I Used to Sing to the Calves

Yes, you read it right… I used to sing to the calves.

But before you judge me as a lunatic, hear me out…

I’ve been singing since I had a voice… at least that’s what my Mom told me. Little nursery rhymes, children songs – I can remember them all! I love to sing! (And my love for singing has never stopped!)

So… how did I come to “sing to the calves”?

In my pre-teen / early teen years, one of my farm chores was to go “bring the calves down to the barn”… The calves were up in the “field”.

Now, the “field” (we had many fields) was where the calves stayed during the summer months. This “field” happened to be “up the lane, up the hill, over the hill and down another hill, that led to the “field” where the young bovines hung out all day.

Walking “up the hill” was, in effect, no small endeavor. It was a pretty steep hill. The hill going up had evidence of deep tractor ruts as the tractor tires dug in to climb that hill. When it rained, the ruts were carved out further and became gullies where streams of water washed down to the bottom of the hill.

Once up the hill, the top was a pretty flat, grassy area where we (either myself or my sister) could rest a racing heartbeat.

From the flat area on top of the hill, I could see the group of (4 or 5) calves from a distance…

Or maybe not…

This field was gigantic. Sometimes you could not see the calves because they might be lounging in a corner behind bushes, under trees, in a swamp… oh! Those hiding calves!

Finding the calves from the top of the grassy, flat hill was not the most difficult thing. Going down another (steep) hill to get to the field… to walk to these calves… get behind them to bring them back to the barn… Now that was the difficult part!

Why?

These calves had a mind of their own. I had to lead them back to the second steep hill I just came down to retrieve them… (and if you think about it, they were leading me… I was behind them!)

So, the most difficult part of this chore, was getting the calves to go up that steep hill. I can’t tell you how many times they (who had their own agenda) would no sooner get to the hill – and break away, running in all directions! (Oh, the pain! My thoughts, “When I get my hands on them…” What then? LOL)

Eventually I learned something about these calves (and the ensuing years of other calves…)

They liked singing

How did I find this out?

Well, I would frequently sing songs as I was walking “up to the field” to “get the calves”. I had seen the movie-musical “West Side Story” in the early 60’s. I could sing the who repertoire of songs –

So… one day after walking up the steep-rutted hill to take a rest for my pounding heart, I began to sing the song, “Maria”. (You have to know that when I’m alone, I really can belt out a song!)

The calves were within sight… and I noticed one of them looking up, then another and still another one. One began walking towards me, obviously attracted by the sound of “Maria” (I later named one of the calves “Maria”! LOL). These calves loved to hear me sing!

Since calves generally stick together in a group / herd, once one started walking towards me, the others soon followed!

Wow! I felt like the Pied-Piper of Hamlin!

If they stopped, I would sing all the louder… and closer and closer they came, their eyes glued to me…

Sounds funny to you, I’m sure… and it still sounds funny to me… but from henceforth I rarely had to go any further than the nice, flat, grassy top of that hill to “bring the calves back down to the barn!”

Such a moo…ving story, don’t you agree?

Would you like to hear more stories from my life?