The Rural Voice, 1990-09, Page 52NOTEBOOK
its instinctive share of a world he
never saw.
Infections were finally licked, and
the day he joined his stallmate, Holly,
was a happy one for all of us. She, a
beautiful Angus-Guemsey heifer, he,
a ruggedly handsome Hereford -cross.
This unlikeliest of couples hit it off
from the start!
They slept in a circle, each head-
ing into the hollow of the other's half -
shell. They ate and drank head to
head, and bawled when one was led
away to pasture first: Holly on a rope,
Ray by his collar. And he led like a
lamb, even when he was large enough
to do all the leading! He waited
patiently; he stepped up or stepped
down; he turned when we said; he
stopped, he started when we said.
We used to laugh out loud when
he would kick and buck like a rodeo
Brahman, always circling around and
around in his frolicking, so as to keep
familiar, unencumbered ground under-
foot. How many times we'd call his
name across the field, just to see him
push his ears forward and turn our
way. Actually, most of the time he
was already looking in our direction,
because the "eyes of his hearing"
were always on watch.
It was late October when we sold
Holly and Ray Charles, both in the
same week. She went to a small beef
herd at the other end of the valley, to
a young farmer who, of all things,
had stopped by to admire Ray.
We talked Indian summer and
swapped animal stories until I began
to tell him how we came by our
handsome Hereford, and his face lit
up with surprise and a smile.
"I was there," he said. "I was at
that sale. In June or May? I remem-
ber this calf. They had to carry him
away, didn't they?"
I nodded, "That's the calf."
"You're a beaut," he said to
Ray, who was pushing his head hard
against the ear -scratch he loved so
much. "Who woulda thought it ... "
He looked over his shoulder and
winked when he said, "You got your
money's worth with this beefer .. .
He'd be Canada One for my money.
Whatdidya say you called him?"
"Ray. We call him Ray Charles."0
Sm
LIVESTOCK
CONFINEMENT EQUIPMENT
Dairy • Pressure Washers • Hog
Headrail
Comfort Stalls
Self Locking
Feed Front
Alt
Calf
Stalls
Farrowing
Crates
model 80
Single or
Double
Deck
V -Bar
Flooring
50% opening
For More Information Contact Your Local BSM Dealer
ATWOOD
KROPF BROS.
CONST.
519-356-2249
ZURICH
SOUTH HURON
AGRI-SYSTEMS
519-236-7424
GRANTON
AVONBANK
FARM EQUIPMENT
519-225-2507
BRUSSELS
HURON FEEDING
SYSTEMS
519-887-6289
MILDMAY
MILDWAY FARM
SYSTEMS
519-367-5358
KINCARDINE
LOWRY FARM
SYSTEMS
519-395-2615
TARA
H. NICHOLSON
AND SON
519-934-2343
WELLESLEY/RANNOCH
PROGRESSIVE FARMING
519-656-2709
519-229-6700
SEPTEMBER 1990 49