I've posted a few blogs about the twin calves one of our cows birthed last fall, and how excited we were to finally have a set of twins that both survived and were claimed by the mama. Good friends of ours, who own a ranch and operate a cow/calf herd in NE Kansas, experienced a multiple-birth event to start their spring calving...or, rather, the ranch wife experienced the event. Here is her amazing story:

"We weren't supposed to start calving for 2 more weeks, but you always expect that things might start a little early.  It was a cold, sleety and WINDY (out of the north) evening and it was just starting to get dark.  I was coming home from my husband’s surgery that would keep him out of commission for several months. ….On the ranch work schedule anyway.  Well, I thought you had better get evening chores done ASAP, but something told me to get out and take a look through those cows.  After all, it was close to calving.  I hopped on the 4-wheeler and thought I would take a nice gander through the cows and discover nothing going on.  Things were well for the perimeter of the pasture, but I knew that cows in weather like this like to have their calves in ditches and groves of trees away from other cattle and out of the wind as much as possible. So I headed to a little ravine that would be protected from the north blustery wind.  UH OH.  There was a cow standing by herself with a calf in the ditch.  No problem…as I got closer I could see that everyone looked fine, up and going. As I got closer there were two calves up and going.  HUMMMM I wonder who wandered off and left her calf with number 99.  I looked closer.  Both calves were nursing 99, that is unusual, unless...Twins!!!  We don’t usually have twins so I was a little excited and a lot apprehensive about how I would get these two little ones back to the barn with their mom and shut up together so she would mother both of them. As I crept closer so as not to make the Mama try and move her family away from me, I saw another little dark form.  By now it was really dark and I was sure that it was a calf, but not positive.  I crept closer, it was a calf and it was lying between 99’s feet.  Two calves nursing, one in close, no other cows around. TRIPLETS?  No couldn't be.  Must be.  As I got too close for the cow’s comfort, she tried to herd her little group away from me.  It didn't work, too many to herd, but she knew they were all hers. 
Now I knew that I had to get them to the barn, a whole pasture away.  If I didn't do this right, the mother might not claim any of her calves.  I knew it was imperative that I get them all to the barn together and driving a new baby calf and a Mama is like pushing string up hill.  I called the neighbor.  He said he would be right over.  While waiting I got a calf sled that we use in the snow, and hooked it on the ATV.  I got three little twine ropes.  My plan was to load all three calves into the sled and pull them to the barn. I needed the twine to tie their little legs together so they wouldn't struggle out of the sled. 

Where was that neighbor? What was taking him so long?  I hoped that the cow would follow the sled with the calves to the barn.  If she didn't we would have a horrible time getting her to the barn if we took the calves and she didn't follow.  She would keep trying to return to where she had the calves.  FINALLY the neighbor arrived.  We got back to the cow and her babies.  No other cows around or even interested.  These calves were a good size for sharing such a small space inside Mama.  We tied the little feet like a tie-down roper would tie a calf.  Loaded them into the sled and prayed that the mom would follow.  Off we started in the dark. It was a rough ride, as it was hard to avoid obstacles, but as we started that cow had her nose in the back of that sled and that is where she kept it, following as closely as she could, mooing and cooing to her girls…all heifers!  We made it to the barn, unloaded our precious cargo and had to jump out of the way as the cow came in!  Three perfect calves, and a WONDERFUL mother who knew she had more than one off-spring and was tending to them beautifully.  We knew that she would need to have her milk supplemented.  There is no way that she could raise all 3 by herself.  She just would not produce enough milk for 3 hungry, growing calves, but for the time being she would take care of them and do a great job. 

Never fails, you get these little Blessings when you live on a ranch or farm, it seems like especially when the wife is in charge and the husband is gone.

We ended up grafting 2 of the calves onto cows that had lost their calves for one reason or another and left the smallest calf with her mom. All are thriving and growing… a happy ending.  If I hadn't discovered them on that cold night, probably the mother would have lost at least one of the calves, probably two.  Life on a ranch is one adventure after another.  I feel so lucky to be a part of this life."

And, cattle ranching is lucky to have these two great friends of ours who are passionate about "this life!"

My “Hitting the Road” book tour took me to Alma, “The City of Native Stone” in the heart of the Flint Hills, on Thursday. As I headed west from Topeka on I-70, a smoky smell wafted through my air vents and the air was hazy with smoke from several controlled burn pasture fires in those Flint Hills. This haze lasted all the way to the Highway 99 exit, and probably beyond.

Alma is known for its native stone fences and buildings, constructed mostly of limestone. Two scenic drives in the area, Native Stone Scenic Byway and Mill Creek Drive, wind through the Flint Hills countryside dotted with fences and old stone farmhouses and barns. I saw a few as soon as I left I-70 and headed south on Highway 99. About halfway through the three-mile drive into Alma, I also saw this old bridge a few yards off the highway on a gravel road. Not many of these left!

