Kids and calves

I had a 'moment' at a local event on Saturday.  I found it quite embarrassing, I guess because I'm not given to, what do they call them - PDAs?  Public displays of affection.  I'm not given to displaying my feelings for the world to see.  I nearly got away with it but just when I almost had myself under control without anyone noticing, a friend said hello and I blurted out that the stall selling baby clothes had reduced me to tears.  So much for social distancing, the dear lady could see my distress and gave me a hug.

I've let the distance between myself and my little Brasilian grand-daughter get to me.  I so, so want to hold and cuddle her and when I think about how long I might have to wait to do that, occasionally I get a bit down about it.

 Our Brasilian baby

Silly, when I have so many reasons to be thankful.  I have frequent video calls with her and her dad. 

And a great-granddaughter who I see quite often.  Yes, the generations are a bit jumbled.  That's what you get when you have early starters and late starters in the same family.

Little Lexis, the great grandie had her fourth birthday at the weekend.  It did my heart good to see the little ones enjoying the spring sunshine.

I caught up with the newest breed of cattle to be introduced to New Zealand at the birthday party when Georgia took me and her other grandparents to see her calves.  I had to look them up as I'd never heard of Speckle Park cattle.  I thought maybe they had been bred to look good in the front paddock of lifestyle blocks but no, they are excellent beef cattle.

They are just beautiful with a black nose, black feet and black ears - and variously speckled coats. This lot are the offspring of friesian dairy cows and semen in a straw as Georgia described artificial insemination.  I'll have to go back to the farm one day soon when I'm not in my party clothes and get some better photos.

They appear to be quiet, placid natured, easy to handle and reasonably intelligent the way they sorted themselves out so quickly at the milk feeder.  Or that could just be a reflection of how they are handled.

According to the man who brought them here, they are the fastest-growing cattle breed on the planet.  Aren't I just the fount of all knowledge?