Minimizing And Simplifying

Dear Reader;

 The snow disappeared overnight. During the night the winds were fierce and I was sure that I heard the shingles on the roof begin to tear loose. Gaura Nitai checked the roof this morning but it all looks good. The winds are still howling and rain is falling so it's an indoor type of day.

 Gaura Nitai is getting ready to remove the plumbing from the upstairs bathroom. Our plan is to install another compost toilet and a shower stall. The pedestal sink was a soap trade and the $1200 unused heavy glass shower stall we scored for  a cool $100!

 While Gaura Nitai was doing the bathroom I was busy going through every piece of clothing that I own and putting it in piles of...never wear...sometimes wear...always in my rotation. I buy practically every thing used...except of course the personal items.

Yikes!! Lots of really nice clothes and shoes but of no use in the barn!

Clothes that I actually wear! Not very many and loads of navy!

  I spend about $18 dollars for shampoo and conditioner at the local Health Food store...the products ..although expensive still make my sensitive scalp itchy. I simplified that by now using only our Om-Made Shampoo Bar  then conditioning with apple cider vinegar. Some people leave the vinegar in but I find that it makes my hair smell like a salad so I rinse it out after a few minutes.

 The power has been erratic all day due to the high winds. When we went out to move the herd into the barn we saw the hoop greenhouse flying across the front yard. We managed to pull it to the side of the house...hopefully it will survive the night. Rosemary (guinea fowl) was getting blown all over and desperately wanted to get back into the greenhouse. Unfortunately the greenhouse leans against the southern wall and since the hellish winds are blowing from the south it broke two of the supporting pipes. I didn't feel safe leaving her in there so I caught her by throwing my jacket on her and releasing her in the barn...with the rest of the beasties. Hopefully the winds will quiet down during the night.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

To Much Bad News.

Dear Reader;

 My day started out just fine but somewhere along the way I lost my rhythm. I believe it was after reading to much negative events on Facebook. I started to think....wow...I'm depressed...the schools in the USA are suspending 5 year old children for playing cops and robbers....Dairy board is harassing the little farmers and getting the sheriffs to confiscate all the raw milk cheese...Canadian First Nations are getting tear gassed for conducting peaceful protests to bring attention to the injustices perpetrated on them...my friend got hacked and somebody trying to sabotage his good works...the calf deciding that he won't eat anymore and I'm done with endless house renovations...it's raining and making the ice super slippery....and .....I feel fat!

These antislip rubbers that just slip over your shoes...they work wonders.

 Alright...it's time to reevaluate where I went wrong and stop doing it. The calf will be fine...maybe he's not eating because he's a sensitive little guy and is probably upset because I took his sweater off to wash it and he doesn't like eating out of a bucket...so he's sulky. I put his sweater back on and gave him back a bottle. I can't change the world events or weather and I gave my friend as much moral support as I could. I put cat litter on the back stairs so that we don't slip and I'll drink some hot water with lemon to get rid of that "fat feeling".

 Then I'll blog about it all and feel better:)

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

I squish Gopal a little bit against the bale to force feed him.

Sledding Round Bales(Video)

Dear Reader;

  My husband was asking me why I bother to video tape something that everyone knows how to do. He was referring to using the truck to sled the round bales around the field. I thought about that for about 30 seconds and went...."Heyyyyyy......even you didn't think about using the truck until I asked you if you we're trying to kill me by requesting that I help you roll the bales across the field...through the snow...no less! You were still trying to roll the bale to the exact location....when I backed the truck up and pushed it into place. ...so had you seen the video...you would have thought...hey...let's use our brain and not brawn."

 We may assume everyone knowns things what would appear to be common sense. Not so. My daughter and I just had this conversation over our Native Reservations where some residents don't appear to do anything to help themselves. This is called learn t helplessness.

 A few years back I was visiting my siblings and each lived in a rented house. I found that I was scalding my hands when I went to wash the dishes. I asked them why didn't they regulate the temperature and they both told me that they did not know how. I took them down to the basement and taught them how the gauge worked. Now the only way that I knew how to set the temperature, was that, someone taught me. They had taken me to the hot water tank and had me do it myself. I'm a visual learner.

My videos aren't for the experts who already know all of this stuff, the videos are for people just like me who are simply trying to learn something new.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

P.S. G dislikes the camera but a Blogger has got to blog:)

How To Bucket Feed

Dear Readers;

  You know that you are from Canada when you say this..." It's a beautiful day! Sunny...not a cloud in the sky and only -12!" and mean it:)

 We are having a very busy day. We started out doing the farm chores and I had to try  bucket feeding the twin calves for the first time. Of course all they want to do is suckle ....so they suck my jacket and although I just washed it...my jacket and gloves are stiff with milk! I'm beginning to smell like a farmer...part hay...part sour milk and a whole lot of cow dung....Eau-de-Vache... I don't actually mind because I feel like I'm doing something useful.

