Moonlighting

The members of my family are hard workers.  Like many family farmers, much of our farm-related activity occurs after our day jobs or on weekends.  For example, my brothers Shawn and Kyle moonlight as a hay man and a farm supply store/farm tool rental agency, respectively.

Shawn the hay man.

Upon hearing about our Charlie woes (Side note: Charlie has decided she hates lambs.  After she maimed Cobalt in a nasty (and obviously unprovoked) attack, we now have to put a fence across our paddock to separate her from the lambs.  Cobalt's leg is not broken and his limp is slowly improving.  I am still mad), Kyle generously supplied us with many of the tools and supplies we will need to construct our new fence.  Thank you!

How Charlie cannot love this adorable beast I cannot understand.

Ian moonlights as a our farm carpenter and handy-man.  Today he fixed my gate and finished building my milking stand (Side note: Cobalt has decided to nurse only off one side.  That leaves me needing to milk out Violet's other udder as it fills up and puts her at risk of developing mastitis in the apparently undesirable teat.  Resigned sigh.  I did not love sitting on the barn floor to milk her so Ian stepped in with a milking stand so I can sit on a stool.  Happy sigh.).

I moonlight as a calf namer.  Much to my chagrin, Kyle and Shawn tried to name their male calves with a number (e.g CAF1).  Unacceptable.  As I explained to them, these beautiful animals should have a proper name even if they are destined for the dinner table.  They humour me now by allowing me to name all their lovely male calves.  So far, we have Calvin, Malcolm, and Oakley.  Good cow names, right?

Oakley and Charlotte.  Oakley was born this afternoon.

All this moonlighting makes for long but satisfying summer days.  I wonder what other people do after work?