Miraculous Pair

I am on a sojourn down to my Mother's house in the Catskills, NY. My daughter is getting to spend some quality time with the her grandmother and also with me.

My great-grandparents bought this land 100 years ago this year. It turned into a boardinghouse business, and now six generations have run across these fields.

The goldfinches are all turned yellow here.

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The birds are quite busy and loud in the yard. There are several feeders and a birdbath. I fondly remember helping my grandmother scoop black oil sunflower seeds out of their container under the cellar steps, to feed the birds every day. Now, my daughter gets to visit her grandmother here!

On the way to New York, we passed a cow field in Vermont where a heifer must have just stood after delivering her calf. We could see it lying wet and new, a little stunned in the sunny, warm grass. She picked a good day: our first real warmer one in weeks.

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I pulled the car to the shoulder, and my daughter and I went to gently try and observe without disturbing the pair. Momma cow turned to face us, a little alarmed- but we didn't look directly at or approach her. We were still a good fifty feet away, and stayed there, with the fence and bushes between us.

I know horse language, but have never had the opportunity to learn 'cow.' However, her initial reaction was universal: don't come near my baby.

After a few seconds, she settled back to taking care of the calf. She had already encouraged the new little one to its feet. She was licking the baby, cooing-mooing softly: it was so beautiful. Then she turned the baby around, and stepped forward so it could find her udders.

Seeing a baby cow drink milk for the first time is a sight I will never forget.

I was full of wonder-- my daughter and I decided to leave the pair alone, though. These ARE important moments, and we didn't want to intrude any more.

My daughter worried that we'd disrupted the heifer's time with her newborn, but I assured her that our witnessing that moment was a gift which we did not overuse.

I am so grateful to have been given the chance to share such a miracle on this special trip with my youngest. I love her good 'midwife' instincts, too!