulled away.

Mocha and Jersey playing around in the pasture after days in the barn

THE WHO?

Jersey is Mocha’s mama. Jersey is also the cow I learned to milk on! I am thankful that she and Ralph, her farmer, were patient teachers. I had such untrained, fumble fingers.

Ralph, Jersey’s former owner, visiting to say goodbye

Jersey has been mama to Coco (Mocha’s older sister), Mocha, Billy (Coco and Billy were both born while still at Ralphs’ farm), our sweet Oreo and our sweet Herbie. She has also been grandma to Mocha’s girls: Cocoa (named after her aunt), Caramel, Truffle, Hazel, Elsie and Daisy and great grandma to Snickers, Caramel’s daughter. Needless to say, without Jersey, there wouldn’t be a “de Good Life Farm”.

Jersey’s milk wasn’t the first fresh milk I had tasted, but I and my family, as well as a host of other families who are part of our herd share program have enjoyed her rich creamy milk for a grand total of about eight years! Our vet lovingly calls her “a lean, mean milking machine”. She’s not really mean. She is stubborn and will bully Mocha if she has the chance to get to fresh hay, water, feed or mineral first. I guess maybe she figures she is the matron and deserves to be first!

THE “WHY”

Jersey doesn’t “show” her heats at all (other than occasionally trying to “ride” Jeff) This makes getting her bred a challenge. When she came to our farm in 2016, we thought she was pregnant, but soon found out she wasn’t. Eventually we were able to get her successfully bred and in 2018 she gave us our precious Oreo! What a sweet boy he was! Then in 2019, she gave us our sweet Herbie! She is two for two on sweet boys for us. The problem is that in five years, trying a number of protocols, we have only been successful at getting her pregnant twice. Two calves when she “should/could” have given us five is fairly significant.

THE “NOW WHAT?”

Unfortunately, there aren’t many options when you have an eleven-year-old cow who can’t be bred. And it is also unfortunate that we cannot afford to feed and bed a cow who cannot be bred. Together, Jeff and I prayed that God would show us what to do.

Eventually, I made an appointment to have her sold at auction. It broke my heart but sometimes being a “farmer” means making very difficult decisions with something other than your heart. Then on Monday, I placed a call to our vet’s office to see if they knew of any other options. They said we could try to sell her on a local site as a “pet” cow who is still lactating. So, I placed an ad.

Within an hour or so, I received a response from a guy who has a cow who is getting ready to be dry in preparation for calving and he was interested in Jersey. So, today, he is coming to take a look at her. It would thrill me if she could continue to provide her rich milk to another family and live a little longer. We will see, but we definitely felt this was a sign from God that we were on the right track.

Mocha (l.) and Jersey (r.) in their barn stalls

THE “KNOWING”

So, as I was saying earlier, it hurts me for Mocha, knowing what I know: that she will again have to say “good-bye” to her mama and this time there will be no happy reunion as there was in her book. She will cry and she will mourn and that will break my heart. It may affect her milk production for a few days and I am prepared for that. However, the wonderful thing about cows is that they are very adaptive and eventually she will become accustomed to a new normal.

THE “NEW”

What Mocha doesn’t know is that rather than keeping the stall next to her empty which will be a constant reminder of what she has lost, tonight or this weekend, we will attempt to bring in her daughter, Elsie. Elsie should be coming into heat soon and we will try to get her bred. She’s a bit of a wild child…”Diva” like her mama, with a little wild thrown in since she has been pretty much free in the pasture since she was four months old. Getting a lead rope on her will be challenging. Eventually, we will succeed!

Elsie (Mocha’s daughter from 2019) and Herbie are buddies and have been since she was born in December two years ago. They are the “queen” and “king” of the calves’ pasture. They actually are more like brother and sister than uncle and niece. We won’t take her away from him for good until March–just long enough to settle her down and get her bred and hopefully in the process, ease the pain for Mocha.

THE GOODBYE

You know, it’s so good when you ask God for guidance and then you look back and see His hand. Jersey just left for her new home. It’s even better than we had hoped for her.

The guy I mentioned above came with his daughter and after looking her over and asking the questions he needed answers to, he decided she is what he was looking for!

She dutifully followed me out the front door with only one quick backwards glance toward the back of the barn where she usually exits. She followed me through the back yard to the waiting trailer. I stepped up into the trailer and she followed me without hesitation except for the step up into the trailer. That hesitation wasn’t surprising as cows do not like to step up into anything!

Herbie was obviously bothered and because he was bothered, so were Elsie and the calves. Anything to do with his mama is always of concern to him! Last year when she passed by him on the way to the barn, he ran to meet her. Jersey? Well, let’s just say she hardly gave him a sidewards glance!

Herbie and Elsie upset and confused as they see Jersey get on the trailer

THE FUTURE

Now, not only will Jersey provide milk for a family during the dry period of their regular milk cow, she may actually have the opportunity to get bred! They have a yearling bull that will run with her. That is like the icing on the cake for me and makes this post so much more happy and hopeful! Jersey has a new home, so this is just the next chapter in her life! I think that means it’s time for a new farm book!

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in my children’s books about the farm, you may check out my website http://www.dianeorrauthor.com and click on the “Books” page.

Farm Funnies – More Stories of Odin and Merlin

If you have animals, whether they are in-house pets or farm animals, you will agree that they can be so silly. Watching them can bring waves of laughter and lighten your countenance. So it is for me. Here are some farm funnies that hopefully will make you chuckle.

