Never mind fresh mown hay, is there anything nicer

Still, certain things you don't get to see very often...and today was the first time I saw it.

Today I was returning from the airport with my Mom after picking up my sister who flew up from Norfolk this morning.

Passing a field, something caught the corner of my eye only 50' or so off the road -- "Hey, is that a calf?" This farm stopped shipping milk about 5 years ago, but Austin kept a core of his herd around as pets / 4-H / foundation stock if he decides to start milking again in the future.

Stopped -- momma was still licking off the calf, and her tail was stained with still bright red blood so she had to have given birth within what, 10 or 15 minutes maybe?

We got to watch as the calf stood up for the first time, and wobbled under the cow -- who was more intent on finish cleaning him -- and explored under her, "Hey, I know I'm supposed to find something under here, but I'm not sure what!"

Kind of sad driving around town yesterday showing my sister all the houses going up -- many of the towns people still just having figured out that we've been sucked into Metro Boston (and Hartford / Providence). I'm figuring 10,000 population is only a few years off, and the average income in the last 10 years has gone from 75% of the state average to 90% because of all the young, commuting professionals looking for something "affordable." Between their demands for more services, just general needs for more services in a town of 10,000 then 5,000, and their incomes pulling us out of the brackets for a bunch of the "needs" based grants and school reimbursements...our taxes are going to go through the roof.

Saw today that Paul Miller (one of the largest dairy farmers in the state) has put the old Tarr Farm on Route 44 in Pomfret for sale (huge blue barns with the gothic roofs) -- great farmland, but also primed for residential development.

Her uncle still has a few cows. Those babies sure are cute though.

Kestrel,

It's too bad you can't find an easy way to sell those rocks. I've got friend that builds stone walls for a living and he's always looking for them.

Yea, Connecticut still has some pretty nice land, just not as much of it.

But I think all the spoiled mid-west square state farmers on this site should come out here every spring to help pick up all the field stones their ancesters left behind. What do you think ? I'll supply the beer !

Kestrel in CT