Not an epidural in sight

Today was crystal clear and gorgeous, who could want to live anywhere else in the whole wide world (as we used to put it when we were nobbut young uns).The sky was clear blue for miles and miles and the loch flat and smooth. A perfect day to be the dutiful parent and accompany Freya’s class on a trip to a local farm, Brenechollie just up the road from us. On such a lovely day it was breathtaking, perched on the hillside and still existing as a small farm with sheep and cows, a rare thing indeed. Best of all we were so privileged to see the birth of a bull calf from the very start of the hoofs poking out whilst the mother was still munching on straw (puts all us girls to shame with our calls for epidurals and pethedine, I can tell you!) to the final heave as this perfect calf plopped out on the straw. Of course there was the bit in between with the farmer heaving and pulling on a metal ratchet device thingy (if you have ever watched “All Creatures Great and Small” you will be well up on bovine midwifery equipment) whilst he filled us in on how important it was for this one to survive as she had lost her calf last year (lost it Miss…how did she do that Miss?…Did it wander off Miss?). There was a special moment as she pushed and heaved rather gracefully, I thought, ejecting another small part of her offspring (Oooh look Miss…she poohed on its head), and then the finale that we had all been waiting for (Errr, yeuk look at all that blood Miss). However all were quiet as the eternal circle was completed and Mother began to lick her calf’s head and began that worrisome parental thing. At least she will not have to go through the Kevin Phase of teenagedom, whoever saw a medium sized bull fling itself across the field with the equivalent body language of “ no one ever understands in this family…I think I will run away, no one cares what I think” Mind you, on reflection they are probably gracing someone’s Sunday lunch table well before then so perhaps we should draw a veil and leave Mother and son together for now!! Anyhow we all got to go and get Pancakes with the farmer’s wife so we were fine.