Odin – King of the Pasture

So, if you have been following me for awhile, you know that Odin is already the star of two of my farm books: My Name is Odin https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Odin-Good-Life/dp/1952894980/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+name+is+odin&qid=1636402786&sr=8-1 and Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team at de Good Life Farm https://www.amazon.com/Odin-Merlin-Amazing-Team-Good/dp/1639840745/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=odin+and+merlin+the+amazing+team&qid=1636402872&sr=8-1. He continues to earn top billing here at the farm.

His most important title is “Livestock Guardian” and he performs it so well! We have not lost a chicken to a predator since his arrival at the farm! He OWNS the pasture! He always has his eye to the sky.

The other day I saw him flying from one side of the pasture to the other barking his loudest and fiercest bark. I followed him and couldn’t figure out what he was so upset about. Jeff was out there and I asked…he pointed up. A JET! Odin saw the jet as a predator from the sky!

He has learned to protect the chickens from whatever may pose as a danger to them, even if that “danger” is Freya. She is going to be a great teammate for him someday, but she can’t yet be trusted with the chickens off-cable. He is so serious about his duties, whether the perceived danger is a flock of geese, a jet, or even a hot air balloon! The important thing is that he pays attention and does his job!

Anyway, back to my farm funnies! You know that I love writing stories about my animals. Their antics delight me! Last night, while I was in the barn, their entertainment was no exception. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take many pictures. I am hoping that my story-telling abilities will be descriptive enough that you will feel like you are watching them from wherever you are reading this blog post.

Get Out of My Space!

While I was milking Mocha, I heard a chicken squawking. That typically means one (or more) chicken has been dumb enough to go into Odin’s kennel. I heard Merlin quite upset as well.

When I had a chance to get up and look, my suspicious were confirmed. There was a chicken in Odin’s kennel and bless his heart, Odin was being as careful and as gentle as a 140ish-pound dog can be with a creature approximately three per cent of its body weight.

And Merlin? He was talking up a storm in a reprimanding tone, but not at Odin…at the chicken! It was almost like he was saying “You stupid chicken! I have told you time and time again not to go in there!”

The Backstory

(NOTE: This is not the first time I have seen this scenario! Several weeks ago when I was on the tractor and we were moving the meat chickens, I could tell Odin had his mouth on a chicken inside his kennel. I instinctively yelled “No!” to try and stop him. Then I watched. His intentions obviously weren’t malicious! He was trying to get that chicken out of his kennel. I continued to watch and he was using his paws and his mouth trying to get it out.

Finally, in amazement, I watched him PICK UP THAT CHICKEN and carry it out of his kennel just like a mama dog would carry her pup! Then he literally spat it out of his mouth! The chicken ran away and I looked back at Odin and he didn’t seem real pleased with what was left in his mouth! You know how you stick your tongue out and try to scrape out a nasty taste or sensation? That is EXACTLY what he was doing!! I absolutely howled…then praised him for being such a good boy!) Now, back to present…

Back to the Story

As I continued to watch, he tried to pick her up by her neck (like he had done with that chicken before — same one?? Who knows!) but he couldn’t get a good grasp, even using his big paws to try and hold her! I wondered what he would do. I stared in amazement as I watched him catch her by her tail and literally push and shove her out of his kennel. When she was clearly outside of it, he released her and she ran away! I laughed out loud and praised him for being such a good boy!

Do-Over! Really?

Soon after finishing milking, I heard the scenario repeating itself. I watched Odin trying to get that “stupid chicken” out of his kennel AGAIN but he didn’t seem to be making any progress. I went over and tried to help, but every time we (yes, Odin and I were working together as a team) got her near the door and I thought she would make a run for it, she headed back into the kennel!

Since I didn’t seem to be helping the situation, I went back into the barn. Odin, however, did NOT give up. As I heard her squawking again, I turned to see him with his mouth on her tail again! Only, this time, he picked her up by her tail and walked her right out of his kennel! He took her as far as his cable would allow (we cable him during chores to keep him from causing havoc in the barn with the cows going back and forth) and then dropped her. I absolutely howled with laughter!

Odin’s intelligence continues to amaze me and his understanding that 1) he is their protector, but 2) his kennel is his space and he has a right to protect it! Again, I praised him over and over and told him what a good boy he is! Of course, he LOVED that!

Merlin’s Territorial Battles

Merlin, who also is the star of two of my farm books, My Name is Merlin https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Merlin-Good-Life/dp/195045472X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+name+is+merlin&qid=1636402959&sr=8-1, and Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team (referenced above), is an amazing creature! He is now in the process of training his fourth flock of hens and he, too, takes his job here at the farm very seriously!

We had a totally unexpected upset to Merlin’s world when I stupidly accepted three “free” chicks in June when I picked up this batch of layer chicks…and of course (I later I was told by a friend that if you are offered “free” chicks from a hatchery…they are almost assuredly going to be ROOSTERS!). Anyway, I digress… we discovered a few weeks ago that they were, IN FACT, roosters!

They didn’t seem to upset the balance of power too badly until this past week. Evidently, they matured and that fact made them decide to claim some of Merlin’s hens for themselves. Actually, it seems it was only ONE of the roosters that decided to help himself to the hens and Merlin was well-aware of which one it was!

Get Away from My Hen!

One evening, I heard Merlin carrying on something fierce and I looked out from the barn just in time to see Merlin running his fastest…wish I had a picture…in attack mode, toward that rooster who was with one of Merlin’s hens. The rooster saw him coming and ran away, but Merlin didn’t stop the chase! He chased after him all over the pasture till he was far away from the hen.

