Sept. 25, 2001 ~ Finding Hope
Cows moo a lot, that's just what they do. Sometimes they seem to have a good reason to do so; other times we never can figure out what's got them so stirred up. But there is a certain sound a cow makes, a certain quality to their "voice," that is unmistakable -- it means "something is wrong with my baby!" I heard that sound tonight, finally. It stood out among all the other farm noises and got my attention just as I was heading for bed. I slipped on my boots, grabbed a flashlight, and started walking toward the distressed animal. Got there and realized that it was Starr, that her udder was swollen and she was crying out for her baby, Hope, who was nowhere in sight.
Turned out that her calf had accidentally been left behind when the animals changed pastures today. I walked to the hay meadow and sure enough, there was a lone calf standing by the gate, looking very, very small and frightened. Poor girl. In that big pasture all alone in the dark, separated from her mama and the herd. Young calves are generally reluctant to go through gates, but I talked to her quietly and she bravely stood her ground. Instead of running away, she then walked right through the open gate and into the back pasture. I followed her to be sure she found her mama; she did. All was well. For a few moments I watched the baby nurse in the moonlight, then I turned and headed to the house. Hadn't even gotten there when I heard such a chilling sound... the howls of a pack of coyotes in the hay meadow. Well.
If those coyotes had found little Hope, if she had still been standing where I found her just five minutes earlier... I think that would have been the end of her. Talk about a close call.
Sometimes there ARE happy endings.
All rights reserved
_______________________________