First calf, Palmers

I've never quite understood why our local dairy farmers schedule the arrival of the new crop of Holstein calves to begin around Valentine's Day, but things don't quite work the same in the agricultural world as they do amongst humans. I'm reasonably sure that pregnancy in the local dairy cows depends on the arrival of the artificial inseminater and not an encounter with an ardent bull, so the birth of the black and white young'uns has nothing whatsoever to do with chance... or the dutiful application of flowers, chocolates, a good dinner, soft music, and fine wine (which, in our species at least, also involves a large element of chance to achieve its, ahem, desired result). Anyway, the Holsteins have started to arrive, and while they're amazingly hardy critters—they did just fine last February, when there was deep cold and at least two feet of snow on the ground—I think they'll benefit this year from the relative warmth. This newborn is enjoying a nap in the sun. Don't worry... Mama is nearby.