Bringing the Cows Home

Every evening, someone heads out - across the street, to school, over to another field - to retrieve our two milking cows who graze daily. The job gets passed around. I tag along when ever I can. Once released for their field posts, they walk free going home. At first, roaming cows around me completely freaked me out. They seem to move slow but can gain speed far quickly than myself. When they want to go somewhere, they go. I didn't know how to move them back to right path until I was given a switch and taught a few combinations. Lucky for me, the commands are like "Where are you going? Let's go home?" phrases I say all the time to other people. So, now, I just talk to the cows like they are people. 'Hello. How are you? Good morning. What did you do today? What did I do? Well, let me tell you..." The family gets a kick out my cow monologue. The cows are empathetic listeners who don't interrupt while I practice my language.

Our family sells milk each week to others in the village. Our girls stay fat and happy and milked three times a day. Luda and Baba Katya share the milking responsibility. The rest of us do other things - feeding, walking, removing poop, working the calf. Here are some images about our cow business.

 The new male calf during his first trip into sunlight. Now, two and half weeks later, he is triple this size in height and width and weight. 

 Our cats know what's up. With a slight gesture of their paw on the bucket, Luda sends some milk over to Momma Cat. 

 Luda and Baba Katya working with their girls. 

 We made a trip to the other side of town to our hay field. We drove past a house where the Dubovas lived for 15 years before moving into the pink house. They still own this property so they grow hay and grasses for winter cow feed. 

We had to clear away a tree that had fallen since their previous visit. 

Picking up the hay and storing it away. These people never stop working. They are amazing. 

 Soon I will have updates about my new home, new town, new school. It's all for the good. Brand new adventures, neighbors, and babas are waiting to be discovered. My next town, Zvenihorodka, is only 45 minutes (by bus) away so I will be able to come back if I want to. Summer isn't over yet. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks before school will hold for me!