Monday Morning after Jazz Fest

Lola la Vaca

It was early Monday morning after Jazz Fest, when Armando phoned and told us that they had found Lola la Vaca dead from post-op complications, probably an infection. Her still-born calf was buried last Easter Sunday. One week later, on May 2nd, they buried Lola. Everybody thought that she was on the mend, recovering from the major surgery; Armando was giving her antibiotic shots everyday and she was beginning to eat again.

Finding her suddenly dead on Monday morning shocked and saddened everybody. Lola was a sweet Jersey-mix cow and, thanks to her, we learned how to make yoghurt and cheese, even starting to work with her natural bacteria. This third calf was highly anticipated – soon Lola would share a little of her milk with us again! Now we have to rethink everything.

Little Gerry

Lola is survived by her two calves, Negrito and Little Gerry. Little Gerry was born on Gerry’s birthday last March. He will continue living an idyllic pastoral life until November, when he won’t even know what stunned him; and then to the freezer (Little Gerry that is, not Gerry…). So, by the end of the year, we will no longer have cows living at Finca El Tigre. My experiment with dairy cows is coming to a close.

Fortunately, the other animals are all okay. The chickens are doing well, after many struggles keeping them safe from forest predators (as well as that big, untrained puppy, Zincy). The horses have adapted to forest living and are doing very well indeed.

And now, the rain has begun again in Costa Rica, which signals the busiest time of the year for planting. We are putting in more sugar cane, chicasquil, bananas, fruit trees and herbaceous edibles. In general, despite all the challenges of gardening in the Tropics, it’s still a lot easier - and less upsetting - than animal husbandry. This is something I have learned the hard way.