Cocoa The Love Sick Cow

 

COCOA THE COW

This story has its beginnings in Ortonville in May, 1982.  At that time, we purchased a bummer lamb (no mom – drinking from bottle) and a 5 day old heifer calf which we soon named Cocoa.  We brought the 2 animals back to the farm in the back seat of our old blue Pontiac and received many second glances as we drove right through the middle of the city of Pontiac.  We arrived home and immediately set about the task of making the calf grow – bottle feedings of our special milk were then followed by introductions to grass, grain, hay, pumpkins, etc.  The Schmidt children and adults, had no illusions, Cocoa would someday be butchered and provide us with a great quantity of beef.

Cocoa grew to be a large, obnoxious heifer – mooing (bellowing) monthly for a friend – any bull would do.  Her sexual identity at times reached a state of confusion which might explain her mounting Larry as he fixed the fence.  She weighed 600 pounds and pinned his face and shoulders to the ground.  Finally, Larry looked up hoping for a little help but I was just standing there laughing.  We did agree that you should never turn your back on a frustrated heifer. 

Time passed and Cocoa’s final days seemed to fly by.  On her last day at Maplewoods Farm, she was given a sad goodby from the children and driver on Anna’s school bus.  They had followed her progress and Mrs. Osborne often stopped the bus by the fence to watch Cocoa and greet her.  On this day, the bus stopped once more by the fence – Mrs. Osborne opened her window and bid a last farewell.  The children waved good-by and the bus departed leaving Cocoa to her fate.

We hired a young man to take Cocoa to Howell to be butchered.  It surprised us when Cocoa was loaded with relative ease.  Larry coaxed her with feed while Tom pulled on a rope and quickly Cocoa was in the trailer, eating her last meal.

Cocoa was gone but not soon to be forgotten.  The steaks, roasts, hamburger and more are tender and delicious.  The cost came to around $1.80/pound – a little high but the meat has been a real treat.

Will we ever get another cow – no – maybe a steer but never a love sick, bony heifer.  She was a sweetheart when we got her – bottle feeding time was memorable but time passes and our parting was anything but sad.

Where Cocoa is standing, there are now the very expensive homes that are part of Island Lake Estates.

My Nature Story Book - Introduction

 

My Nature Story

Introduction

“If you feel something calling you to dance or write or paint or sing, please refuse to worry about whether you’re good enough, Just Do It!”

The Spring of 2019 provided me with an explosion of nature.  I returned from my camping trip in Georgia and had the unexpected and completely wonderful experience with the fox family living under our very special Little House.  Not long after they left, migrating warblers began landing on our farm and along the trails of Island Lake Estates.  When the warblers flew away, the wrens took up residence, raised their families and kept me totally entertained.  Eventually, all the babies fledged, the wrens moved out to the fields and I thought possibly nature was going to take a rest but that didn’t happen.  It seemed, as if, every time I was in our yard, pasture, woods and along the trails, there was a new adventure.  One evening, I wrote, “I took a walk in nature, through a swamp, all I heard, all I saw and experienced, made my senses explode.” That’s the way it was during the Spring and Summer of 2019…BOOM!!!

In August, I went on a camping road trip to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. During my visit with my friend Gail, in Wisconsin, I was introduced to the book, Letters From Eden: A Year at Home, in the Woods by Julie Zickefoose.  Gail loaned me her copy, I brought it back to the farm, read it and enjoyed it so much that I purchased another Zickefoose book, The Bluebird Effect.

As I was reading my new book, I was inspired to write some of my own stories in a little red note pad.  I continued doing this every day and eventually wrote, “hopefully, I can put all my stories in a book for my daughters”.  On the next page of the note pad, I added ideas – why I love birds, attracting them, squirrels, wrens, warblers, etc.  At about the same time, I read this passage in The Bluebird Effect, “It’s that spark gleaming in the cupped hand of my own experience that I want to bring to you.  I want to tell you their stories”.  That was it, I knew I had my own stories to tell, I wanted to share them with my family and so, I quit reading The Bluebird Effect, and as is frequently said, “The rest is history”.

For years, I wrote in my journals that I wanted to try writing a book but this never became a reality.  It always became just work – thinking about the actual writing and then trying to find someone, anyone to be interested and also dealing with all the frustration and expected disappointment – too much time involved – not worth the effort – would be like a job and then being fired. Now, the idea of writing a book just for my girls, created in me an enthusiasm I never had before.

I already had journal writings about the fox family, warblers and wrens.  I had nature essays I’d written over the years, new stories to tell and on my computer were pictures, lots and lots of pictures. Recently I came across this quote “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” Through the years, I’ve accumulated many, many “tickets” and I was ready to cash them in to enhance my stories. It seemed obvious to me that I had all the necessary requirements to write my book and so, it was full steam ahead.

I became totally absorbed, I would sit in my blue recliner, look out my big windows, be inspired, write a story in my red note pad, transfer it to my computer, rewrite, sort pictures, make copies of finished story, put the sheets into transparent sleeves, add them to my notebooks and then move on to the next - it was as if I couldn’t stop writing and the process made me very happy.

I started my project in September and by December (2019), my notebooks were full and the time had come to bring it to a close. I wrote my final thoughts, added my final pictures and that was it, done, complete – The End.

I enjoyed everything about this project.  It proved to me that I could stick with my writing – not start and lose interest.  It allowed me to document my love of nature for myself and for my family.  It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Just Curious

I don’t know if there’s a God, a Mother Nature or some other “higher power” so, I’m going with “Universe” - I think this year, The Universe, said, “Regarding nature, I’m going to throw everything I have at you – what you do with it is your business!” and my response, “Dear Universe, I caught what you threw, wrote the story   and shared it.  Thanks for giving me this opportunity and I’m curious, what comes next?  Sincerely, Margaret”

(January 15^th, 2021-Unfortunately, the Universe decided to throw a Pandemic!)