Thursday, September 16, 2010

A Sad Rite of Passage

I am someone who has lived in both the city and the country. I know there are many that love the hustle and bustle, the noise and all that comes from being in the city. But for me, I'm soothed by a chorus of birds, frogs, crickets, and cicadas and being able to see the deer grazing in my yard. I also enjoy this time of year when I can have the windows open and enjoy the cool breeze and hear the wind in the trees and other nighttime sounds.

Living in the country means that I can get up at dawn and walk the dogs in my pajamas, dance in the driveway and sing out loud and off key and never worry about a neighbor seeing or hearing me.

This is our third year living on Mountain Road. Last night I was reminded of a sound of the country that I do not enjoy hearing and that is the sound of a cow who has been separated from her calf. Each year about this time the farmer across the road takes the calves away from their Mothers to be weaned. Last night after I went to bed, and the dogs were all settled in, above all the other night-noises, the sound that drifted from across the road was the bellowing of the cows crying for one another. It is such a sad mournful cry and it went on all night and is continuing this afternoon. I know it's a part of life, and as Lynn from Rocky Creek Scottie Adventures said on my Facebook page that weaning "is a rite of passage to becoming an adult," and I totally agree, but I think it's kind of a sad one too. (This picture was taken earlier this summer)

33 comments:

  1. Like I said on FB, its awful even though it's natural. I couldn't bear to live in a city again. We did for 2 years in Italy.....give me the sounds, sad or not, of the countryside any day. xxx

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  2. I know that sad, heart wrenching sound. When it happens here, it makes the dogs upset. It makes me upset. Just a fact of life, but still so sad.

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  3. Must be the time of year because we are experiencing the same thing. They call each other all the time.

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  4. Oh how desolate that must sound.
    I love living in the country too & get twitchy if away too long.

    Your comment made me smile about fancy dress parties - imagine a Bloggers' meet up where we had to dress up to represent our blog !!!
    You could knit a golden haired jacket!!... peolple do you know ... spin & knit with dog hair !!! they do ! I saw a programme about it xx

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  5. goats do the same thing. Last week when i separated the boys from their mommas I am pretty sure my whole side of the county knew it. Both sides cried and screamed pretty much all night long. It got especially pitiful when the baby boys lost their voices. Like fiddles out of tune...

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  6. Nothing sadder than a momma missing her babies.

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  7. Oh, poor Mamas and Babies. So hard to be taken away from each other. With cows, and horses, and, maybe, other domestic breeds, the break is so sudden. I wonder what it's like for the wild herd critters. Do the babies stay with Mom until the new babies come along?

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  8. Kim,
    We live in the country and I have never heard this. I guess we are not close enough to the cows. Sounds as if I really don't want to hear it though.
    I like the feeling of wearing my PJ's to pick-up the ad mail,dancing like Michael Jackson and singing which is always off key!!
    We would make such a pretty sight oh but fun we would have.
    You really can't beat country living at it's finest. Just watch out for the crazy women down the road.

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  9. I wonder if that is what I've been hearing in recent nights -

    Since the temps have cooled sufficiently, I've been able to open the windows at night -

    It has certainly been louder out there - and coming in the direction of where the beef cowdogs live!

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  10. Hi Kim, Oh girl my heart would be breaking too! I've never had cows but wonder why they aren't left to wean themselves? I am not a city girl at all(can't stand large cities)but a country girl at heart-just never lived on the land with no neighbors. Here is about as close to being a country girl as possible and my daughter lives on2.5 acres so I get to experience a bit of country. I was so afraid something had happened to one of your dogs. I love your blog-I get to read about all your dogs and enjoy life through your eyes. Wish I had more dogs but I've got a hubby to please.
    Hugs today.
    Noreen

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  11. I agree! It's very sad! I'm studying veterinary nursing and I hear that almost all day! And I can't do nothing about it! :(

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  12. What a beautiful life you have, surrounded by nature......and I agree about the rite of passage...a sad sound....
    xoxo

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  13. Oh poor, dear calves and Mama cows! That's so sad that you have to hear that every year; Spring seems to be such a kinder season - full of the vitality of birth and youth and sparkliness. Autumn has its own special beauty too, but the sounds must be so mournful. BTW, I totally agree with you about the Pedigree product and have never fed anything from this company to the dogs, but when dogs are starving, I'll say, "YAY" to a company for giving food to puppers for a little blog post, like you wrote! And hugs to all your brood there!
    xoxoxoxoxo,
    Sammie, Avalon and Mom

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  14. I've never heard that sound. It must be awful. I didn't know farmers did that. You can tell I'm a city girl.

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  15. We hear that mooooing sounds too.
    Even though we have forest, part of the land is meadows, and pastures,, and we hear those sad baby cows moooooooo.
    Yes,, its the time of year.
    We too wish the mama cow would just not have any more milk and that would solve the problem.
    love
    tweedles

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  16. Lovely post, Kim... I, like you, am far more content with the sounds of the country living than those of the city hustle and bustle ... and yes, those rite's of passage sounds are mournful...

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  17. How heartbreaking...I will always remember the sound of my cat Quinn crying out for her babies when she was separated from four out the five. I adopted her with the fifth kitten, the only female of the letter and oh, how she cared for her and still does. She nursed Magique, the kitten in question, until she was at least six months old, if not longer and they are still very, very close, Quinn still watches Magique like a hawk whenever someone she doesn't know comes into my place.

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  18. I have never heard that sound, but the thought of it does not sound fun at all :(

    Elizabeth & Luna

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  19. Woof! Woof! We agree it is sad. My family have a dream to live in the country farm (someday). Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  20. I drive by a farm with black angus & belted cows daily - I sometimes hear that mournful sound too.

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  21. I've raised horses all my life, and separating the foals from their Mamma's can be heart breaking.

    Sam

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  22. We agree about the rite of passage. It must be so sad. :(

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  23. :( Poor cows! You would think the little calfs and mom would wean themselves soon enough without having to separate them. But not being a farmer, what do I know. It's still seems sad.

    Hope they stop crying soon!
    xo Catherine

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  24. Oh my! Have not had that sound experience. I guess natural, but probably never easy to get used to.
    Cherish those mornings that you get to sing in your pjs with all your lovely ones :)

    Hugs and snaggle-tooth kisses,
    Sierra Rose

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  25. Thanks for opening my eyes to this...I would never had known that this goes on.Brother do I have a lot to learn!

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  26. That is most certainly a mournful sound. I'm a country girl who has lived in town for to many years now, but do remember those heartbroken babies and mamma's.

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  27. We live next to a farm and hear that every year for a couple days. It's so sad and goes on for so long. I'm glad that mother dogs are fairly happy to say goodbye to their pups.

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  28. That breaks my heart :o( I didn't know that's how it worked :o(

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  29. I can imagine how distressing it would be. I can't bear to see the sheep and cows being transported from our local fields to .......... well, you know where. They all look so stuffed in that lorry, their little faces looking out. I can't look. In many respects it would be so much easier to live in the city and distance myself from the realities of humans rearing animals for their own needs.

    xx

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  30. Don't know why but I accidentally clicked that message to be anonymous - it was from me!!

    Sorry.

    x

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  31. I hate that sound also......but as everyone else has said it has to happen.......

    Gill

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  33. You reminded me of how we used to hear this when we lived on the prairie and yes it is very sad - I wish I hadn't read this on the night we have the dogs in kennels too! :-(

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