Merlin’s House…Merlin’s Rules

So, that evening, as is our usual practice, after milking and chores I checked to make sure all of the chickens were safely in the coop. I saw one of the roosters hanging around, so I walked slowly behind it, which normally will encourage it to go in the coop. It tried to go in! As it began to enter the door of the coop, Merlin came FLYING out of the coop door, yelling and screaming at this rooster. I don’t know what words he used, but there was no doubt in that roosters mind that he wasn’t allowed in the coop.

I told Jeff what I had witnessed and we agreed that we respect Merlin enough that we would allow his rule to stand. We weren’t sure whether he was disciplining that rooster or banning him, but Merlin is too important to this farm to upset him, so we did nothing. We were unsure what would happen to the rooster for the night with Odin and Freya both loose at night.

Another Day…Same Story

However, the next evening, I witnessed the same thing. This time, Merlin was obviously QUITE upset and frustrated and not only did he run after the rooster, he attacked him and kept at it until that rooster decided the hen wasn’t worth it and ran away. So, I thought that was the end of it!

Nope! Later on, that rooster was at it AGAIN! This time, what I witnessed amazed me! Not only was Merlin carrying on as he went after the rooster, but he was so loud and upset that Odin, who was investigating something way in the back of the pasture, came running full-stride and barking to see what was wrong. Odin came to Merlin’s rescue and helped him get that rooster away from the hen. I stood there in total amazement! They truly are a team!

Banished From the Coop!

That evening, again after chores, that lone rooster was left outside the coop. Again, I walked behind it trying to get it go into the coop, thinking that perhaps Merlin was just teaching it who was BOSS! The rooster seemed hesitant and was kind of like “don’t force me to do this!”

As he was loitering outside the door of the chicken coop, Merlin was inside reprimanding him and whatever Merlin was saying, that rooster understood that he was not permitted to enter. I decided not to force the issue, hoping it would find shelter for the night. It did, under a board leaning up against the barn.

Peace Reigns Again

Yesterday afternoon, Jeff caught the three roosters and put them in a cage. I transported them to a local guy who has chickens and roosters and sells them to people who need or want them. It’s funny how the removal of these three roosters have restored peace in Merlin’s world…and therefore, peace in the pasture!

These animals are absolutely amazing to me! I wish I knew their language, but I can read their behavior enough to guess what they are saying. The balance is perfect: Merlin owns his hens and Odin owns the pasture and whenever there is anything that upsets the balance, they are still an amazing team. They work together to protect the pasture and its inhabitants from predators and to restore peace!

Non-fiction Children’s Picture Books

If you enjoyed these stories and you haven’t read any of my published books about the animals here on the farm, please check them out on the “Books” tab of my website: https://dianeorrauthor.com/books/ Each book is described on that page as well as upcoming soon-to-be-released works. I hope you enjoy them!

Author Diane Orr Attends Marysville, Ohio Festifair!

Diane Orr, Author at Marysville, Ohio 40th Annual Festifair

Here We Go!

So, I did something I have never done before: attended a local street fair as a vendor…Author Diane Orr! After days and weeks of thinking and preparing, finally it was time to load my books into boxes, and along with tables, canopy, crayons, coloring pages drawn by an amazing young artist, filled up my new-to-me Honda Pilot (exactly WHY I wanted the Pilot when I totaled my car!). Additionally, I packed a host of other things I thought I might need and we off we went!

I was so nervous…kind of like a “first day of school” nervous. Having done all the preparation I could think of (of course, never having participated in a street fair before, I really had no idea what I was doing!) I didn’t really know what to expect. Set-up went very well, thanks to my husband. I was also blessed to have very friendly vendors on either side of me!

Here They Come!

Slowly, people began trickling through the streets. Gradually, the trickle became a steady stream and at times like a rushing brook! I sold quite a few books, although not nearly what I had in stock, but the most fun thing for me was interacting with the people who stopped at my tables (wish I had pictures!).

I enjoyed giving flyers to teachers who teach in area schools that I have not visited. An Art teacher from the school I did a virtual visit showed me pictures the children drew of some of my animals! There were absolutely adorable!

But, the icing on the cake were the children! One girl said I had visited her school when she was in fourth grade. She remembered that I read my first book My Name is Mocha (I believe that would have been fall of 2019). A little boy said he watched the video of my farm (that would have been my first virtual author visit this past spring). Some children said they already had purchased some of my books from one of my author visits and were deciding which they wanted next.

It was also wonderful for people who had never heard of me to stop by my booth and look at my comments. I really enjoyed talking to them. One family stopped by and their male Great Pyrenees’ name is Odin and their female’s name is Freya!!! There were so many wonderful comments and interactions!

Here is An Amazing Artist!

I was thrilled and blessed to have an amazing young artist, Corinne Blamer, draw color pages of Mocha and her calf, Odin guarding some chickens and Merlin with some of his hens. I have known Corinne since she was just a baby and it’s so hard for me to believe that at her young age, she has been gifted with such talent! But, the evidence is clear when you look at her drawings! With each color page, I gave a free pack of crayons. And, of course, FREE CANDY, which attracted kids of all ages! I just have to share these amazing drawings for those of you who didn’t get a chance to see them!

Here Comes the Wind!

