10/16/2025
I feel like I start off every post now with an apology because I am such a slacker about posting regularly. So why end that tradition now? I'm sorry its been so long since I have posted...I have so much to tell you!
Let me begin with the hard part. It finally happened. The dreaded loss of a live calf. This is something I have thought about, and been terrified of, since I got my first cows years ago. Windy was born from my FAVORITE mama cow, Daisy Mae. We had noticed how MASSIVE Daisy's udder was over the last 90 days or so of her pregnancy but just thought it was a fluke because she has always been a stellar producer. We were wrong.
Daisy had udder trauma...a horn to the udder from what we can tell. This caused mastitis that then infected all 4 quadrants. Windy seemed to be eating fine, milk mustache and all, for the first day or two. Then we started to notice Daisy's bag turning red...and Windy seemed less spunky and energetic. We got the vet out right away and she sent off samples to determine exactly what type of bacteria was causing the infection. We got Daisy loaded up with antibiotics and pain management, milked her out by hand 3 times a day to get rid of the infection and moved Windy to a bottle. Unfortunately, Windy had already ingested too much of the bacteria filled milk from mama and we lost her at 3 days old, less than 24 hours after the vet gave us a diagnosis. To say we were devastated is an understatement. We focused all of our energy, at that point, on making sure our Daisy girl pulled through. Thankfully she is doing beautifully! There seems to be permanent damage to that front right quadrant but otherwise, she is perfectly healthy now.
If losing a calf hurts this much...I can't even imagine what a mess I will be once I lose one of my adults. These magnificent creatures have each taken ownership of a piece of my soul ❤️
My mom taught me that you can find beauty almost anywhere, you just have to look for it. So, even though we have been traveling non stop for work and we are exhausted, I find beauty in most days of this life that we are blessed to live. My husband also goes out of his way to find beauty for me. To create core memories for me. Like driving me 2 hours out of the way so I could visit an epic book store in downtown Las Angeles or taking me to the ocean every chance he gets.
We left the ranch for a full week this summer and traveled to Mexico as a family for my best friends wedding. Such a cool experience and the resort was beautiful! Its hard to believe how grown our children are now. Both adults with cars and jobs. Our daughter has definitely become a cowgirl and adopted the ranch lifestyle. Our son is one foot in, not a huge fan of the cows, but he's a hard working kid that can run all the equipment we have.
Peony and Violet are looking AMAZING! They have filled out and fluffed out to look like highlands again! I still can't QUITE touch them yet...but we will get there.
We finally got a squeeze chute! This will allow us to trim hooves ourselves moving forward. It will also allow us to doctor injuries, give medication and more. Its a total game changer for us! So excited.
We survived the monsoons that flooded the roads and prevented us from getting home a couple of times. But I sure do love the rain. Arizona's "good weather season" has officially begun and I can't wait to spend more time outside!
Until next time, Cesals Back 40, signing off 👋