As I was touring Alma, I accidentally found the Mill Creek Drive, also known as Old K-10 Highway, on the west edge of town so I meandered out a few miles, hoping to spot old, crumbling stone fences. This route would be quieter and safer than darting in and out of homeward-bound commuter traffic on busy Highway 99. I didn't go far before I found a restored fence. Efforts are being made to restore the old fences so people can see how they were originally constructed.

A few miles further, I found the old, crumbling fences.

Then I headed back to town to look at the stone buildings. Wabaunsee High School, constructed of limestone with a red tile roof, is considered one of the most beautiful schools in Kansas. All was quiet around the building. The action was south of town at the ball diamonds where the Charger baseball and softball teams were hosting Silver Lake. Unfortunately, both home teams lost. Hey guys and gals, better luck next Tuesday at Lyndon!

Alma is the county seat for Wabaunsee County and the courthouse is constructed of native stone. The interior has terrazzo on some floors and also marble. Unfortunately, I was there after business hours and couldn’t go inside.

The downtown area has several neat old stone buildings. The Alma Hotel, built in the late 1800s, is currently being refurbished into a bed and breakfast by the current owner.

The Kinne and Kerns Building was once a general merchandise store. The Community Art Center and Farm Bureau Insurance Agency now share the building space. Great old building!

The City Hall and Antiques Emporium share a corner building which has an interesting history, according to the City of Alma website:

"This beautiful and stately native stone building was once one of the finest buildings in town. It was built in the early 1880s by the Limerick Brothers, two red-headed Irishmen. These freckled, Irishmen came swinging into town with a fortune of $375,000 to invest, which they did in splendid style. They built the most handsome business building in Alma, which remains today, much as it was before the turn of the century and is still called “the Limerick Building.”

I love this story! Again, sorry I missed the opportunity to see the inside, particularly of the Antique Emporium. Will definitely come back and probably boost the Alma economy with a purchase(s) there! 

I arrived at the library and was greeted by Judith, director of the Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library System, and Joyce, director of the Alma Branch. These gals are delightful! Judith was excited to show me the special refreshment item: Cow Pie Cookies, baked by the Alma Bakery and Sweet Shoppe, the cookies with the frosting along the outer edge of the plate. They were wonderful! How clever and creative!

Joyce gifted me with a couple packages of cheese from the Alma Creamery. I've visited the Creamery on a previous trip. As the sign in front says, their cheese is “Nibblin’ Good!” Joyce passed on a helpful hint: serve this cheese at room temperature to bring out the robust flavor. Never heard that and will definitely try it.

I was invited to speak as part of the library’s National Library Week celebration. The patrons were a fun audience and many had either grown up or now lived on farms.

Judith asked me if I saw the sign at the Stockgrowers State Bank announcing my appearance at the library. I had missed that, so as I turned onto Missouri Avenue, the main drag, and headed out of town, I looked for the bank and was quite surprised at the “sign.” I was expecting a large poster of some type. This is what I saw:

The pastures have been burned; the fences checked and repaired. The next spring task is to wean last fall’s calves from their mothers. Weaning creates separation anxiety among the cows and calves for a few days. However, beginning last year, our neighbors are spared the high decibel levels of bawling. As I explained in my post, “Welcome Home, Ladies! We Missed You!” on April 27, 2014, our calves are weaned at the ranch where the pairs spend the winter. Once weaning is complete, the steers remain at the ranch in a pasture we rent from the owner, and the cows and heifers are transported to our pasture and those we rent in our neighborhood.

Bill uses a couple of weaning options to reduce the stress to both cows and calves, resulting in healthier animals when the process is complete: weaning according to the “Moonsigns” schedule and fenceline weaning.

Bill determines the dates of weaning using the “Moonsigns” schedules available from The Farmer’s Almanac and some garden centers. The latter source also provides a moon sign garden planting schedule. Some cattlemen believe the weaning process is easier and less stressful during certain phases of the moon. The recommended time this year was between April 8 and 14.

In fenceline weaning, the cow/calf pairs are separated into adjacent pastures or large pens with substantial fences or panels between them. The cows and calves can still see each other and touch noses, but the calves can’t access the teats. The calves experience less stress—less bawling and fence-walking—which pays off in healthier calves with better weight gain. Hay and grain are given to them daily.

Last Friday was “Weaning Day.” Bill and the ranch owner separated the cow/calf pairs, and put the calves one at a time through a restraining chute so they could be given vaccinations. Then the calves were released into their new pen next to the cows. The cows’ pen opens into a pasture. For the first couple of days, the cows stayed pretty close to the separating fence panels between the pens. Gradually, they moseyed away to the pasture, spending less time in the pen.

That evening, the ranch owner had a commitment and couldn't do the evening feeding so Bill, Cricket and I drove to the ranch to feed.

While Bill fed hay and grain to the calves, I snapped pictures. 

Here are the calves. You can see the cows at the gate in the background.

The white calf is Snowball. His mother is Sweet Pea, our one Charolais-mix cow.

Some of the moms are more interested in me than their calves. Sweet Pea is in the middle of the picture. A concerned, bawling mom is at the fence.

This picture shows Hereford, the red and white cow in the background, one of our favorites.