The most disappointing thing of the day was the wind! Of course, I had purchased a tent that I thought would help protect me and my book display from weather. However, because the wind was so strong, it nearly lifted me into the air with the tent a couple of times! So, after several times of thinking I was going to look like Mary Poppins flying across the sky holding onto my tent, I took it down!

Here is to the Future!

All in all, not discounting the stress and intense preparation, I really enjoyed participating in the @MarysvilleFestifair! I loved talking to the teachers, parents and most of all the children. We talked about my author visits, my books and the animals here at de Good Life Farm! I definitely think I will plan to participate next year if at all possible! Thank you @MarysvilleFestifair attenders for being kind to a newbie vendor and making it a good day for Author Diane Orr.

Here is a Chance to Win a Free Book!

Attenders and book purchasers @MarysvilleFestifair were given the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free book. Local entries will also have a chance to visit de Good Life Farm and have their picture taken with Mocha! If you are reading this blog and would like to enter the drawing, I will hold off drawing winners for one week. Please comment on this post with your email address or go to the Contact page at http://www.dianeorrauthor.com. Send me an email providing your name and email address with “entry” in the subject line. Next Monday, I will add these entries to the entries received at the street fair and do the drawing! There will be more than one winner…SO ENTER!

An Attitude of Gratitude

Do you have an attitude of gratitude?

Definition of Gratitude

What is gratitude? Dictionary.com defines gratitude as “the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful”. The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. So let’s dive a little deeper. What is a quality? Again quoting dictionary.com: quality is an essential or distinctive characteristic, property or attribute. And by the same token: a feeling is described as the general state of consciousness considered independently of particular sensations, thoughts, etc.

So, gratitude is a distinctive characteristic or attribute of thankfulness. It is also a general state of consciousness. So you can have gratitude as a characteristic with which you live your life, or you can feel gratitude as a state of your every day consciousness. Basically, when you combine these two definitions, you encompass both the physical and the emotional sides of yourself. You feel thankful and that translates into a gratuitous outlook. Or, you could look at it another way: You have an gratuitous outlook and it affects how you feel!

Does an Attitude of Gratitude Come Naturally?

Whether you realize it or not, gratitude is worn as a visible inner/outer garment! I don’t know if you like to people watch, but when I have the time and find myself in the right place, I find it interesting to watch people going about their day unaware that they are being watched. For instance, sitting on a bench in the mall, sitting in an airport, or even just sitting in a restaurant having a meal…people watching is fascinating. Have you ever watched people as you are stopped at a traffic light and looked over into the car next to you or those turning across from you? You can probably point out the people who have gratitude as a conscious state of their being. You can also probably point out those who don’t!

Think about yourself. How often do you feel grateful? Or do you find it easier to say “the glass is half empty”? I think for some people, gratitude DOES come naturally. Perhaps they have had an easy life (would that make you grateful?) or maybe they’ve had a difficult way to go (would that make you more grateful?). Are “you” more prone to be grateful if you have been abundantly blessed, or if your blessings have been more sparse, from your point of view?

How To Develop an Attitude of Gratitude in Your Life

There have been seasons of my life where it was difficult to remember to cultivate gratitude. Perhaps you have felt the same way. And then, there are seasons when despite trouble, you can find the blessings for which you can be grateful. I believe there are some exercises you can do on a daily basis that will help you to develop gratitude.

1. Make a Gratitude/Blessings List Each Day

One way I have found to help me focus on being thankful is to list the the blessings in my life. I think it’s a good practice to do this each day because over time, you will have a much more comprehensive list. For instance, today, I may feel gratitude for specific things related to TODAY. Tomorrow, other blessings may be more in the forefront of my mind.

2. Let Your Mind Dwell on the Good Things

We all have good and bad in our lives. There will always be positive and negative people to deal with. There will always be days of rain and days of sunshine…days of winter and days of summer. But just as the verse in Philippians 4:8 states, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things.” Wherever we allow our mind to dwell, affects our ability to be thankful or bitter.

3. Do Something Kind for Someone Else

It is so much easier to be thankful if we get our minds off our ourselves and find a way to bless someone else. I’m not talking about pity. I am just talking about realizing that in some way, we have all been blessed, and by spreading that blessing around to others, it in someway, enhances that blessing in our own hearts and lives.

When we focus on ourselves, our woes, our needs and what makes us gloomy, not only does it negatively affect those around us, it prevents us from experiencing gratitude for our blessings. You may say “I have nothing to be grateful for.” However, if you think about–truly think about it in front of a piece of paper with a pen in your hand, you will find things for which to be grateful!

4. Teach Others to Have an Attitude of Gratitude

You can teach gratitude to yourself, your children and other people in your life! “How?” you might ask! A Gratitude Jar (or Blessings Jar) is a great way to incorporate gratitude into your heart, life and home!

What is a “Gratitude Jar”? It’s easy to make and it can and probably should involve the whole family! Take a mason jar of any size and decorate it with a label made from construction paper and markers. You can be as creative as you want to be! This is a great way to involve your children.

When the label is made, tape it on the outside of the jar. Leave the jar in a prominent place so that it doesn’t get forgotten. Then, as you find things to be thankful for, write them down (or small children can draw pictures) and put them inside the jar. You can even date them, if you’d like.

At some designated time in the future, whether it is a week, a month or a year from now, sit down and go through each paper in the jar, one by one, read it, and reminisce about each blessing. I think you will find that as you get in the habit of contributing papers of gratitude to the jar, your heart will be learning to be grateful.

All Good Gifts Come From Above

I believe that all good gifts come from God. When I focus on His blessings each day in my life, it draws me into a closer relationship with Him and reminds me how much He loves me! Gratitude is a powerful thing!

Focusing on my blessings helps my mind as well as my body be healthier. Even this Mayo Clinic article agrees: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950

Do You Have an Attitude of Gratitude? It’s Your Choice!

What will you do with what you’ve read today? Take steps to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, showing gratitude for your blessings and reap the benefits? Or, perhaps you will just proceed through life as you always have and forget about this article as well as your blessings! It’s definitely your choice. What will you choose? As for me? I choose Gratitude!

She’s Here! Introducing “Daisy”! I Love Calves!

“Daisy”, Mocha’s 6th calf born on 7/24/21

WAITING…

Waiting for the expected birth of calves always is difficult. And, it feels like we waited an eternity for the arrival of this precious little heifer! Due on July 22nd, the sixth calf of Mocha (and the sixth heifer), she finally made her arrival in the predawn hours of July 24th with a full moon illuminating the dark sky and the earth below!

As is my practice, at the first sign of the impending birth, I usually put the mama in the barn with fresh straw and clean water, with lots of hay, to ensure the new arrival has a fresh place to be born. I saw the first sign (mucus strand) of the impending birth of Mocha’s new calf on the morning of July 21. Although Mocha is usually uncannily “on time” with her deliveries, I didn’t want to take any chances that this calf might come early, so I put Mocha in the barn. Much to my disappointment, the 21st came and went with no calf. She really wanted to be back in the pasture with Jersey, so we put them in a pasture in the back near the barn so that in case her calf was born during the night, we wouldn’t have far to get them to the barn.

TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK!

On the morning of her due date, she was SLOWLY progressing, so I put her back in the barn for the day. I checked on her several times throughout the day…running errands and running back home to check on her several times!

The night of the 22nd, I set my alarm and checked on Mocha every couple of hours. STILL NOTHING! The day came and went with no baby! That night, again, I set multiple alarms and checked on Mocha every couple of hours, just feeling for sure that the calf would arrive in the wee hours. But, NOPE!

Duplicate the previous paragraph for the 23rd! Checking on her every couple of hours…still thinking the birth was imminent! The night of the 23rd was also a duplicate of the previous night. Alarms were set every couple of hours and I went out to the barn, half asleep, hoping to find her in full, active labor. But no! Each time I was disappointed.

More than a little bit discouraged, and totally exhausted, I hit “snooze” on that last alarm…just for a few more minutes. However, at 4:30 am, I threw on my clothes and made which seemed like my hundredth trip to the barn. But, my heart quickened as I got closer to the barn! I knew halfway there that she had made her arrival.

She’s Finally Here!

Mocha (and I guess other mama cows do too) has this “sweet lowing” sound she makes for her calf (read my first book My Name is Mocha). It is how she communicates love, care and instructions to her calf. I heard it before I was even halfway to the barn…and as I did, my steps quickened. I KNEW she was here!

And, yes! sure enough, there she was, standing by her mama with milk bubbles on her mouth indicating she had already had her first drink of the the nutritious colostrum. Newborn calves need about five percent of their body weight in their first six hours in order to get the necessary antibodies and nutrients to avoid scours and respiratory problems. This is one reason I typically leave mama and new calf in the barn for the first couple of days…to monitor milk intake and to verify first the first bowel movement (an indication of their gut health and that they are getting enough milk.

“Mama Time”

As with each previous calf, when Mocha feels the calf is stabilized, and all is well, she lets me know she is ready to have some time away from her calf…which means time in the pasture eating the fresh grass. She was ready for her “mama time” last night after chores. Daisy was contented and I led Mocha to the pasture.

She had her head down eating grass for nearly two hours. I kept an eye on her, knowing that she was finished and ready to return to her baby, she would come and stand by the gate. She did and I led her back to the barn.

Daisy was still in the same place, same position as she had been when Mocha left the barn, totally unconcerned that her mama was gone for awhile. This is another indication of a healthy calf. (We have had calves that literally mooed the entire time them moms were away from them.)

As Mocha reentered the barn, she spoke to Daisy with her sweet “lowing” voice and she must have told her to get up and have a drink…because Daisy did just that! Witnessing the instinct that the Creator gave these amazing animals to care and provide for their young is and amazing and wonderful gift!

Healthy Calf

Another sign of a healthy calf is that not only does she eat regularly, but she eats plenty when she eats. This morning, after I gave Mocha her “snack” consisting of oats, barley, molasses, etc. which is the routine before milking, Daisy decided to have her own breakfast. She went and lay down in her favorite spot in the corner of the stall, out of the way. I tied Mocha up to milk whatever was left and there wasn’t even one-half cup to be milked out! She is an efficient drinker…which gives her an excellent chance of staying healthy.

Calves — The Icing on the Cake

If you know me or if you’ve read my books https://dianeorrauthor.com/590-2/ you know how much I love my cows, and the other critters here on the farm…but to me, the calves are so sweet, they are just the icing on the cake! I love the hands on time I get with them in their first four months before they are weaned!

New Book?

I have been asked if Daisy will have her own book. My answer was “Yeah, probably!” Our last calf, Elsie, was included in the last book at the calves We Are Mocha’s Family. There are some special things about Daisy’s birth here on the farm: she is the TENTH calf to be born here; she is the first not to be either Jersey or Jersey/Angus mix (her breed is Jersey/Limousin, check out this link to see what her daddy may have looked like: https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/39/limousin/.

