Bye-bye kids!

It's the most difficult time of year for me; the day we say good-bye to the calves. They were taken directly to the shipper/broker yesterday and are on their way today to Oklahoma via a cattle big rig.

                      

The calves will overwinter on wheat fields in Nebraska or Oklahoma. 

Oh, no! I forgot to pack their winter coats! 
Now I am left with Mama cows searching for their lost calves by mooing non-stop. I mean all day and all night and all day and on and on. 
We go through this every year. I went out this morning to hand feed the girls oranges and comfort them.  Alice and I have been through this 9 times and she still yells every year to remind me that she is THE best mother in the herd. 

The cows had a nice little chat with me about their children leaving and how this is what we all want; for our babies to grow strong and tall and go off into the world on their own. 

It is what we do.