Every morning after I brought the girls to the school bus I went to the dairy farm to get a bucket of milk. One day I got a bucket of milk that was different than the usual milk. It was thick and very yellow and left long strands when I was pouring it into a jug.
Peter, when he was a lad had spent a lot of time at a dairy farm, so he knew instantly what was wrong with this milk. He said it was colostrum milk the calve feeds on when it is just born. This milk was not appetising and I did not use it. After that experience I said we should buy a dairy cow.
How nice it will be to milk our own cow and have fresh, frothy milk everyday. We asked our dairy farmer, Jean's, my gardener friend's husband, if he could sell us one of his dairy cows. He agreed and showed us a gorgeous looking dairy cow with lovely, brown eyes for seventy Dollars. She looked at us and said moo,
How nice it will be to milk our own cow and have fresh, frothy milk everyday. We asked our dairy farmer, Jean's, my gardener friend's husband, if he could sell us one of his dairy cows. He agreed and showed us a gorgeous looking dairy cow with lovely, brown eyes for seventy Dollars. She looked at us and said moo,
I thought what a good sign she agrees with us. The next day she was delivered. Jacky christened her Melina. She liked this name a lot and was keen to use one of the names since she had read an adventure story about Melina and Haska.
Melina was as stubborn as she was beautiful. She hated to be caught and we had to bribe her with the now famous blue bucket filled with corn. She also hated to be milked. She had not a clue what her duty was and did not like to be milked. She gave us only one meagre drop of milk. She did not like us one little bit. She kicked and pushed Peter until he said enough is enough my princess you are going to be tamed. Peter made a small wooden plank that was attached to a rope. It was not easy to fit it around the very reluctant neck of Melina. Now she can not run away we thought and with a lot of tender loving care she might consider us as her friends do her dairy cow job and let us milk her.
When Peter wanted to milk her, she was wild, threw around her weight and hit him with her "necklace" the wooden plank in his shins. With angry looks at him, she braced herself, started to scratch with her hooves and threw soil into the air. Peter had enough of her tantrums. He left her to calm down and the next day he took off her yoke and released her in the paddock with the Herefords.
Melina was as stubborn as she was beautiful. She hated to be caught and we had to bribe her with the now famous blue bucket filled with corn. She also hated to be milked. She had not a clue what her duty was and did not like to be milked. She gave us only one meagre drop of milk. She did not like us one little bit. She kicked and pushed Peter until he said enough is enough my princess you are going to be tamed. Peter made a small wooden plank that was attached to a rope. It was not easy to fit it around the very reluctant neck of Melina. Now she can not run away we thought and with a lot of tender loving care she might consider us as her friends do her dairy cow job and let us milk her.
When Peter wanted to milk her, she was wild, threw around her weight and hit him with her "necklace" the wooden plank in his shins. With angry looks at him, she braced herself, started to scratch with her hooves and threw soil into the air. Peter had enough of her tantrums. He left her to calm down and the next day he took off her yoke and released her in the paddock with the Herefords.
She ran off looked back and poked her tongue out. With this ended our dream of frothing, fresh milk.
In winter she gave birth to a beautiful Frisian bull calf that she thoroughly spoiled with lots and lots of milk.
Unfortunately Melina had not a happy ending. When we had a drought,Melina was not in her best condition and fell between a drain. Peter wanted to lift her out but she had hurt herself and was not able to stand up anymore.
Peter had to put her out of her misery.
7 comments:
What a great story about Melina. Maybe Peter should have read her stories at night about the the beautiful Swiss alps, while sitting on the milking chair with the milchmälchterly below. Too much milk is not healthy for you anyway. Tschüssli, BB
What a naughty cow. Maybe you got the often mentioned "silly cow".
I am ashamed to say my Schwyzerdütch is not very good. When I lived in Switzerland for 7 months back in 1970 I learnt to understand it quite well and speak a little to get by with my parents in law.However, when I returned I lost it but whenever Bill spoke to his friends I could usually follow the conversation and everytime I visited Switzerland I would just start to pick it up again as it was time to leave. So I guess the answer is "only a little"
How long did you enjoy the milk from Melina? Poor Melina, I watched on TV some where, a horse had to be air lifted by helicopter.
Did you drink Melina's milk stright from the bucket like the New Zealand farmers do?
So you decided not to get another cow and call her Daisy?
Hallo Titania,
Ihr musstet Euch Eure Milch aber hart erkämpfen. Die Kuh hat ihre Aufgabe wirklich nicht erfüllen wollen bei Euch.
Wir haben hier jeden Tag frische Milch, da wir auf einem Bauernhof mit 30 Kühen wohnen.( nicht unserer)Da bleibt immer ein Schlückchen übrig.
Liebe Grüsse Melontha
Thank you for your interest, Wilbo43, Diane, Ann, no we did not get another one.
Melontha it must be nice to live "auf einem Bauernhof".
In our neighborhood lives a man who writes children's books. Reading Melina's story reminded me of his book: The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down by Paul Johnson "Miss Rosemary knew Gertrude had a mind of her own..."
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