Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Dusty in the Wind



Every morning around 6am Edmund and Garth go out to the red pole barn to do the regular cow chores, including taking the warmed milk to the three calves we are raising for meat. Yesterday, the calf we have been calling "Dusty" did not come for breakfast like the other two, and Edmund found him not too far away, dead in the field. At the previous night's feeding, he seemed healthy and happy with no indications of illness. Immediately, the day's plans were discarded, and Garth and Edmund set to work skinning and butchering the meat, all the while racking their brains for what could possibly have caused this mysterious and distressing event. Indeed, we will never know for sure, perhaps he ate something poisonous, or got afflicted with a bacteria of some kind.

Above is a picture of Dusty. I thought briefly about taking a photo of the butchering process, since it is quite amazing to watch, though not for the faint of heart (or stomach). But I decided against it, wanting to preserve the animal's dignity in life and death.

The pasture is not the same without you, Dusty!


-Normandy

4 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to hear the sad news, guys, but having just visited, I can attest to the fact that he had a wonderful home.

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  2. Before eating the meat wouldn't you want to know the cause of death? Is there a place that does autopsies?

    He was such a beauty.

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  3. He was my favorite of the Three Amigos. What a shock to find him gone.

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  4. Hi all, I heard about your blog after having lunch with Matt Keith in Los Angeles. Although I'm sorry for the loss I do look forward to visiting at some point in the future. Keep the pictures of paradise coming
    George Geanuleas

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