The calves are eating hay and grain Bill put in the feed bunks.

“Hey, look! A dessert cup!” Suzy Q, daughter of Creedence and granddaughter of Proud Mary, thought she found a treat. It’s actually a supplemental mineral/protein tub. They can lick it, similar to a salt block.

Bill and the ranch owner talked on Monday. After three days, most of the bawling stopped, the calves weren't pacing the fenceline and the cows were spending more time in the pasture. Because it rained over the weekend the lot was muddy, so he planned to turn the calves out to pasture the next day.

When the pasture-burning was completed, Bill traded his pyro equipment for fence repair tools, posts and barbed wire. He’s renting a new pasture this year and all potential escape routes must be eliminated. 

First order of business is to clear small trees and brush away from the fence to create a working area.

No, he’s not trying to cut down this tree with his small saw. That would be like trying to empty a pond with a tablespoon! The target is a thick vine loaded with a gazillion nasty stickers that grew up along the tree truck.

Bill pounds a steel fence post into the ground with a steel post driver. This "post pounder" fits over the fence post and is capped at the top end. Bill lifts it up by the handles and brings it down with heavy force to drive the post into the ground.

He uses wire cutters to twist, then cut a short piece of baling wire that secures the barbed wire to the post. Yes, there are special wire clips for this purpose; but this is an old post, shaped differently than the newer ones, so the clips won’t work.

Securing barbed wire to wood posts is a little different. Bill hammers a fence staple around the wire and into the post. Note to Self: Check his pockets to remove staples before laundering these clothes.

Oops, missed the staple!

Let’s try that again!

Bill uses two claw hammers—“the poor man’s fence stretcher”—to stretch wire around a corner post. He owns a fence stretcher, but in this situation of tight working space and very short length of wire, the hammers work better.

Did you notice Bill’s elbow poking out of a hole in his shirt? This is his “fence-fixing/building” outfit!

Some of the barbed wire is in good shape, just a little saggy; yet not saggy enough to require the time and effort to hook up a fence stretcher. So Bill uses a fence crimper to take up the slack.

The result: a crimped, but tighter, barbed wire fence

Finished! Our bovine Houdini disciples won’t be taking any tours of the neighborhood.

Cricket, the job forewoman, is pleased with the work!

One of the things I most enjoy about hitting the road to give book talks is the opportunity to go to towns in Kansas I’ve either never visited or not for a long time. My trip to Clay Center last Saturday was the latter.

I live two miles off U.S. Highway 24, which also runs through Clay Center. I’m quite familiar with the stretch of highway as far as Manhattan; beyond was all new territory. Due to lack of time, I didn’t make as many stops and side tours as I wanted. One of those would have been to drive across Tuttle Creek Dam. Maybe another time.

One stop I did make was in Leonardville at Nelson’s Landing, a café owned by Kim Nelson, mother of former K-State Wildcat and current Green Bay Packers standout wide receiver, Jordy Nelson. The timing was great for lunch!

The interior of the café is everything Jordy with lots of purple and green. Also featured are a framed Kansas City Chiefs jersey worn by Jon McGraw, another former Wildcat football player; a picture of Jordy’s sister, Kelsey, who played basketball for the Lady Cats; and a poster of Amy Mortimer, track and cross country All-American at K-State. All went to Riley County High School. They grow great athletes in that area!

I resisted the temptation of the specialty hamburgers—next trip—and ordered the Southwest Salad. It was delicious, especially the dressing! One temptation I didn’t resist was two pieces of homemade coconut cream pie in to-go boxes to savor later at home with Bill. Also delicious!

After lunch, I headed to Clay Center. Previously, I’d been there once, in November, 1972. The event was a Class 1A high school regional football playoff between my hometown high school, Burlingame, and Clyde High School. The game was played at the Clay Center High stadium—in a couple of inches of snow. The winner would advance to the state championship game. Our team won in a close contest. The final game was played in Burlingame and, in another close one, we prevailed. I took a nostalgic drive by the stadium.

On the way to the library, I drove around the downtown area where the Clay County Courthouse has a commanding presence. Because it was Saturday the courthouse was closed, but I would like to have gone inside. 

Located not far from the courthouse was an interesting building which piqued my interest of antique cars: Fifth Avenue Antique Auto Parts. If you’re into antique cars, how can you not love a building with the front end of an early 1950’s Chevy mounted above the entrance!

This building is the brick-and-mortar home to Fifth Avenue Internet Garage. Unfortunately again, the building wasn’t open.

Next stop, the Clay Center Carnegie Library. Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929 with funds donated by businessman and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. The first library in Clay Center dates back to 1887, but Carnegie funds weren’t applied for until 1909 and the building was completed in 1912.

I was the guest speaker at the annual meeting of Friends of the Clay Center Library. This was a fun group and the president, Sarah Thomas, was a gracious hostess. The refreshments were yummy!

According to its website, Clay Center calls itself “The City Beautiful.” I look forward to another trip sometime, possibly later in the spring, to explore the parks as well as other attractions in this progressive rural Kansas community.