Red Poll Cattle Update For The End Of March

I had thought Rosella had been weaned a long time ago, but I was wrong. She's still nursing, though she's getting close to as tall as her mother:

The girls are sociable animals, enjoying each other's company and usually enjoying mine as well. Of course, knowing me as the source of their grain and hay helps incline them in my favor:

My first impression of Gracie was that she was too small, too coarse looking and quite a bully. But as time has gone by, I've decided that she's a lovely cow with a winning personality. I feel safer with Gracie than with any other. I believe she's far and away the smartest of the cows:

Jasmine may not be in the running for smartest, but she too has a lovely personality. In addition, she makes great faces for me when I'm taking her picture:

Here's Rosella nursing. I wish I could convince Scarlett to wean her, but I suppose I must let nature take its course:

Amy is also a tame and gentle cow, though probably the dumbest of the herd. I suspect that's why she's at the bottom of the social hierarchy. That doesn't seem to bother her, though. She's happy with life as it is:

I fed the girls grain twice per day while winter raged, but cut them back to once a day as spring began arriving. Besides the added nutrition, this is how I keep them tame and get them to come into the barn when called:

Rosella has been allowing me to touch her while she eats, so I ordered a collar for her. She was fearful of it at first, so I draped it over a rail by her food while she ate for a couple of days. Soon I was able to put it on her:

And here is Rosella, wearing her brand new collar and napping beside her mother:


In fact, napping is one of their primary activities. Their lives are mostly eating, pooping and napping:

Jasmine again, making her silly face. She seems to find it fun when I climb inside the hay bale feeder:

Gracie and Jasmine:

West Potsdam To Morley, New York - Part 3

I'd passed through the hamlet of West Potsdam on my way to Morley, New York and stopped to snap a photo of this family farm in the tiny settlement of Bucks Bridge:

This church had a sign which proclaimed it to be the Old Bucks Bridge Community Church:

This classic old farmstead had a modern fire hydrant out front which, I supposed, meant town water. That's unusual out this way:

A very large cattle barn. I thought it was empty but heard mooing when I stopped to snap the photo:

I made it to my destination in Morley and was on my way home, still taking pictures of the scenery. In fact, I became so wrapped up in what I was doing that I eventually found myself lost and had to put my camera away and concentrate on my driving. But first I had a few more photos to take:

This flock of sheep looked friendly and curious:

Lots of firewood for heating this home:

This old barn was so close to the road that I couldn't get the whole structure in the picture:

A lovely old home which still had Christmas decorations up:

This extensive barn appeared to have been unused in many years:

Beef cattle of many breeds, and most of them watched me with great curiosity. I wondered if they were thinking, "Damn tourists!"

Two horses, neither of which paid much attention to me at all. This was the last picture I took because I had to figure out where I was and how to get home. But it had been a lovely, scenic drive and I hope you enjoyed the photos:

West Potsdam To Morley, New York - Part 2

I was on my way to the town of Morley, but currently in the hamlet of West Potsdam, New York. The houses there were mostly historic:

Most of West Potsdam overlooked farm fields and forests and most homes looked to have begun their existence as farm houses:

It was a lovely day for taking photos of classic rural scenery - as long as I kept the sun behind me. There were photos I couldn't take because the camera would have been looking straight into the sun. I realized after I got home that this was an Amish farm, and there's an Amish man just to the right of the silo base:

This too was an Amish farm, and two men were working out behind the house. I wondered how they got those big logs stacked up. It must have required some heavy equipment:

This classic old church didn't have a sign and I wondered if it was still a church or on its way to becoming a town hall or some other public building:

But West Potsdam was tiny and I had a long way yet to go before I arrived in Morley. So I continued on my way, passing many more scenic old farmsteads:

Set way back behind the trees, this woodsy place might have been a vacation cottage or someone's year 'round home - I couldn't tell:

A beautifully restored old farm house, with firewood and a porch swing:

Two red barns, both is excellent condition:

This old barn was currently being used to store the family's motor home:

Another lovely old farm house:

This equipment shed seemed to house several hay balers:

I passed through a tiny settlement called Bucks Bridge, which included this farm. But there are more photos to share from this scenic drive, and I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

West Potsdam To Morley, New York - Part 1

I was on my way to the tiny town of Morley. The route was exceedingly rural, so much so that most of the scenery along the way was forest or farm fields. But there were enough lovely family farms that I began taking photos, beginning with this old farm house and barn:

This classic old barn had twin silos and a brand new, green steel roof:

There were no houses or barns near this ancient cedar split rail fence, but I'll bet there was when it was built. Cedar lasts so very long and these rails were so old that I guessed it might have been there for a hundred years:

A lovely and welcoming farm house, with garden and barn:

Very old barns and silo, still in good shape:

This house looked to have been totally renovated. The garage/carriage house may have been new - or maybe it too had been renovated:

Another very old farm house with front porch and split rail fence:

Several old outbuildings behind a fuel tank. One of them housed a tractor and one of them was falling down:

I found this house particularly interesting, with its red barn out back. The right side of it had been renovated but the left side still showed how it may have looked many decades ago. The white door in the center was of the old style, plank construction and may have been original:

I arrived in the hamlet of West Potsdam and turned onto a side road to see the sights:

Most of West Potsdam was historic:

But there were also some more recent houses. I thought this one was new, but the green barn (now a garage) out back looked old, so maybe the house was too:

This old home was being renovated. I didn't notice the weather vane until I got home and was editing photos. I'm not sure what it was, but it was fascinating. Click to enlarge the photo if you want a better view of it. But there was still a lot to see on my journey, so I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: