Some days are better than others.

Some days you just need a good cry.

 

Especially if everything seems to be going wrong.

 

And you haven't slept well. 

 

And on top of that, you are probably PMSing.

Especially if you are PMSing.

One of the two calves we have left has pneumonia. Last week, I went and bought some antibiotics, but after the recommended four-day treatment, it wasn't really getting any better. A little more internet research revealed that the stuff we were giving it wasn't any good for pneumonia, in spite of the claims on the bottle, so this morning, I went to the vet, and they sold me a single shot that is supposed to do the trick.

When I got home, I went out to give Mopey his shot. He didn't want to sit still (who would?) and as I stuck him and pushed in the plunger, I noticed some shiny droplets squirting out of his fur. Great. Instead of sticking the needle under the skin, I had pushed it right through the other side of the fold of skin. To boot, I had grazed my finger with the needle and it was bleeding a little.

I went back to the house, slapped on a bandage, mixed up some milk replacer, fed the calves, then ran back to the vet to get a second shot. This time, I called our neighbor to have some help holding the calf while I administered the shot. While fumbling with the syringe (the needle kept pulling off the syringe when I tried to remove the cap), I pricked a different finger. But we managed to pull up a different fold of skin on the calf (which isn't easy), and with blood dripping off my finger, I gave him the shot... and saw it squirting out. Again.

So after my neighbor went home, I let myself cry. Zivah watched me for a while. Then she started to tear up, and said, "Why do you keep crying?" "Because Mom is having a bad day," I said. And cried a little more. Which really made Z cry (poor thing). So I poured a cup of coffee, pulled myself together, and told myself that some day (hopefully tomorrow) I will look back and laugh. This is the Funny Farm after all.