Proper Country Etiquette...or what to do with a bull?

I feel sorry for you city folks. Friends in the city are just *not* the same as country friends. You invite your friends over for a visit...or a meal...what do they bring you? A present done up with a bow, a plate of cupcakes...perhaps a bottle of wine or if you are really lucky a potted plant. Ho...hum....

Here in the country, folks know how to do things up right! We had some friends come for a visit and they didn't bring food, or wine, or even a potted plant...and this gift didn't come with a bow...however it did arrive in style! Our friends, Stan and Sue brought us a *cute* little Angus bull! (Stan objected to the word cute - not very manly for a bull :) ). He lost his Mama this morning so he wasn't in the best of moods. In fact, in this picture he looks down right "scowly" as Grandma used to say! Doesn't his face just shout "DON'T TOUCH ME!"



Let's just say that this was not his day...first loosing mama, then his first ride *ever* in a big metal box and then being dumped at a farm where he didn't know a soul!



Here Elijah gets his first look at the bull with Sue. (He adores Sue, he loves people who love to laugh and Sue is one of the happiest people I know!)

This little fella was quite rambunctious...he is 4 weeks old but he can kick, buck, and bawl. Stan decided that he needed to be tied to a post in the trailer for a bit in the hopes that he might calm down before we tried to unload him. Another first....a halter and the inability to run at will....not a happy camper.



Once he calmed down a bit, Stan felt it was o.k. to unload him. My plan was to put him with our milk cow Nora (THE best cow in the WORLD!). Nora has taken every calf we have put with her. In fact, Nora had to be separated from the rest of the cows because she was letting some full grown Jersey steers nurse and we weren't getting any milk....Stan says she is just a "hussy" :) . Don't think I've heard that term since Grandma died. Grandma would have agreed with Stan.

I made Elijah the "gate guard". Notice I put him BEHIND the gate. This is because he broke his arm at this time last year and I am *still* paying the Dr. bills on that one...so, I wasn't taking any chances!



As you can see he came kicking and screaming reluctantly off the trailer. It was just like being at the rodeo....only in miniature!



Stan decided to hang out in the field to make sure that this little guy didn't make a bee line for the fence and end up in the next county (hey....don't laugh!..... been there and done that....more than once!)



As you can see he is still fighting the lead rope....and he was none to sure about Nora. I can also assure you that Nora was not exactly thrilled. I can understand...drop a kid at my house and say..."by the way...yours to raise" might not exactly thrill me either - especially if said kid was kicking, screaming and squalling!

This is *THE* best picture of the day....gotta find a magazine that I can submit this to! Stan decided to sit down and let Nora and this bull work it out - I thought at one point that he might get trampled! Nora wasn't about to let that little bull *anywhere* near her. If he got to close, she would butt the tar out of him. Regardless of what Stan said.....Nora is *not* that kind of gal!



So, at this point (9:45 pm EST), Nora has quit butting the baby but she is still keeping her distance. The bull is crying, screaming, bawling for his Mama. He refused his bottle tonight...but hey!....he hasn't ever seen one. I hope by morning he is hungry enough to get near us and try the bottle - or perhaps Nora will have settled down, let her Mama instincts take over and allow this little guy to nurse.

The boys are trying to come up with a name - normally anything we would eat gets a food name...but that isn't the purpose for this little fella. He is here to make babies! So, the boys want to name him Big Daddy.....because one day he is going to be around 2,000 lbs. and hopefully will be the Daddy of many little ones.

He truly is a dream come true for my little family! Isn't he beautiful?



Well.....except for that tongue in the nose thingy....why *do* they do that?

And here are our friends and my boys (oh, and Toby...he's the one on the leash!)



Words can't express how grateful we are ....thank you so much Stan and Sue!

And by the way, Stan... as soon as my Mom saw him she said...."oooohhhhh..he's SO cute!"..and I've gotta agree...even if it isn't very cowboy of me :)

Now folks, we are going to visit Stan and Sue to meet Big Daddy's Daddy....and my dilemma is....what should I bring them?...cause after today....a plate of cupcakes just isn't going to cut it!