Hank reminded me I hadn't posted about Reba and Dilemma, the next-door longhorn cattle, in a while. Here they are: Dilemma has grown! ( photo / image / picture from marlingardener's Garden ) My, hasn't Dilemma grown? They are happy grazing all morning, then resting under a big hackberry tree in the afternoon. There is a new neighbor, Big Brown Boy, and I do mean BIG! I do hope the owners aren't expecting to breed BBB with either Reba or Dilemma when she is older. BBB is a steer . . . . Big brown boy ( photo / image / picture from marlingardener's Garden )
Cheryl, Reba is bored by us. She just stands and stares into the distance when I sweet-talk her. Dilemma is still calf-skittish, but BBB is a big brown baby. He likes sweet-talk, and especially likes the occasional ear of corn that somehow jumps the fence and lands at his hooves!
Thank you, Jane, for the update w/pics of your neighbor's livestock.. I was curious about Dilemma, whether he/she* had begun developing any horns yet.. *(I originally thought Dilemma was a bull calf, but this pic doesn't seem to bear that out..) Now, BBB, (BigBrownBoy, cool name you have christened him with, Jane,) That one causes me to remember 'Wimpy' from the Popeye comic strip, visions of hamburgers! Hank
Hank, we thought Dilemma was a bullcalf, but she turned out to be a heifer. Lucky for her--bullcalves often end up on someone's dinner table! If Dilemma had been a bull, we were going to buy him and let him roam our little acreage, and get him a playmate at the appropriate age. You would not believe how utterly grateful my husband is that Dilemma is a "she"!
So the idea of buying Dilemma was not a joint one Looks can be deceiving, BBB just doesn't look like a big baby who would welcome sweet talk
Toni, you are right--possibly getting a bullcalf was not a joint decision, but then so many of our life-changing, fun, and interesting acquisitions haven't been made jointly! BBB comes to the fence and looks soulfully at me when I'm in the garden. Who knows, we may adopt a big brown steer with a soulful expression. I'm such a pushover for animals . . . and we can always use the fertilizer.
Awww, so glad to see they are still around. I try not to make friends with my neighbors cows because it's not long and they are suddenly gone
Netty, these are "front yard cows." Many ranchers around here have two or three longhorns out in front of their houses--just for show. Some do the same thing with "paint" aka pinto horses. Hey, if ya gotta it, flaunt it!
I like Longhorns! A man down the road from my work shop brings in a small herd for a few weeks every summer. They arrived last week. They are so mellow. I love seeing them every day, and was just thinking I ought to jump out of the truck to snap a picture of them before they move on. This year, there is a lot of grass for them and the pond is very full!
