Saturday Slight

Twas a little stuffy up here at the computer, so I opened the window.  

The loud chorus is still performing outside, and it's pretty repetitive.

"Ma-a-a-a-a!  Ma-a-a-a-a! Ma-a-a-a-a-a!"

Now, those mournful sounds are speeding up.

Across the road, Jim and Mary Taylor's mama cows are missing their babies, as they have been since sometime yesterday.  

Some members of the chorus are sounding a bit hoarse this morning.

Yesterday was transition day for the herds around here. 

Bert Wood loaded up his cows and calves from next door and hauled to them to wherever.  

Our Border Collie Kea helped a little in that process.  Three strays---the same three from past times---were sharing space with Lily and Lefty in our hayfield.

When I heard the semi pull up and park at Meserve's, I told Kea we had work to do.

By the time we made it down the lane, I could see that Bert had his herd gathered near the loading area----all but those three black calves.

Kea waited until I opened the gate to the hayfield.  By the time I had the chain latched, three black calves were leaping over what was left of the fence.

A few minutes later, they had joined the herd.

The two fences between the Lovestead and the Meserve Preserve have deteriorated day by day during the last week or so.  

We didn't worry, figuring Bert would be taking his herd soon, and, besides, Kea likes to do her job. 

So, now that the herd is gone for the winter, I can fix our side at my leisure, and Kea will have to get back to Folgers coffee cans for her herding enjoyment.

As I type, the Taylor herd seems to have moved further away, but the chorus continues. 

I'm sure it will slow down in the next day or two.

In the meantime, it's relatively quiet on the people front around here.  Bill left again early this morning for his third and last day of attending the Society of American Foresters National Convention in Spokane. 

He's planning to visit the MAC (Museum of Arts and Culture) today in Spokane to see the exhibit featuring Scottish botanist David Douglas, for whom the Douglas-fir tree is named.

Author Jack Nisbet, who wrote a book about Douglas called The Collector will be on hand to talk to the foresters.  In Bill's world of forestry, this opportunity is nothing less than thrilling. 

I'm sure he'll share some of his knowledge gained with my sister Laurie when this year's Farmin School team starts preparing for the Idaho State Forestry Contest. 

While Bill is at the Convention Center, Debbie will be not too far away at the Girl Scout Center, engaged in a weekend-long segment of the organization ongoing leadership development project. 

So, that leaves Willie and me to hold down the forts and watch the sporting events.  We, like everyone else in the area, are thrilled that Fox-28 is back on the DirectTV line-up. 

Thoughts of the World Series were somewhat fleeting with no access to watch the games. 

So, we can tune in today BUT today's sports coverage offers too much at the same time. 

With the World Series game starting at 4:30 p.m., I see that Gonzaga has an exhibition game at 5 p.m. on KHQ and that KXLY is featuring the Notre Dame-Oklahoma game at 5 also.

We do have three TVs in this house, and I could keep myself pretty physically active by running upstairs and down to take in all the action.

I'm guessing, however, that the remote will get plenty of exercise for tonight's events. 

It's not a bad problem on a rainy day to have all those events to watch, so I won't complain. 

I'll just wish everyone a happy Saturday with the season's first "GO ZAGS, along with "GO IRISH" and "GO GIANTS!"

Have a great day.  Now, back to "Ma-a-a-a!  Ma-a-a-a!  Ma-a-a-a!"