I am eager to see what her personality is. So far, she reminds me of Hazel and of Herbie, who were both very contented and even-keeled! So watch for news. SUBSCRIBE to stay updated on lots of topics!

Life Lessons Learned on the Farm – Part Three

MAKE THE MUNDANE MAGICAL!

I’ll be the first to admit there is nothing magical about mucking a stall or milking a cow. Neither is there anything magical about cleaning house, or picking up your toys (if you are a child), UNLESS you make it magical! Remember the old Disney song “Whistle while you work”… I’ll bet you can hear the tune in your head just by my mentioning those four words!

Life can be more enjoyable if we learn to enjoy the things we HAVE to do…if we learn to find the magic in doing them…the spark! I will give you a few examples:

1. try making a game of picking up toys with your child or grandchild.
2. put on some music while you are cleaning house or doing dishes…maybe even dance with the broom.
3. play a game while traveling…alphabets on signs, state license plates and a U.S. map, find a red-colored car…etc., you get the idea.
4. take a walk in the rain (WITHOUT an umbrella!) and splash in the puddles!

I play this game with my granddaughter when it’s time to go in the house after playing outside. She never wants to go in. She loves playing in the back yard…but I have no issues getting her to come in if I say three simple words: “I’m gonna win.” With that, she is off and running for the back door and there are no tears about leaving the “playground”, as she calls it!

So, we have a barn, obviously, right? We have a radio in the barn that plays a local country station (shout out to @WCOL 92.3 Columbus!). There are a few songs in particular that make me want to dance and even if I am milking, I struggle NOT to get up and dance. One day I was either getting ready to milk or had just finished when one of these songs came on and I DID IT! I DANCED in the middle of the barn!

Oh! I got the looks and not just from the cows but from my husband who happened to walk back into the barn just as I was getting started…but I didn’t let that stop me. I just enjoyed myself!

There are lots of ways to make the mundane magical. Just try looking at the world from a child’s perspective. The buds on the trees and the new blooming flowers, a robin’s nest with brilliant blue eggs in it, a flock of geese flying overhead, the delighted squeals of children at a neighborhood park…all of these things are magical, if you just take the time to appreciate them.

When you look at the world with fresh eyes, you not only can enjoy the ordinary and the mundane, but you can appreciate the blessings you may take for granted every day! There are lots of things out there to make us grow up too fast, or make us forget what it was like to be a child of wonder! When you have the chance to live a little, let your hair down and dance with the mop, or dance in the barn or whistle while you work! Whatever it might be, DO IT! I guarantee you won’t be sorry…and I’ll bet the people around you will notice and you might find that familiar lilt in your step or a more frequent smile on your face!

Life Lessons Learned on the Farm – Part One

We have now been on the farm for nearly six and one-half years. There have been happy times and sad times, productive times and less-than-desirably productive times, times of elation and times of despair, times of exhaustion and times of rest and through all of those ups and downs, there have been a lot of lessons learned…life lessons…that go beyond the scope of farm life and yet envelope it completely.

This will be the first of several posts in a series called “Life Lessons Learned on the Farm”. I hope these posts will make you laugh, smile and even possibly relate to your own life lessons.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING!

To be honest, I am still working on this one…but I have been able to implement this lesson a few times! You have heard the old saying “Don’t cry over spilled milk”? Well, the person who said that obviously hadn’t just spent twenty or thirty minutes in preparation for, and milking that cow who decided to shift her weight, or scratch an itch, or kick at an annoying fly, or any number of other reasons and as a result, KICKED OVER THE BUCKET of fresh milk.

Of course, there is the chance to be thankful that’s all she did…because you can salvage the milk left in the bucket, but when she firmly plants her foot INSIDE the bucket of milk, the whole thing has to be pitched! Believe me! That has happened on a few occasions and laughter was NOT what came out of my mouth!

Then, there are the incidents that cause more work; incidents that could have been avoided…but weren’t, and the result is more work. Fussing and fuming doesn’t undo the damage, but finding the humor in it definitely can lighten the stress load.

For instance, leaving a gate open behind you inevitably and eventually will result in a bovine finding their way out of where they are SUPPOSED to be and into a place they ARE NOT supposed to be! One morning, I realized there was manure ALL OVER our back yard, and I am talking eight to ten piles! I couldn’t figure it out because everyone was where they were supposed to be…and then…I saw it. THE OPEN GATE! Obviously, at some point during the night, Mocha and Jersey had discovered the gate was left open and they took a midnight stroll around the back yard (so thankful our back yard is fenced in), eating to their hearts’ content and depositing their evidence all over the place. But, they had been “smart” enough to find their way back to their pasture before milking time the next morning! They acted all innocent but the proof was in the pudding, so to speak!

And then there is the most recent occurrence of this negligence when a gate was left open (do you see a familiar theme here?) and Elsie made her escape into the newly greening pasture. Now, this is a little scary, because too much of the richness of the spring pasture could actually be deadly to her…but 1) she actually made her escape while we were out there and so we could shut the gate before anyone else could escape; and 2)because we were out there when it happened, we put all hands on deck to get her back in. Three humans and one amazingly intelligent Odin (Great Pyrenees, just in case you are new to following my farm antics) worked together and got her safely back into the pasture where she belonged, even though she was trying every avenue available to her to further her adventure!