  Mind you,these calves are getting much stronger....Gopal gave me quite the "charlie horse"(strong headbutt to my thigh muscle) which had me hopping around half-laughing and Radhe got me with a double hoof flying kick as she ran past me. If they don't settle down I'm going to have to invest in a pair of goalie pads and armor up before I enter their pen:)

 We also had to move those round bales of hay,that we love so much, into the far field. Gaura Nitai wanted to roll them but I thought that it was a better idea to use the truck to pull them and then slide them across the field to where we needed them. It worked like a charm. I'll post that short video tomorrow.

 The bottom line is the two calves drank from a bucket,without me having to use my fingers on their second feeding. My trick was to just let them get a little hungry before feeding them. Hunger is a strong motivator. Well time to get the herd into the barn.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Cute Baby Day.

Dear Reader;

  I've decided to make Sunday...a cute baby day. Coming from me, those who have known me for most of my life, will laugh. As a teenager I did not babysit...I certainly did not make goo-goo faces at the little ankle-biters and I never dreamed of marriage and babies.....good God...horrors! Alas marriage did come along and so did 4 babies. I stumbled into the entire baby thing..with an ...Oh...well...the hubby wants babies...and I have no big plans for the next few years.....so...wt... h... e double hockey sticks!

 A matter of  fact when I had to put a diaper on my first baby I had to read the instructions on the diaper bag...follow the diagram step by step ......and.....I still put the diaper on backwards!

 Every once in a while one of my now grown children will tell me that they were talking about me to their shrink. Drama...drama...drama....so I misplaced each of them once or twice......at least I found them again. Sheesh! Really ...they need to keep things in perspective. My mom once chased us around the house with an axe! One of the gang got so scared that he literally got the poop scared out of him....while he was running! The poop was so hard that it bounced when it hit the porch ...so my momma had to put lard up ...where the sun don't shine!
  Ah...yes... where was I....cute babies....hare krsna...hare krsna...krsna...krsna...hare...hare...

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Jesus Cow

Dear Reader:

  We had to take a run to Montague to pick up some supplies today and on the way back I suggested that we stop at a local farmer to buy some fresh,soft green hay for the twins.(Instead of buy some hay from the farm I should clarify by saying that the farmer was donating the hay....we just had to pick it up because it was in bunches and not in bales. It is good karma for a beef farmer to donate something for protected cows...but it will be better if we can produce our own sweet hay.) The farmer raises beef cows and I waited in the barn while the men searched the hayloft for the bales in question. I did not go up because I was wearing my smart town clothes and it's the devil to try and get straw and hay off  a woolen coat so instead I stayed with the calves. I was quite shocked to see that 10 or more calves were milling around each of the pens. Their feet were squelching around in mud,cow dung and urine. They had no bedding in which to lie down on and apparently this is considered acceptable.

We on the other hand get inspected because we let our cows out so that we can clean the pens and spread fresh straw. Amazing! This was exactly what I was complaining to the Inspector about. I suppose these cows are considered food and ours are pets so that would be the distinction."Food" can be abused until the ultimate abuse of merciless or merciful death.

I did walk to each of the pens and offered my pranams to each of the calves because all cows and calves are sacred. I wished them well in this life and next. This site also inspired me to continue to educate others on the necessity to keep the cows alive for the sake of the cows and for humanity.

Sometimes I wonder if this is what it's going to take for some people to get the message?

Have a peaceful weekend.
Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

The Best Laid Schemes O'Mice An' Men

Dear Readers;

 Funny how things turn out:) Today was bread day for the Buddhist Monks. When I added the hot water to the yeast I had a gut feeling that it was to hot and it was. The sixteen loaves were flat...dead...did not rise...but...that's alright we baked the dough in a flat pan ....cut them up like it was cake and poured molasses on them.

 While I was waiting for the next batch of dough to rise I read on Facebook that it was Robbie Burns day. Perfect day to recite this poem because our perfect plan definitely went awry!

To A Mouse, After Turning Her House Up With A Plough

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
 RB

 Although we don't celebrate Robbie Burns night...we had fun joking while we fed the cows..their very special treat. Watch and see sheer enthusiasm for prasadam!

