I jinxed myself. The day after I posted that above, Molly decided not to come in to be milked. The neighbor moved her heifer herd in next door (that's their summer pasture), and Molly is being very frisky and wanting to visit with the new girls. She GALLOPED away from me when I was trying to herd her in. I wish I had a good cow dog...
She came in fine Sunday morning, and I thought OK, it was just the newness of the heifers across the fence distracting her, but then yesterday she did it again. I can't keep milking her haphazardly, and she HAS been in milk for a year now, so I decided to save us both the aggravation and go ahead and dry her off. I can buy milk from the neighbor until Molly calves. She has three cows in milk right now with another one due in a couple of weeks. It won't be as good as Molly's milk, but it will have to do.
I have a LOT of other things stressing me right now. Rich is hurt and can't do anything physical, my house dog Missy is hurt (but the vet said it was probably snakebite and she's getting better), but I'm the only nurse, and Missy has required some intensive care the last few days. I also have to be the cook and the maid as well as the farm hand, and I really don't have time to chase Molly around when she gets a silly notion in her head. If I had enough hay, I'd pen her until her regular dry-off time, but I don't. So she's on vacation. She and Stinker will spend the summer in the tall cool grass under the trees and trade cow secrets and everything will work out. September will be here before I know it, and then I'll have milk coming out my ears.
I have to say, Saturday morning was the FIRST time since she calved last May that she has not come into the barn when I called her. The first time. So I'm not holding this against her. We both need a break.
