Uplifting Experiences... Roof Trusses and a Newborn Calf

To see how a building goes up amazes me.  I marveled at our excavator, Marvin; then at our retaining wall guys, Keith and gang who were equally impressive.  Watching concrete trucks back uphill, up a mountain driveway, maneuvering around ditches and steep banks, made me want to close my eyes at times.  Now Eric and Corey are framing it up in no time, and with prescision and enough pride in their work one could assume this building was their own.  The huge crane operator guided the roof trusses into position today.  Amazing.  They are all heroes in my book! 



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Yesterday we were hard at work in the vineyard, thinning shoots and finishing up our additional Pinot vine plantings when Arnold was called down to the family farm.  A cow was having difficulty giving birth.  They needed more people to help with the calving.  Of course, I grabbbed my Nikon and hopped into my car and followed Arnold rushing down the mountain to their family farm down the road in the valley below.   It took five people to get the job done.  The calf was much too big for this first time heifer to give birth on her own.  This would take a nose harness to secure the cow in position, some rope to attach to the calf's front feet and three people to pull the calf out.  That's right!  Three! 
Now the images below might be considered graphic by those not familiar with farming or the birthing process.  I will make the images very small so you can just glance over them without looking too closely.  For those of you who want a closer look, you can click on the images and marvel at the miracle of birth! 
Mama and baby are doing fine

 

Harvey grasps the calf's front feet to tie to the rope

Found them and he loops the rope around them      

Making sure he's got a good grip 

Pull, pull! Here it comes!     

A huge calf ! 

 

One last tug and... swish!  Onto the floor he drops

And with him, everyone who was pulling!

Rub, rub, rub that calf to get him to take his first breath

And instinct takes over    

And Mama cleans her calf 

And is so proud of her new baby    

I love you    

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And see how my vine named Anna has grown in just one week!