I think we all had a huge adrenalin rush as we tried to outsmart her, block her passage to the rest of the pasture and then watch Odin exhibiting a magnanimous adrenalin rush as he ran circles around her in an effort to keep her contained to one area. It was an amazing rescue and even though there were some harsh words in the heat of the moment, once she was safely back in her space, and we could all breathe a sigh of relief, the humor of the situation began to explode!

Along with finding the laughter in things, comes the realization that the laughter may not come immediately. Sometimes it takes some time and space from the situation to be able to see the humor in it.

For instance, when Fred and Barney first came to the farm, Fred was a little high strung. He escaped (with a lead rope on, thankfully) from the first person who had a hand on him…leaped through the electric fence INTO the pasture…ran around and seemed to settle down then as soon as we relaxed…he ran THROUGH the electric fence on the back side of the pasture!

This could have been REALLY bad! there was nothing but neighbors’ 5-acre lots and a road and a cornfield facing him. I have to admit that I panicked! Jeff went under the fence and I walked/ran around to hopefully head Fred off if he headed for the open road! As we got to him, ever so slowly so as not to spook him, what did he do? He hopped BACK THROUGH the electric fence back into the pasture where he was supposed to be! WOW! It was scary while we were going through, but as we retell the story to others, we laugh and joke! It IS funny! It just wasn’t funny in the moment!

So, what can we learn from this? Find the laughter. It won’t always be present in the moment, but eventually, you may be able to laugh! The other thing is “this too shall pass”. The spilled milk gets absorbed and cleaned up. The manure gets picked up. The cattle get back into the pasture behind a closed gate, and on and on. Trying to remember that as long as it all ends well, you will have a funny story to tell…may help you get through it, if you can’t laugh in the moment!

And, please know that I realize that there isn’t always laughter. Some things just aren’t funny; they are hurtful…we will address that as well in an upcoming post!

So, in the meantime, laugh! It’s like good medicine!

The Protectors and the Predator

Odin, King of de Good Life Farm, Protector of the Six Realms

I am a storyteller…not stories in the sense that I am a liar…but I tell stories that must be told…REAL LIFE STORIES! To date, all of my published works are nonfiction books for children. They are stories that must be told about our animals who cannot tell their own stories; they just live their lives and I feel like they count on me to tell their stories.

Yesterday, a story happened in front of my eyes. I often say that I wish I could capture the videos/pictures my brain sees and somehow share them with my readers…but, alas, stories with pictures are the best I can do. This story could have been a horror story. It could have been a devastating tear-jerker. But, instead, it is a story of a hero…more accurately, two heroes who worked together to do the job that they were created to do, and the result was an heroic rescue which averted the demise of some of de Good Life’s residents!

You’ve probably guessed one of the heroes…and if you guessed that gorgeous “white lion” pictured up above, you are correct! Odin is an amazing protector of “his” chicken flock and our cattle (Have you read My Name is Odin!?). He has owned the role and has shown himself to be trustworthy! The second hero isn’t as big, not as loud and not as fast, but he is beautiful in his own rite and has a very important job to do guarding from his vantage point, which he does quite well (if you haven’t read My Name is Merlin!, then you MUST!)!

Merlin with a few of his girls after their close call with the hawk

I will start at the beginning…it’s a very good place to start. Typically, I do not open the door of my chicken coop to let the chickens free range until afternoon, so that their egg-laying is finished while they are in the coop and I do not have to replay Easter morning egg hunts every day. This day was no different.

After letting them out, gathering and bringing the eggs in, I was sitting at the dining room table talking to my mom and dad and watching out the sliding glass door as I often do. I saw some chickens fly…which they do from time to time…and then it looked like one of them had hopped up on the fence post! Now I had never seen them do THAT…and less than a second later, in HORROR! I realized that IT WASN’T A CHICKEN…IT….WAS….A….HAWK!!! I literally screamed those dreaded words, “IT’S A HAWK!”! I sprang up and ran out on the deck and immediately heard Odin in his biggest and fiercest bark warning the chickens of the predator. My first thought was “Oh my word! How brazen to fly around and then perch on the fence post!”

I watched for a split second in amazement as Odin was doing his best to scare it away. He was literally high jumping and barking his loudest, meanest bark and running around like crazy! Thankfully, it finally flew away!

The fence post that hawk DARED to perch on…just next to the chicken coop

But, at the same time Odin was going on the offensive to get rid of the danger, I saw Merlin going on the defensive: taking care of his girls, talking up a storm to them, telling them what to do, where to go and where not to go…gathering them close to himself so he could keep them safe! Some of them had been in the cows’ shelter and some of them were halfway between the shelter and their coop and some of them were near the coop! The chickens that hadn’t been near Merlin were the ones I had seen flying toward the coop for safety!

The chickens busy working on the manure pile

I ran back through the door into the house and breathlessly announced I was headed out to make sure it was gone and that everyone was safe (and yes, I had a grass-fed beef bone in hand to reward Odin for his diligence). Once outside, it took several counts to make sure the chickens were accounted for and ok. I went into the coop to make sure and three of the hens were cowered under their roosting bars, as far back into the back corner of the coop as they could get. I realized they must have been the hawk’s targets. They were pretty badly shaken, but safe and unharmed!

Where I found the 3 hens cowering…no doubt they were the ones most traumatized by the hawk.

Leaving the coop, I wanted to check on Merlin and the other hens again, and when I got outside I was again amazed! Merlin was standing on the very top of the manure pile, standing guard. His body language was almost defiant and he was chattering up a storm. It was almost like he was standing up there as a beacon to the hawk, just making sure he was gone and wasn’t coming back! And the whole time, he was talking and chattering as if to say “And don’t come back!”

