Author Topic: Calf on a bicycle  (Read 6647 times)

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Offline Dunkel

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Calf on a bicycle
« on: May 08, 2016, 09:54:05 pm »
Last Sunday morning, I was on the way to check some hives and I get a call from a friend.  He says, hey did you all get that rain last night? Yep, pretty good one, I replied. No, we have been washed off at the head of the river. No we didn't get that, but thanks for the heads up.

I had been up until 3 am, waiting on the first hope to return from the Senior Prom. He's the kid that if anything can happen, it will.  But for once he pulled it off without any major problem .  At least I haven't heard of anything yet.  So I was a little groggy, trying to think of anything in the low bottoms I needed to move.

Call Dad, he had just returned from making the morning round of the cows.  Last years heifer had her second one last night, looks like a midget but it had sucked.  I get home and he said she left it in the bottom hidden and everything else had moved up higher and the river was starting to get out.  We finally found it.  What do you want to do?  Why don't you just pick it up and put it on the fourwheeler and take it up to higher ground.

Sometime around the time I was swinging my leg over the seat it must have woke up. and put up a fight so hard it got loose.  It hit the ground and ran like I never saw one run before. It ran for over one half of a mile, into the backwater.  Then it swam out into the current bawled three times and drowned before my eyes.  I just stared in shock, Dad was speechless. He finally uttered something along the lines of if it was that wild we did didn't need it on the place. Wind picks up, clouds roll in and rain changes to hail before I can get home.

Wednesday morning I get a call at school, mom never calls so I get worried.  Want to hear some good news? That calf is back with its momma like nothing happened.  I went first thing to see it with my own eyes when I got home. It was it, and it kept a close eye on me as I idled by. 

Now my question,  It's got the running down, hades of a swimmer, if I can get it on a bicycle we are triathlon bound.  Maybe one did jump over the moon  :D

Offline Jen

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2016, 11:33:56 pm »
Yaaay! A Dunkel story! Enjoyed reading that this nice warm pre-summer evening  ;)
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Offline Lburou

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2016, 12:11:58 am »
Funny story!  :)
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2016, 11:41:13 am »
Leave them alone and they will come home wagging their tails behind. Thats all of it I remember.
Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2016, 11:57:39 am »
Glad the story had a happy ending. Your dad may have a supercalf on his hands! :)
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Offline Retroguy

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2016, 11:11:29 pm »
40 or so odd years ago, I was the official "Calf Finder" in our family (dairy farm).  My dad had taught me how to tell when a cow was about ready to drop a calf and I'd gotten really good at predicting when it was going to happen.  I told Dad one day to keep a particular cow in the barn when it came time to let the herd out to pasture.  My Uncle Art said I was full of it and let her out.  Sure enough, come afternoon, she's not back with the rest of the girls so I was sent out to find her with my fiance' in tow. 

Our farm was mostly woods & brush where the pasture was and covered quite an area.  Luckily we had an idea where the herd had spent most of the morning so I started looking for Mama in the brushy area just north of the herd's morning location.  Took about half an hour but I found her and started steering the bull calf she'd dropped homeward.  He got tired pretty quickly so I lifted him up and slung him across my shoulders with Mama following closely.  My fiance' was quite impressed with all this.  When we were about 1 city block from the barn the little feller decides it's time to pee -- right down my back.

I took a shower, Mom took my clothes and put them in the wash machine and I put on some fresh duds.  Been married to the girl who followed me through the brush for 38 years now as of last weekend.
I always stand behind my work...
It makes me harder to find.
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2016, 05:13:41 am »
Congratulations Retro and happy anniversary to you and the mises
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Offline CBT

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2016, 05:54:17 am »
Thanks for that great story. I can see it.

Offline Les

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2016, 09:07:33 am »
Thanks for stories guys!

Offline Dunkel

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2016, 03:50:17 pm »
I was glad of the happy ending myself.  It usually doesn't turn out that way. Now if the oldest can get through the senior trip and graduation in the next week and a half. Leaving for DC Friday morning.   :laugh:

Offline riverbee

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2016, 07:28:15 pm »
hey dunkel, great story, and funny too!

best wishes to you on the graduation and trip to dc!
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Offline Newbee

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Re: Calf on a bicycle
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2016, 04:13:27 pm »
That's an Awesome story, RetroGuy. Thanks for sharing. Put a smile on my face!