Is There Ever Too Many?

You have seen many pictures of good old John Deere.

John Deere is the main snow plower, hay bale hauler, firewood packer and general duty tractor.

You have also seen pictures of my old Massey.

He moves the snow from my yard and is my best friend when I need to carry or move something.

I think you have even seen a picture of this old retired one.

His job is just to sit there and look good.  Many a vehicle has stopped on the road to take his picture.

What you didn’t know about, and have not seen are all the other tractors and equipment hiding out on Morris Brook Farm.

Every piece of machinery has its own purpose.  There is the big Massey.

This big guy does a lot of the haying…he just finished harrowing the fields.

These two sad old guys are just waiting…

waiting for their owner to take them home and restore them to their former glory.

We might need to push something big,

or push something small.

Need to dig a big hole,

or drag some logs?

All this equipment sits quietly through out the year, waiting for the day or hour when it is needed. They each have their own specific job that they are best suited for.

This little tractor doesn’t even have a motor that runs.

What possible use could it be?

Ah…it brings smiles and joy and excitement to the next generation, and dreams of the days to come when he will be out on the John Deere plowing snow, or haying with the big Massey.

Is there ever too many?  I don’t think so…

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An Evening Visitation

I went out this evening to lock up the chickens and check on the sheep and while I was out I noticed the cows staring across the field and beginning to walk up the fence line.  I looked and saw an elk just stepping onto the hay-field.

Over the next little while three more appeared and slowly and cautiously made their way across the field towards the cows until they right at the fence line.

I had to sneak out the back door, around the pole shed and come up behind the generator shed to get this shot.  I think they still knew I was there because they are sure looking my way.

They hung around the fenceline with the cows for quite a while.

Finally the cows moved away and headed towards the creek and the hay feeder.

What happened next was very entertaining.

One brave elk decided to jump the fence and check out the cows a little closer.  Well the cows were not having that…they chased that elk across the field and out of their pasture.  Poor Jack running as fast as his little legs could carry him to keep up.

The other three elk stayed on the hay-field side watching, and wondering…now what?

Gradually the cows made their way up closer to the house and as I watched the single elk made his way back down the field but not getting too close.  The three remaining elk stood and watched. Finally they decided to take their chances and jumped the fence and headed across to the first elk.  They started out walking gracefully but once again the cows took chase and the race was on.

The cows won, they were not sharing their hay or pasture with any elk!

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One Hundred Years of Love

It was on April 3, 1915, one hundred years ago today, that my Father, William John Murphy was born.

He only lived to be 76 years old.

Those 76 years and more were filled with love.

Love for his Mother

and his Father.

Love for his siblings…all sisters.

Love of his country

 

Love for his wife

45 years worth.

Love for his sons,

and love for his daughters (now that’s an oldie!)

Then came even more happiness and even more love…his grandchildren.

First two…

 

then three.

Four, five and six.

Seven

and eight.

He has been gone for almost 24 years now but his love lives on.

It lives on in the lives of his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren.

We have all been blessed to be held in his arms of love, one hundred years of love.

 

 

Happy Easter everyone…with love.

 

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Family Reunited

Jack is five days old and doing just fine.

When Olivia was close to giving birth I put her in the small pen behind the sheep barn.  It was easier to keep an eye on her, and also easier to catch the calf once it was born.  This meant that Lily had to stay out in the big field with Birdie.  Each night Lily slept close to the pen and close to her Mother.  During the day she would leave to eat and drink water.  I could tell she missed her Mother.

It was interesting observing the behaviour of Olivia and Jack…I learned that cattle are not snugglers.

If a dog had newborn puppies, or a cat had newborn kittens, you would see them sleeping all snuggled up together. Not so with cattle, I never once saw them touching while resting or sleeping.  Olivia is a good Mom, she keeps him clean, feeds him, is always aware of where he is at all times, but no sleepy snuggles.

We wanted to keep Olivia and Jack in the small pen until we got a tag on his ear and had him banded (didn’t want him growing up to be a big bull!).

Well thanks to Brothers Dan and Tom, that was all done yesterday.

This morning instead of feeding and watering Olivia in the pen I opened the gate and invited her out into the field. Olivia wouldn’t go, she kept looking around at Jack. Lily was waiting and soon came into the pen to see her Mom.

Well while Olivia was greeting Lily, Jack slipped past them both and headed out to explore…

closely followed by his Sister and Mom.

It was so nice to see the three of them together, out in the morning sunshine.

A family reunited.

 

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