The grass is finally green enough in our fields to stop feeding our cows hay. My husband had to be out of town this past weekend and we opened gates and turned cattle out into greener pastures. I hope spring weather is finally here to stay. We are all tired of winter chores.
We have moved on to the fun stuff – spring flower and vegetable planting. As we were cleaning out our garden beds, we discovered a little bird had built her nest inside the cabinet in my greenhouse. She built a beautiful nest, and it looks like we are waiting for three eggs to hatch. We check on her daily to see if anything has progressed.
Our 9-year-old son poked his head in at her a little too closely one afternoon. She flew out after him and scared him to death. He came running out of the greenhouse like his pants were on fire. I had a good laugh at his expense. I had to explain to him that he had probably scared her. She took off flying because she thought he might be trying to hurt her. We have begun to call her Gloria and she and her soon-to-hatch babies are a part of the Harris family now.
My husband was down at the garden helping me till each one of our raised beds. He stepped into the greenhouse and walked out with Gloria’s nest in his hand. We were all horrified! “What are you doing with that?” I asked. He explained he was just trying to clean up inside the greenhouse. “There are eggs in there!” I told him. He quickly put Gloria’s nest back in the cabinet. The look on his face told me he thought I was crazy. I am crazy, but my crazy saved Gloria a lot of heartbreak that day.
I think a mother’s instinct is strong. We all want what we think is best for our own children. We lift other mothers (bovine, birds, humans) up when we know they are struggling. My heart aches for the things that make our momma cows sad. I hate the sound of them bellering back-and-forth at one another when we separate weanling calves from the mommas. I have been spotted cheering for a cow calving and having trouble. I know words of encouragement help us, why not cows? I already admitted I am crazy.
Right now, I am cheering for two women in our community who are running for our local school board in Fayetteville, Ark. They are women who want what is best for students, parents and teachers in our district. They are individuals who understand we need to focus on the basics of academia right now. This past year has been tough on everyone involved in the education system. These two ladies are brave for stepping up to be part of the election process. My hope is for them to win their races and make decisions that get our district back in the number one seat in Arkansas. I might be just putting up yard signs and helping with social media, but I am also covering these two in my prayers.
We mothers must stick together. Happy Mother’s Day, neighbor!
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