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Spring Is Just Around The Corner (Video)

Dear Reader;

 It's still very cold here in PEI -18 and feels like -34 in the wind. We had to put the herd back into the barn but not before Gaura Nitai built  new feeding boxes. When they were let back into the barn they were completely confused...they walked around and around and around...sniffing...pushing each other. They like continuity. They like doing the same thing at the same time every single day. They don't require expensive vacations to the Bahamas in the winter...they just want some delicious green hay cut from an apple orchard.

 I thought that on such a sunny but cold day I would show you this video that I took in the spring of 2012. As someone just told me...it's alright ...we are one day closer to spring.

Warm thoughts on a cold day.
Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Threadbanging!!!

Dear Readers;

 Woo-hoo...today it is cold outside.....again and apparently will be for the next few days. I found that the calves ...especially Gopal was shivering a bit to much. My first thought was to go and buy them horse blanket pads but the pads would be way to big....so I decided to Threadbang (to make something you want or need from something that you don't want or need) some sweaters to fit them. First I raided my hubbies closet and stole his Bill Cosby look-a-like ugly sweater for Gopal. Gopal is a bull so needs something manly. Radhe needed something more feminine so I found  a ZARA sweater and cut that one down to size for her. She is doing great in it and I left them both bouncing and kicking around in the barn.

Take care.
Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Darn Socks;)

Dear Reader;

 It's a -12 today....to cold to feel good about having the animals outside but they still need to go. The vet told us that it is not a good idea to keep animals in the barn to long because of the dampness,as dampness can cause respiratory problems. With those instructions to sooth our guilty conscience we herd the herd outside. Of course we do keep an eye on them and if they start to shiver and stop eating then back into the barn they go.

 On these types of days...it's a good idea to stay close to home and the fire. Unfortunately we did have to ship off a large order of our very popular Psychedelic "60's soap and do a few errands in Montague but now we are home and sitting by the fire.

 I bought a pair of red woolen socks for my dear husband and as many men will find...the heel of the socks tends to go quickly. I just wanted to show you how to mend a hole in a woolen sock. When I was a child my foster mother Madeleine taught me how to mend a hole in a sock by using a light bulb! I have seen the antique wooden thingy that you can place inside the sock as a backing for your darning project. I had neither so I used a tennis ball that I found while cleaning up the porch.

Stay warm.
Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Hugelcuture

Dear Readers;

  Although the weather outside is terribly cold before we know it, spring will be here.

 We are starting to look into how we are going to improve on food production this year. We did quite well last year and we are still eating potatoes and squash. I decided not to buy any more rice until I've used up all of our potatoes so for lunch I made this mixed curried potato,carrot and greens veggie dish. Then for supper G added water to the lunch leftovers  and  voila.... curried soup!

 The men started a raised bed a few years ago by the side of the house. We would like to see more built this year because our land tends to be quite soggy. We have requested the roads department to clean the ditches next to our farm but they said that they do not have enough money. You would think that with all of the taxes that the government is getting off of the people...surely they would have enough money to keep the ditches in good working order. The locals say that the engineers are always trying to figure out how to drain the water runoff uphill. Local joke:)

 We will require some heavy machinery to move the logs and the soil if we are going to do this right. The second video will show you how large logs are used to built a raised bed.

 Update..the twin calves are growing like weeds. They will be 4 weeks old and are now drinking 3 quarts of milk replacer each a day. They are starting to nibble on grain and green hay. Before we know it,they will be hanging out with the rest of the herd:)

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Clutter...Clutter...

Dear Reader;

  I've been working like a busy little beaver all day.....decluttering the kitchen shelves....blending bags and bags of my dried herbs from our garden....sorting through my embroidery  and sewing baskets...cleaning every shelf in the upstairs bathroom and finally putting all of the linen into the unfinished linen cupboard.....phew!

  I don't know if you are like me.... I can ignore the accumulating mess for weeks at a time then one day "it" all comes into focus and I become very industrious. We have just been so busy with the cows over the past month that all else has taken a back seat. Cooking has been pathetic.....one more bland spagetti meal and who knows???? I don't even want to think about it!  Even though it was bread day yesterday( Bread for the buddhist ashram) I made kitchery and chapuris...divine prasadam!

 Yesterday was one of those days when someone found out what I'm really like ...you know what I'm talking about....when the real you comes out after polite company leaves:)

 I'm one of those silly people who has to wait until I'm hopping up and down before I go to the "little girls room".....anyways....I was running to the LGR and I caught a glimpse of my good husband coming to the side door carrying an empty plastic bread bin. While I'm in the LGR I hear knocking...and more knocking and I'm thinking ..."Why doesn't he just come in? He's only carrying an empty plastic bin...for goodness sakes.....more knocking...now from the inside door....so I holler...."WHAT!!!! I'M ON THE POTTY!!!!JUST COME IN ALREADY!!!!! I go to the door and a terrified Buddhist helper holding an empty plastic bread bin, is trying to make a quick get-away:)

What's that  saying...You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
Abraham Lincoln

Hare Krsna.