As I left the pasture, Odin was happily gnawing on his treat for being an EXCELLENT livestock guardian! And me? I was filled with awe and wonder at the amazing creatures that God has created! Watching them do what has been hard-wired into them was amazing, working as a team as if they had rehearsed it!

Odin enjoying his treat after a job well done…a raw beef bone!

I know my adrenaline was still pumping for quite awhile after the excitement, but I was mostly just feeling so thankful! This story easily could have been a tragedy but instead, it was an amazing story of two heroes who worked together like a well-oiled machine to take care of a dangerous predator to their flock! I am so thankful for them both!

Hey! What’s New (besides a new year)?

Hi everyone! Well, it’s 2021 and sometimes it feels like we’re living in the Twilight Zone. It’s hard to believe that January is over and February is beginning. I just wanted to take a quick minute to update you on what’s going on in my world.

MACBOOK PRO BITES THE DUST

Last fall, my 10-year-old MacBook Pro decided it was going to retire with no notice and it left me stranded, trying to figure out how to recover my data and how to get a computer I could use again. Although I am definitely an “Apple girl”, my husband who works on PCs for a living said he would suggest I look for a PC, so in case something happened to it, he could work on it. The idea made sense, even though I wasn’t happy at all to have to re-tool my brain to the PC way of doing things after using a Mac for 10 years.

Thankfully we found a refurbished one on eBay and got it for a good price. I also found a local recovery company who was able to recover most of my data. So, I have been trying to get use to this new computer and find the files I needed to work on. It hasn’t been fun, but I am slowly making progress.

This meant I had months I couldn’t work on books, calendars (that were planned for 2021 debut) and had no access to my farm documents during a very busy time. I had to let some things go, but it all worked out and eventually will get the calendars done and get back on track.

UPCOMING VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT

I am excited that this week I received confirmation that a virtual author visit is in the works for March for a school that I was scheduled to visit last year the very week that all the schools got shut down for COVID-19! Although it will be different and not quite as fun as being with the children in person, I will be thrilled to be able to answer some of their questions via video and hopefully read one or two of my books to them! I am thankful that they still want to do this with me!

FIRST BOOK IN NEW SERIES COMING SOON

I am happy to announce that the final edits to sketches for illustrations for the first book in my new “a Micah Book” series have been submitted. When the corrections have been made and I have approved the final sketches, the illustrator will add color and the manuscript will be off to the presses!

This book and coming series is very special to me as I wrote the first two books in this series when my almost twenty-year-old son was just two or three years old. Through the years, I have looked for illustrators and publishers, but until a couple of years ago when I first began writing and publishing the “de Good Life Farm” books, the whole idea seemed elusive.

The first book in this series takes the reader through a day in the life of “toddler” Micah with an catchy rhyming text . The illustrations will either be watercolor or colored pencil. I am eager for this first book to be published! Watch for news!

The second book in the series, Just the Right Size, is not a rhyming book but tells of the familiar plight of the toddler of being to small to do the things they desire to do. The illustrations will also be either watercolor or colored pencil.

THE TALES AND TAILS OF DE GOOD LIFE FARM

I have again begun working on the “history” book of de Good Life Farm called The Tales and Tails of de Good Life Farm. This book is very emotionally-charged to work on. As I allow the words to flow on the page, the memories of the events flood my mind. Because it is so emotional to write, I can’t work on it for long periods of time, but when it is finished, it will be a very special book!

It will include all the happenings and events, births and deaths, from the beginning of the farm until now. It will make you laugh and cry! There will also be an Appendix at the end of the book filled with photographs that will help to bring to life the events on the pages. Watch for it, hopefully is 2022!

BEAUTIFUL JERSEY FACES

And now, I will leave you with two precious faces…on the left is Mocha’s daughter, Elsie, and on the right, her brother, Herbie.

Elsie and Herbie, January 2021.

Have a great first week of February! If you haven’t taken advantage of the sale on the set of my first five de Good Life Farm books, and you are interested, be sure to check it out at www.penitpublications.com. Search my name, Diane Orr, and you will see the offer.

New Website Launch

It is the dawning of a new day for me. My new website, www.dianeorrauthor.com is pretty much ready for launch! It’s scary…hope it all goes well, but guess I won’t know until it’s up and running!

This website offers more than just a link to my blog, but you will be able to access this blog from it. It offers a place to purchase my books, directly from my publisher. It offers a section where you can see what projects I am working on and what is coming up next. It also offers a way to contact me, other than just in response to one of my posts.

In addition to purchasing my books, eventually I will have other products that can be purchased: calendars of Golden Love Retrievers and Puppies; calendars of de Good Life Farm; de Good Life Farm t-shirts; hats; postcards and prints of some of my favorite photographs and so much more…eventually!

But, please be patient and please be kind! Just like when the gorgeous sunrise indicates the start of the new day, we still don’t know how the day is going to go…and sometimes it doesn’t go well, even with our best intentions. So, understand that there may be kinks and problems once the website is launched…but we will get it all worked out and eventually it will run smoothly and hopefully, will be a thing of beauty. If you do have issues, please use the Contact Me form on the new website to let me know of your issues and I will work to get resolved as quickly as possible!

So, please subscribe and share if you like what you see and if you would like to continue following my journey as farmer, photographer and author! I am pleased to have you along!