Ashley and Clarence Visit a Dairy

by Clarence

Ashley was gleefully barking about a vacation trip. She wiggled and squealed through a conversation. "I've been invited to a dairy farm!" said she.

"That seems unlikely, no one has invited you anyplace in the past," said me.

A former co-worker of our person decided to leave the hectic life and move to Vermont. He bought a farm house and went to work at a nearby dairy farm. He invited our person and said many people in Vermont have pets, so invited me!"

"Do you think he'd mind a cat coming along?"

"I know that person once had a cat, she was also named Ashley and was part of Fabulous Feline Foto Forum. Why don't you sneak in the car when we leave? After driving so far our person won't throw you out on the street.
There are bears and coyotes in Vermont."

Thus began our trip to Vermont. Our person packed a small bag so I knew this would only be a couple of days. Items were packed in our little car, which looks like a red ladybug. The ride was longer than I ever went on before, but the kind person let me sleep in the front seat away from Ashley. When that 80 pound dog finally laid down she took the whole back seat. I would have been crushed.

Finally we pulled up to a house and a person greeted us. We were given a tour of the house, shown the room we would sleep in, and loaded into a truck for another trip. We arrived at a handsome old house with a big orange cat who greeted us as we egressed the truck. Finally I had someone I could talk to. "Where are we?" I asked.

"You are at a fine restaurant that serves only food from Vermont. It is run by my persons and my job is greeter and I also visit each customer's table to see if all is well, which it always is because all the customers pet me."

"Do you know this person who drove us here?"

"Yes, he is a nice fellow who has been here before. He works at a local dairy. You do know you must get up before dawn to work at the farm..."

"Work! I thought this was a vacation!"

"Well, they may not have much for you and the mutt, but your person will work alongside his friend."

"Is there someplace I can take a nap so I can get up early?"

Ashley and I snoozed on the porch alongside the flowers and indeed our greeter went inside to check on the customers. Eventually we went back to the farmhouse to spend the night. Our person and I slept on a bed, Ashley on a mat bedside. I was dreaming of how relaxing a vacation should be when I was awakened by a woof from Ashley. Our host got up early to tiptoe down the stairs and forgot the dog would sound the alarm. Our person decided he may as well get up and we had a quick breakfast and were soon riding in the truck.

Farms are big! We were walking along the property when Ashley froze in her tracks. Standing nearby was something the size of a large dog, but not an animal I have ever seen.

"What are you?" I enquired.

"Well that isn't a very nice way to start a conversation, but I'm a calf if you must know. There are several of us on the farm. If the pooch thinks I'm big wait till she sees a full grown cow."

"There are cows here?"

"That is what a diary is for. Farmer raises cows. Cows make milk, Farmer sells milk. Us calves are only here because we eventually will grow to be cows." There are Holsteins, Jerseys, and Linebacks here."

"Jersey, like in the state of New Jersey?"

"Like in the Isle of Jersey in the Channel between England and France. Jersey cows are Brown. If we had Guernseys here, they too are Brown and come from the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel. Holsteins like me are an old breed from Holland. Most Holsteins are Black and White, a few are Brown and White. Channel Island cows produce milk with a higher fat content than I will. Fortunately for me sweet cream is not as popular as it was." Linebacks are a rare breed with a strip down their backs.

"Are there other animals here?"

"Only two cats. Tiger is very friendly, the other one is standoffish. The farmer has chickens at another location. You can tell the dog to relax now, she is safe from us calves. We are used to dogs and cats."

We spent a day and a half at the Dairy. Our person was seen feeding the calves from a bottle. He fed older calves from pails. There were Holstein calves #348 and #349 who were twins. They even acted alike and drank from each others pails. Ashley slowly learned the calves were as curious about her as she was of them. Soon they were chatting and she was smiling with delight at being around the young cows.

Tiger is a small orange cat that is fearless. I saw him walking around the wood pile as people used chain saws and log splitters. The horrendous noise alone kept me far away. I saw Tiger walk among the 1500-2000 pound cows. By the second morning even Ashley pranced happily alongside the big cows.

There is another Farm Cat who never came close enough to meow. I could see she was a very pretty cat but looked at me with distant eyes. There was only one cow on the whole farm who has a name. All the persons called the pretty brown Holstein, "Eleanor." She is also Cow #1.

The ride home was quiet, Ashley and I slept as we dreamt about life on the farm. Our person had to stay awake to drive and he was the one who had a reason to be tired!

Clarence of Beldon

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