Sun, 04 Jul 2004

Moo-Dini

It's been a busy week at Hammerstead, in case you hadn't noticed I've not been posting much. But today is a holiday, and I'm back at the keyboard, trying to catch up on a bunch of stuff.

Our excitement started last Friday, when Kevyn took Peanut to a vacation bible school thing in downtown Lebanon. I'd teased him about taking our Heathen calf to Noah's Ark ... little did we know. Here's the tale from last Saturday's front page of the Lebanon Reporter:

For those who can't read the text without bifocals (like me!), here's the tale:

Kylie Hendry, 8, pets "Peanut," a Scottish Highland calf, at the First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon, Friday morning. Hendry's visit with Peanut occurred shortly after the cow made a quick escape from his pen at the church and led locals on a chase through downtown Lebanon.

Kevin Miller of Thorntown, and Dave and Kris Haxton of Dover, were kind enough to bring a variety of animals to the church in celebration of the last day of a Noah's Arc-themed vacation Bible school week. But Peanut escaped while briefly off his harness and bolted east down Main Street. Church members, Lebanon Utilities workers and the Lebanon Police Department all worked to corral Peanut, before Lebanon Street Department employees eventually caught him near the intersection of Main and Grant streets.

Kevyn had taken off Peanut's halter so a lady could get a better picture of him with her kid: the rope came off, the tail went up and Peanut hit the street running. Past the courthouse, down Main Street and up Meridian until he finally ran into a yard with fence on three sides, and Kevyn (with the aid of the police, the street department and various passers by) was able to corral him! What a hoot! Our "We told you not to take that Heathen cow to church!" taunts and teases to him have been unending... but wait! there's more!

Not content with one escape, we took the now "famous" calf to the Thorntown Market the next day: here's the tale from last Tuesday's Reporter:
'Moodini' does it again!

Peanut, that lovable teddy-bear with hooves, better known as the runaway Highland calf who raised the cardiac rate of several Lebanon residents last week, made another break for freedom at the Thorntown Community Market on Saturday. Making his third public appearance in three days proved to be another chance for Peanut, (now dubbed "Moodini" after Saturday's headline in the Reporter) to get up close and personal with the public on Saturday morning. Kevyn Miller, part owner of Peanut, was able to wrangle the 75-pound two-month old calf under control without incident. Peanut is one of the youngest members of a herd maintained on the Miller Stock Farm.

The breed is prized because of their intelligence and high grade of beef. (This is the only type of beef eaten by the Queen of England.) Miller, who subscribes to multiple tier organic practices in his meat and produce operation, specifically chose this breed because they not only provide a high quality product, but are highly intelligent and are naturally protective of the calves and sheep that share the pasture, making unnecessary to keep guard animals.

When we took Peanut to the farmers market at Trader's Point last Friday, we found folks from Channel 8 and the Star on hand. Our little bottle baby has become something of a local celebrity - and we're milking it (pun intended) for all it's worth!

We'll try to let you know if the TV station puts any video up on the web (but they hardly ever do, and without a TV it's gonna be kinda hard for us to see it live) and when the Star runs it's piece.

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