RIP Panda

My cow Panda passed away last month. She had a good long life. I got her when I was young. The first picture I have of her was taken in May of 1994 when I was 8 years old. So she had to have been at least 20 years old. The average life span of a cow is 10-15 years. 

She was very kind and gentle, allowing me to feed her and pet her as a child. A favorite treat was ice cold pears. I would pick them from our pear tree in the yard and put them in the garage fridge before giving them to her. I also made my cows "salads" when I was a girl. I would mix up different types of grasses and leaves to serve them.

Over the years, she has held a special place in my heart. I am especially thankful for the memories of her with my boys. Southern and Remington were able to go out to feed her bread many times. She was very slow by then, so we made sure to drive the Mule up close to her so she wouldn't have to travel far. 

Panda and her calf back in May of 1994

Southern and Remington feeding the cows (Panda is right behind Southern's head) in May of 2013

Feeding the cows with D-dad, Joyce, and Kate

Pretty Panda