#81. or, unpleasant Sunday.

  Saturday evening was absolutely wonderful. After my wife got home from work, we were able to spend some time on the deck, have a drink, and i smoked my first cigar at home this year where i wasn't hiding in the hot tub to keep from freezing to death. It was glorious, later we barbecued steaks and corn on the cob, the evening was quite nice. Only one thing would have made it better but my wife was pretty tired from the home stretch of tax season so i chose to leave her alone. (i'm kind of awesome that way.)

  Sunday wasn't so great. I mean it wasn't a bad day. It was supposed to rain and it didn't, so that was good. But sometimes the things that i have to do, are not entirely pleasant.

  We have a cow that had an abscess on her udder. Yesterday i had to bring her in and lance it. I drained about a litre of puss out of it and then had to flush it out with an antiseptic solution. That was a little bit unpleasant.

 After that, i had to bring a cow in to check her out. She had been acting like she needed to calve but nothing was happening. I brought her in and it turns out that the calf was dead inside her. Truthfully, this was on me. The evening before she told me she needed help. I just didn't read the signs properly. I thought it was a false labour and had decided to give her some more time. The calf was backwards with the legs down. There is no way she can calf like that. After a calf dies inside her, it doesn't take long to start to smell. This wasn't bad but it was on it's way. Basically the calf is standing inside of her facing away from me. I had to reach all the way in, as far as my arm will go. Then i needed a few more inches. (story of my life.) So, my arm is inside of her as far as it will go, that puts my ear up against her other exit hole and remember, she's heaving now because she wants my arm out of her as bad as she does the calf. I have to reach down and find the calf's hoof through all the goo and inside of cow stuff, then cup the hoof in my palm and work it up and out. You don't know how tiring this is, there's a lot of pressure on your arm and it's quite hot. When you get one up and out, you do it all over with the other leg. Then you can put the puller on and get the calf out.

 
 The cow is OK. I gave her antibiotics. Also i had a calf from another cow that didn`t want to claim her calf so i`m trying to adopt it onto her. I hope it turns out well.

  By the time i was done, i was completely covered with cow business and needed to go have a shower. My wife wouldn`t let me into the house like that so i had to take all my gross stuff off, out on the front step so it could be washed. She doesn`t want that type of thing in the same washer she uses for her nice office clothes. We use an old washer and dryer for those things.

  ......Thursday afternoon, my wife`s boss is taking the office out for supper to celebrate a job well done for the end of tax season. Then, she`s taking Friday off, she better look out cause i`m coming for her!