On a warm winter morning, behind the old barn and across the ledgestone creek, in a cozy clearing surrounded by yaupon holly heavy with bright red berries of the season, Maribelle proudly stood with an adorable little boy at her side. Not yet ten minutes old, he stood shivering as his newborn curls began to dry from the momentous event that had just occurred. His eyes sparkled, he let out a tiny greeting as we slowly approached, and as he toddled forward on wobbly legs he suddenly hopped in the air and began to dance joyfully around his mama and her bountiful udder. We introduced ourselves and congratulated Belle for the lovely little boy that she had made, and throughout the hour that followed he alternated between sniffing our noses, getting his soft brown curls brushed out, dancing around Belle, and partaking frequently of her generous all-you-can-drink milk bar. Belle’s new boy is our first calf from our new bull “Oxley” (HPG Octavian), and he is absolutely adorable! He is also a great surprise, as for years we’ve produced mostly black calves because our previous bull didn’t carry the dun (brown) color gene, and we had no idea that Oxley carries dun. We are delighted to have dun calves again, and are now expecting the unexpected from the remainder of our calves as they arrive in the coming weeks and months. Welcome to the ranch little “Bo” (jangles), welcome to the dance!

The pasture sparkled like glitter dusted upon an idyllic snowy Christmas card, and the ice-glazed grasses of winter crunched loudly underfoot as we hurried to the barn while frigid north winds battered us from behind in an attempt to steal away our heavily bundled warmth. Two days of misty rains had been followed by the sudden arrival of overnight temperatures below 20 degrees, and the flash-frozen ground provided treacherous footing as we cautiously descended the hill to the barn. Our noisy footsteps shouted our approach amid a hush of sleepy solitude as all the creatures of the ranch had wisely sought shelter to escape the morning’s ice, wind, and cold.

It had been only three days since we had experienced the joyful arrival of Maggie’s first calf “Buck” and Ginger’s precious girl “Clara” on a crisp, bright morning that provided only a hint of the arctic plunge that was soon to arrive. As we gazed out the window shortly after sunrise that morning, we noticed a small dark lump lying in the distance along our fenceline to the north. We had been expecting Maggie’s calf to arrive overnight, but were dismayed to see a newborn calf without its mama hovering close. After hastily rushing out to check on the motionless lump, we found that Maggie had only recently delivered it, but had left her still-wet calf in fear of missing her usual morning treat at the barn. Her tiny boy was cold and shivering, and clearly in need of assistance. As we hustled to return to the house to quickly prepare a soft bed and warm towels, Ginger suddenly stepped out of the brush before us, and to our shock and surprise, she was unexpectedly accompanied by a tiny wet newborn of her own! After pausing a moment to absorb Ginger’s announcement, we completed preparation for Maggie’s calf and returned to carry him to the warmth of our garage. After vigorously rubbing him all over, we wrapped him in towels and gently laid him on the bed as we welcomed him to the ranch. A few minutes later he rested his sweet little head upon the soothing softness of the pillow and closed his eyes in warm, peaceful restfulness for a few hours while we headed to the barn. As we emerged back out into the cold, Ginger quietly stepped back into the brush in front of us to once again hide her newborn baby girl.

The barn glittered in its flocking of frost, and garland of icicles, as the continued crunching of our footsteps through the frigid pasture announced our arrival, causing an adorable Dexter face to eagerly peak around the corner with bright eyes. We hustled into the shelter of the barn to fulfill the sweetly conveyed expectations as the hay crib was filled, the treat of alfalfa was put forth, and the frosty winds were suddenly forgotten as breath steamed and the herd thankfully settled into their treat while little Bo, Buck and Clara dashed and danced around the excitement of the new day. The morning might be windy and cold, but it is warm inside because of the morning’s dance at the barn! Welcome adorable Buck and sweet little Clara…join in the dance with your brother Bo, as there is indeed much to be excited about!

Where are you Bessie, and where have you hidden your little one? Sweet Bessie had failed to show up for her alfalfa treat the previous evening, so we knew that she had found a private spot in which to deliver her calf that night, but we had failed to find her the following morning after an exhaustive search of our entire ranch. There are so many brushy places where a nervous first-time girl can hide, and we could have walked by very closely and not seen her at all. The rest of our herd waited for their daily hay and attention at the barn, and those festivities consumed what remained of our morning. After lunch we resumed our search in hopes that Bessie has come out to graze, but again found no signs of her. Where are you, Bessie?

A cold winter fog rolled thickly across the ranch as we headed to the barn the next day expecting that she would be waiting there for her morning treat, and as we crested the hill, the dense fog suddenly parted like curtains on a stage to reveal beautiful Bessie glowing with pride as she waited for us in the path with the tiniest, most adorable dun girl at her side. As we approached, her little girl toddled over to greet us briefly and then joyfully ran circles in the fog as Bessie enjoyed her private maternity treat before following us down towards the barn. Welcome to the ranch little “Pumpkin”, welcome to a bed of soft hay, frolicking friends, and a loving family eagerly waiting to meet you!

Taffy was expected to deliver her calf overnight, and indeed she wasn’t included in the daily Dexter parade as the herd passed before our breakfast table window on their way to the barn. We were expecting a long search to discover her secret hiding place, but chose to first restock the hay crib at the barn, and then to satisfy the herd’s eager desire to hear the clatter of alfalfa pellets being poured into their feed trough, before heading out to find Taffy and her newborn calf. While the herd enjoyed their treat, Maribelle stood sweetly as she filled our shiny pail with white gold while enjoying the luxury of her private milking suite and the treats, brush massage, and tail fluff that are included as frequent-giver benefits, and by the time she was finished, the herd had devoured their alfalfa and began moving to the crib in the barn to enjoy their hay. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Taffy, having heard the clatter in the distance and unable to restrain her excitement, unexpectedly walked around the corner of the barn with a newborn boy at her heels. All stood still as heads turned in unison towards Taffy and their new little herd-mate, and suddenly everyone converged at once and crowded around to welcome him to the family. We were there too, in the middle of it all, as Taffy and her boy became the excitement and joy of the morning, running our hands through the softness of his newborn curls and praising him and Taffy with delight.

When a new little one arrives, we always ask the girl what she would like to name him, and this is how the ensuing conversation went with Taffy:

Me: “Oh Taffy, he is so beautiful, and he has such lovely curls! You did a great job, girl! What would you like to name him?”
Taffy: “His name is Fabio.”
Me: “Really? I think that’s an unusual name for a bull.”
Taffy: “His name is Fabio.”
Me: “Are sure, Taffy?”
Taffy: “His name is Fabio.”
Me: “Maybe you should think about it for a while. Do you really want me to call him Fabio every day?”
Taffy: “His name is Fabio.”
Me: “But, there are so many great names to choose from…”
Taffy: “His name is Fabio.”
Me: “OK, Taffy…his name is Fabio. Welcome to the ranch little Fabio, you are indeed fab-ulous, and I know you will be handsome with those soft, lovely curls!”

As I worked to clean the floor and sweep the trough, the herd crowded tightly into the barn in eager anticipation of their morning treat. A cold front had arrived during the previous afternoon, and the cool of the morning had been damped by a brief shower and the promise of more at any moment that forced the herd to seek shelter under the barn to remain dry. The morning’s hay and alfalfa had been readied, and as the flakes began to fall into the crib, the herd surged past me as everyone began lining up in the next available spot starting at the end of the trough where the flakes continued to appear. As I suddenly stood alone, I heard a shuffling at my feet and looked down to find tiny newborn Lucy, Willow’s new daughter, longingly looking up at me as she pranced sweetly on her tiny little hooves to express her desire for her own personal greeting and neck scratch. Her bright, newborn eyes twinkled with delight as I knelt down and rubbed her silky fur and whispered the encouragement she longed to hear. Though only a few days old, she had risked the crowd of legs and hooves, toddling unseen below the maze of tall bodies to seek neither hay nor alfalfa, but to simply be told once again that she was loved and welcomed. Welcome indeed, sweet little Lucy, welcome to the morning’s excitement!

