A Cloudy Day

I think I'll spare you the pictures...but nonetheless, tonight we lost our first calf. A bull calf. He had to be pulled, too. Was backwards, but the neighbors, yes, the Johnson's and Earl (and Bodie this time, too) were there to help. We got the heifer in the chute, and after a relatively easy pull we got him out. Alive. We decided to put him on some straw and got the heifer in with him, hoping that nature would take its course. Apparently it did. We all agreed that letting her get acquainted with him was the best course of action. About a half hour later Tera came back to check on them and the calf was unmoving. I went in to check, and, damn that heifer, she got wild and stomped him. After opening the gate and letting her out, I went to the calf. He was wet and cold. She'd failed. And we can't help but feel we've failed too. So much time and effort went into that heifer...checking her, keeping an eye out for her well-being. Caring for these animals is a heavy weight and I feel for my wife, who is not taking it well. But Korin is strong and already understands the give and take of cattle ranching, much better than Tera and I ever will. When we told her the calf had died, she seemed nonplussed. Not without emotion, but steady and calm. She said something to the effect of, "That's the way it goes." And you know what...she's right. Tomorrow's another day. But for Tera and I, it will be overcast, no matter what.