May 8, 2018 3 min read

My bottle babies have moved out of the barn. I spent some time over the weekend getting them used to their new halters in anticipation of putting them on pasture. Because of Carl’s blindness, he requires being staked in the yard on a lead to keep him from falling, wandering too far, or otherwise hurting himself. Because Carl is staked, we have opted to stake Bonnie out with him to keep him company.

At first, neither calf would move when their halters were put on. I used a short rope to tether them to a fencepost outside of the barn, so I could monitor them without holding on for dear life. A good decision on my part, as Bonnie stood for nearly an hour with the rope pulled taut, refusing to give in and accept that she was tied.

She eventually began to relax a little bit, and she and Carl both basked on their sides in the sun while I planted some plants. That evening, we coaxed them back into the barn with their bottles, which they were more than happy to receive.

The following few days, I increased their outdoor time and decreased their food supply inside the barn. I finally saw evidence that they were eating enough grass to fill their tummies, so I allowed them to stay out overnight. I staked them about 40 feet apart, close enough that they could meet in the middle, but not so close that they could tangle around one another.

The next morning, I was running late for work, but saw that Carl’s water bucket was tipped over. I grabbed a bucket and filled it up from the frost-free faucet by the barn. I immediately lamented my choice of footwear, as the water sloshed over the edge and onto my shoes.

When I got out to the field, I noticed that Carl seemed to be pinned in one place. Then, Bonnie came trotting over to me, untethered. Somehow, she had managed to get her 20-foot line unclipped from her halter AND clipped onto Carl’s. He was caught between both stakes, unable to move very far.

Bonnie, on the other hand, was frolicking and leaping like a spring calf should.

I unclipped her lead from his and refastened it to Bonnie. Then I filled their water buckets and gave them both a small scoop of grain. Finally, I walked back to the frost-free faucet to hang up the bucket and wash my hands.

By now, I was running really late. I jumped in the car and headed for work. A mile in, I noticed that my feet were both really soaked. I pulled to the side of the road and peeled off my socks and shoes. The shoes went up under the floor vent and the socks went on the dash. With the heater on full blast and the windows down, I drove to work barefoot.

When I finally arrived, I jogged across the parking lot with shoes and socks in hand. After making my first sale, I redressed. It took a few minutes, but I finally calmed down and settled in to the day. The fact that my socks and shoes were dry went a long way to making it happen.

Reach Laura Zoeller at zoeller5@verizon.net.