Such a tiny little boy, and such a tall mountain to climb! Honey stood shyly in the peace of the morning, sweetly cleaning her newborn boy Sterling as we excitedly approached to greet him in the barnyard for the very first time. Honey, our herd leader, is now fourteen years old (she’s a senior), and Sterling is her twelfth calf. Honey is also our foundation cow, and most of our herd is descended from her. Honey is sweet, gentle, friendly, and adorable, and she has another special attribute that has earned her much praise over the years. Honey’s calves are also our sweetest, and as we reached out to caress the silkiness of his newborn coat, Sterling lifted his head and blinked his bright little eyes as he looked trustingly into ours and remained calmly resting upon the hay to let us know that he’ll be just as gentle as his brothers and sisters before him. As Honey quietly hummed her mama song to let him know that all was well and that we are family, Sterling laid his tiny head back down upon the hay and fell asleep under Honey’s watchful gaze to our own song of the loving care that lies ahead. Welcome to the ranch little Sterling, drink deeply of the blessings of the day…and enjoy a really tall glass of milk!

Sugarberry stood patiently at the creek crossing, eagerly waiting for us as we walked down the slope to the barn on a morning that was a perfect greeting for her baby’s first moments of life. Gone were the blustery winter winds and monochrome pastures that had greeted our parade of calves over the past two months, having been replaced by fresh green grass, sparkling blue skies, and pastures of colorful wildflowers. Sugarberry lifted her head in anticipation as we approached, hopeful of receiving her maternity treat apart from the crowd at the barn. She sniffed our hands in search of her reward, and we encouraged her to wait just a few more minutes before continuing on to prepare her treat, as well as the morning’s provisions for our herd. Sugarberry stayed at the creek, nervously guarding her newborn hidden somewhere in the dry grasses and brush that lined it banks, and watched us from a distance as we worked. Her generous treat was quickly prepared, which she hungrily devoured as we congratulated her for successfully delivering her first-ever calf. Cows will always reveal where they have hidden their calf by looking in its direction, which Sugarberry indeed did so that we could discover its secret hiding place and joyfully welcome it to the ranch.
On another lovely morning only a few days later, we looked out the window after breakfast to see Willow adorably leading a long line of eight calves down to the barn in anticipation of yet another morning of fun…one in front of the other, nose-to-tail, like a herd of elephants. None of the other cows were present, as Willow had apparently been appointed baby-sitting duties for the morning. Mama Willow was followed by her new girl Lucy, and then came Bo, Clara, Buck, Pumpkin, Fabio, and Sterling. However, the baby parade was a little bit longer that day, as it now included an additional tiny girl named Starla at the end of the line. Thank you, Sugarberry, for the precious gift you have delivered, and welcome, sweet little Starla, to the baby parade!
 

Long-awaited rains fall softly upon our pastures as the thirsty land soaks in the essence of life so vital to the grasses that feed our hungry herd of Dexters. For many months, our mornings have been filled with hay, alfalfa, and treats so necessary to our cows as they all now have a calf to feed, and the burden of nutrition is high for girls that produce an abundance of milk. Gracie has been carrying a fresh load of cream for more than a week now in anticipation of the arrival of her calf, and as I wandered among the herd on this gentle spring morning, I found that Gracie’s udder wasn’t as tight as it had been in recent days. I quickly glanced across the pasture beyond, and after spotting a small black lump hidden among the grasses, I hurried over to find Gracie’s newborn sleeping peacefully, warmed by the morning sun under the watchful gaze of the herd. Little Dovie peaked at me trustingly out of the corner of her eye, but remained still as I caressed her gently and welcomed her to the bright morning of her very first day of new life. Others of the herd soon gathered around to see the miracle that Gracie had delivered during the night, but then eagerly departed in the direction of the barn for breakfast, leaving Gracie and I with Dovie to spend a few minutes alone in joyful celebration. Dovie is the last of nine lovely calves that we will receive this year, and she is just as beautiful, precious, and special as all the others. Welcome to the ranch little Dovie, and rejoice in the rain – the water of life – as it awakens the earth to bring forth beauty and life in abundance just for you!