Kokum Lal

Lots of leftover beauty products from when my daughter lived with us.

Most of this "stuff" is never used...ever...

Crummy picture...but...I've gotten rid of most things.

Things I actually use.

Non-Possession!

Dear Reader:

 My reading glasses are....somewhere...so I'm going to write this anyways. I resent having to depend on glasses to see.

 When ever death and I cross paths I feel like I can see the world a little clearer. I get to see that all must come to an end sooner or later. My husband thinks that I am being morbid but I tend to see death as a measuring stick. I get to check up on myself to see how I'm doing mentally,physically and spiritually.

 I don't like a lot of "stuff" around me. Stuff has a way of sneaking into my life...piles up and I don't notice until I feel....ahhhhhhhh! To much stuff around me and I feel like it's suffocating me. Things require attention....they need to be washed...dusted and worried over. I feel like the stuff is holding me back and I just want to be free to think about the things that are important to me and do what is important to me.......soooooo....it's purging time! I go through every drawer and closet to see what I can do without. Last evening I got rid of bags of things that were no longer useful.

 I found this guy to be a great inspiration. I hope that you get through the 14 minute video because it is well worth watching.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Bottle Feeding Twin Calves (Video)

Dear Readers;

  On my first visit to Scotland back in the "70's my boyfriend, now husband took me for a walk during our lunch break from selling veggies. We took a stroll out of the village and followed a stone wall....all was going well until I looked up and freaked! Being from Canada...I thought that we had come face to face with a bear. It was not...just a curious Highland cow. I was so impressed. Ever since then I have wondered if we could cross a zebu with a Highland cow....perfect for our cold Canadian climate.

  I have been bottle feeding the twin calves for a few days now. My first lesson that I have learnt is....keep your legs together! My second lesson was to make sure that one calf is kept in another pen other wise it is difficult to get the job done in peace. Right now it is fairly easy to push them away but in another week or two they will be bouncing me around the pen. The weather has turned bitterly cold so all of the animals are in the barn and all the pens are occupied...otherwise I would just put Radhe into the free pen until I am finished with Gopal who is smaller and a little less aggressive. She is very pushy and it's all about survival so there are no polite niceties with her.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Imagine(John Lennon) Calves In Snow:) (Video)

Dear Reader;

  What an incredible winters day! It was "warm" and sunny...just the type of day to let the baby calves out to check out the snow! I'm so disappointed that I missed Gopal baby bull running and sliding on the ice. Now that was a Kodak moment.

 Walking out to feed the calves this morning was pretty cool because on fresh snow you get to see little footprints of our furry neighbours who only come out at night. I saw large mouse tracks that apparently love to eat Rosemary's leftover grains in the greenhouse. Also it looks as though we have a large pack rat living in the hay in the barn. I'm sure that he is warm as a bug in a rug:)

  I used to really freak out about mice and rats...now it's Meh!!! After living in the tropics and getting chased by snakes , stung by a scorpion and attacked by  giant spiders... all mice are just darn cute!

  My friend Simone came by and brought my winter socks that she knits herself! Here is a picture of the woolie wonders. They are so warm and comfortable...and blue...my favorite colour.. Knowing where the socks came from makes them super special. I know that I am supporting a local artisan and not supporting a huge corporation that runs on slave labor in some hell hole.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Mukta and Huge Baby Aruni (video)

Dear Readers;

  I would like to introduce you to some more members of our herd. I filmed this video a few months back and forgot about it! I wanted to show you that all cows are different...some cows will kick their babies away and wean them at a very early age but our Mukta is STILL letting her huge calf Aruni, nurse and she is going on two years old!!

 They are quite the pair....Mukta is the herd leader and she is training Aruni to take care of the herd. The name Mukta means Liberation and the name Aruni is the pink/red colour of the sky just as the sun is rising. They work as a team and outsmart us constantly when we try to herd them into the barn at night. Mukta will go first...followed by Aruni...when  they get close to the barn doors..they turn and run in opposite directions and then meet up again. Sneaky...they are:)

Enjoy.
Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

We Are So Grateful!

Dear Readers;

 This blog is all about bringing awareness to the public about the beauty and importance of cows. We have received so many condolences for Urvashis' passing. She touched hundreds and hundreds of people. We are grateful that the blog is reaching so many. Here is one such letter.

