My count was off by one. Here it was the first day of the year and I had lost a cow. The night of solstice had been long, but well worth it. Some time ago we had let the calendared new year go in favor of what is natural to our place. The evening lacked the neighbor’s fireworks but the clear starlit night was fair compensation. Mutuality lies in a night sky. If one takes the time to look, stars strut their brilliance and give us an amazement than cannot be rocketed into the sky.
I had put off feeding until morning light. I was to wean calves and separate them from their mama’s this morning and doing so prior to feeding is easier. The morning had gone well. Cows were in their winter pasture and calves just across the fenceline in the weaning pasture. Having finished feeding cows and weaners, I stood near the fence and took a count. One off. Counting again I got the same number. One more counting and arriving at the same number again had me climbing into the pickup bed, standing, and counting again. Surely a different perspective would come up with the correct number. It didn’t. That left scanning all the pastures in the back forty. Sure enough, in the far southwest corner stood a single cow. Just standing. Her not moving indicated one thing.