Friday, April 3, 2009

On Topic For A Day

Okay so I thought it'd be best to actually throw something in 'bout "sawdust" and "cowpies" or my thematic calamity is gonna be lost. So here's the stuff.

We're knee deep in new calves and despite the mostly beautiful weather for calving... it's been kind of a deal. I got yet another phone call about 7:45 yesterday morning about another dead calf. It's starting to affect me. The expense of loosing yet another calf and starting my day off with it kinda sent me into a spin. Actually a pretty good one.

In trying to figure out just what the Hell is going on, a call was made to the Vet real quick and I had to be at his office before 9 to catch him there. I tossed the dead calf in the truck and burned it to the clinic. My vet posted (autopsied)the calf. First thing to see was it's lungs never inflated from birth, second... a ginormous hole between the chambers of it's heart. So, this one was just "one of those things". A genetic abnormality that couldn't be helped.

All together, we've lost 5 calves so far this season and we've got a lot to go yet. That mortality number is NOT normal for us. For the unwashed that means about a $3000 loss at sale time this fall. Yes... I'm dwelling on it.



So after all of that doom and gloom here's some happy pics of some of our new calves.




"Come a little closer and I'll dole out an ass kicking Mr. Cowguy"








Brand spanky new, about 1 hour old. Momma's having a tasty meal of placenta. YUM!







A mime is born.








The iron curtain.








And to prove I'm not a total jackass I finished up Sally's Christmas present (for 2008);-) and got it put in our home. A ginormous entertainment/media center. Stands about 7 foot tall, all quarter sawn white oak. Has a brand new little hot rod of an Acer PC running Windows Vista Media Center down in the bottom running the whole show. It's hardwired into our wireless router here on our home network so it can access any of our MP3's or movies or transfer any data from one machine to another with ease. The flat screen tv pivots and pulls out on a base that I designed and the hidden keyboard pullout was my design as well. Hell the whole thing was. All of the shelves in the bottom are on full extension 100 pound slides too.

You boys from TWW have already seen it so just smile and wave.











That's bout that.





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19 comments:

Candy's daily Dandy said...

Oh Cowguy, I'm so sorry about you baby cows. I hopre this is the end of it.

And umm, Sal's gift? Three words. FAB. U. LOUS.

That Sal is one lucky lady. And you are too to have her!

Sass said...

Knee deep in calves.

Yup. Aren't we all, really?

Susan said...

That stinks. I hope you don't have mad calves disease?? !! But on the brigher side of things, you sure are handy!

MJenks said...

I tried getting back on theme of my blog's title, too, until I read that Shakespeare book and realized that my blog title is merely a euphemism for anal sex...

...and the judge was pretty specific about telling me not to post about that anymore...

Jennifer and Sandi said...

You have some beautiful babies there!

I love the pictures of the mom's looking at you...

"HALT...BACK AWAY FROM THE BABY"

Sorry for the loss of some.

Your entertainment center is so awesome!! I want one! Can I come down, sit and wait for you to make me one? Judging by the Sal's Christmas gift date that doesnt seem possible.

Have a super weekend!
- Jennifer

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

A mime is born. *SNICKERS*

Love the entertainment center! Hubba hubba!

mo.stoneskin said...

Nawww, cute pics, sorry about your loss too.

Saska said...

We're knee-deep in calf-doo-doo too. We've lost 3 to scours..and have doctored probably 35 with Nuflor and Resorb...good luck!

Kim said...

Dang, that entertainment center is gorgeous, I'm impressed. Functional and ornamental, kinda like me.

I'd like to pet those baby calves and scratch them behind the ears. Momma would probably send me sailin', though.

Sassy Britches said...

Ohhhhh, no. In these tough times, losing that revenue is not a happy thing at all (I'm trying to distance myself from the calves as cutie-patootie squeezers--did it work?). But, for real...that's a tough blow.

Freakin' AWESOME X-mas present, Cowguy! You are totally the shit, you really are.

Unknown said...

sorry about the losses...

the pictures of the others are awesome...love the mime, really cute.

that is a massive cabinet...GOOD JOB.

Nej said...

Holy crap Cowguy...that entertainment center is wicked awesome!!! Very nice work indeed!

The white faced calf is adorable. :-)

Cora said...

That is one mighty fine Christmas present! WOW.

And the mime calf is about the cutest thing ever!!

Dr Zibbs said...

A mime is born. Hahahahahaa.

Jennifer and Sandi said...

So sorry for the loss :( That hurts.

The entertainment center is absolutely gorgeous!!! Super job!

~Snadi~

Scope said...

That's rough on the loss. I've been on the winning and losing end of a calf puller before, so I know the joys and defeats.

But mad skills on the entertainment center. When I first saw a picture, my mind instantly went to, "That looks like one heavy soombitch." But totally worth it.

gracie said...

Jace we're real sorry about the calves :(

And the entertainment center looks AWESOME! Can't wait to see it in 3D....in uh.....4 more nite nites ;)

xooxox,
us

Jerry said...

Dang, sorry about the mortality rate, Jace. Good luck with the rest of the herd.

See ya soon!

debijeanm said...

Sigh. I love a guy with skills.