Dear Gordon and Dell (Lal)
We  have been following your blog closely over the last week.  I am amazed and in awe of your devotion and love that you have bestowed upon  Urvashi and her babies.  PEI has never seen such a high energy towards cows before. 
I believe that you are raising the energy of our small province and I am very grateful to you both for the work that you do.   Urvashi was very lucky to be with you during the past months.

From Robert and Sandra


One neighbour said that he has never seen any couple do so much to save one cow but we still feel that we could have done more....or done it sooner...to save her. Sometimes when you are feeling lower than the belly of a snake in a wagon wheel rut.......someone comes along to pull you out.

 When Gord came in from the barn after having thankfully found that the knackers had taken Urvashis' body without informing us, (We were living in dread for most of the afternoon because we did not want to see them drag her body out...it's all so unceremonious. I made sure that she was saturated with the smell of incense and that she was sprinkled with flower petals...just so that the knackers would know that she was special.) he found a parcel on the table for him...a gift:)

Thank you all for so many encouraging words and for those who helped out physically....a big thank you from the cows;)

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Our daughter Gaura sent him a Beatles T shirt which had been screen printed by a family in Thailand.

 

 

 

Final Rites (2 Videos)

Dear Readers;

  We are so incredibly sad. Yet I'm relieved that she does not have to suffer anymore. Some people where talking euthanasia because they thought that we were being cruel by keeping her alive. Urvashi did not want to die...she tried her best to live until the very end. Sure it was hard on all of us....but to put her down ....(which of course we would never even consider) would be for the convenience of  the people seeing her and not for her.

 She fulfilled the  destiny of her cow body. Although she had never been able to keep her calves in her last home.....here at Govindas Farm she nursed her twins to her hearts content. Her twins were beside her when she left her body.

 We performed a final ceremony for her to wish her well on her travels and to reassure her that we would care for her calves to the best of our ability.

 All parts of a cow are sacred so before the knackers come to remove her body I cut the long hairs of her tail to make a chamara for our arotika paraphernalia.

 Birth,old age,disease and finally death...is the ways of this temporary world. We must mourn....accept and then carry on and continue to do service to the cows.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Wonderful Urvashi Passed Away (Video)

Dear Readers;

 Gaura Nitai went to the barn early this morning and found Urvashi had passed away. We both feel incredibly sad. She was a kind and loving mother to her twin calves and she will be missed dearly by all of us.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Dead Tired!

Dear Readers;

  Gaura Nitai and I are dead tired. We have put all else aside to take care of Urvashi. It's almost strange how Urvashi has become a "community" project. We have had so many people come to help us take care of her and today one of the local churches said that they would pray for her recovery. If nothing else she has engaged many...many locals in go-seva....service to the cow. Thanks to all involved.

 I have learnt  how give a great big needle into the flank of a large animal...without getting kicked!

 I have learnt how to"drench" a cow. Drenching a cow is basically filling a large glass coke bottle with the herbal concoction and one person (GN) holds her mouth open and I shove the bottle down her throat and empty the contents. Horrible......horrible....but must be done. Her disease is gone but we are hoping that she can recover her health. She is terribly thin.

 We also rented a contraption that cranks her to standing position. We managed to get her to stand for quite some time. Standing is important for a large animal because if they remain prone their respiratory system becomes labored. So we....finally... got her up and she was moving around but the chain fell and she panicked and tried to run...but ..her hind quarter was still in a sling....so she was dangling and thrashing. I was screaming to GN to get her down but he had to start up the truck to get the power going so that we could jack her down. We were all traumatized....Urvashi lay with her head on Gaura Nitais' lap for hours and I just managed to crawl up the stairs and into bed....clothes and all...... I was thinking....farming sucks..............

 High note ...the calves are happy and thriving.

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

PEI Idle No More!!!

Dear Readers;

  What a crazy busy day...again. We start the day by chanting most of our rounds...then we go and feed the calves. Urvashi is still very unwell so we decided that if she were to have any chance to get up then we would have to move her into her original stall. The original stall has a dirt floor and when she tries to get up she can dig her feet into the soil. It took the three brainiacs,Gaura Nitai,Jai and myself to figure out how to move a 900 lb cow. We did manage to move her safely without hurting her.Now she sounds chesty.....so looks like we are still struggling to save her.

 I took some time off from the Farm to attend the Idle No More protest in Charlottetown. My friend Michele and my daughter Lalana also attended. Here are a few pictures of our evening. I had a great day and now I am pooped...tired...finished...goodnight:)

Hare Krsna.
Kokum Lal

Guess who?

Chief of the Local Indian Band

Hundreds of protesters turned up.

Drummers