Max went to Seattle this weekend for 5 days. That in itself is monumental. He is enrolled in a Paul Stamets workshop on gourmet and medicinal mushroom cultivation. Paul Stamets is a world renowned mycologist, you can see what he is up to at http://www.fungiperfecti.com/.
Tess, Iris and I hauled Max to the Pittsburgh airport at 5a.m. We were home by 1p.m., milked the cow, checked the fires, conferred w/ Grace and Leon on school, fixed lunch and got ready to take kids to Riitta's. We met Riitta at work by 4. The big kids went with her for the weekend. This means that Tessa and I have the farm to ourselves. Hmmm...
We get home close to 5. What do I see, but 5 cows out in front of the barn. My cows. I grab Tess, not dressed for winter and throw her on my back in the Ergo baby. It starts snowing- hard. The cows do not listen to me when I ask them kindly to return to their pasture. I begin to get loud about it, and implore Libby, our "cow dog" to help me get them through the barn back to pasture. She tries, looks at me with a confused expression, and herds them the opposite way. I panic slightly. I end up letting all the cows out instead of getting the errant ones in. I panic more than slightly. Tess is a champ. Libby is trying hard, but the bull is now pissed off at her and she is scared. He is pissed off at me too, and I identify with Libby. I decide Tess needs more clothes and come to the house, breathe deep, ask for help. The phone rings an it is my neighbor and friend Kim. She invites me to see a movie and I shriek that the cows are out, I'm all alone with a naked baby on my back in the snow. She says she'll be right over. So the good woman arrives and we work to get all the animals where they should be and do the barn chores. She's so good she even brought a bottle of wine.
I think the animals know when I am alone.
Stay tuned for Solo Part 2
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