Hello friends 😁
Got to get back and here is another community challenge to get inspiration with. Been thinking what to share and this pops up.
Comment your entry at the challenge page by our dear admin's post. Let me read about your pets or your wish pet soon. Tell why you like or love it in the long run. Is having it easy or a way of life? What challenges have you experience having them. I am pretty sure it is not an accident that you have them. Simply put, it is meant to be. Let me share with you ours.
ASEAN Hive Community Challenge 👨💻 #9 - 🐇🐠 Share Your Pets With ASEAN Hive
I will take this moment to honor our last pet carabao and her newly born male calf.
This is the last picture of the Mama Carabao that my Tatay owned. This was his pet and partner in the field plowing. I might not call it mine, so you may say this couldn't be a show me your own pet entry. But when a father owns Carabao, you can say that his kids or children may call it as theirs too.
Perhaps you are familiar with this kind of animal. A domestic own beast that is essential for a farmer like my Tatay. His partner in preparation for the soil to be viable for planting crops. All his younger life, up until he get old. This is his last carabao. I may not say last because who knows if one day, he will buy or care for another but I doubt it. He is becoming older and so he must rest. Having carabao is twin with being tenacious and being responsible enough to be there and not forget even for a day in caring for them. If you fail and forget that you have this beast to wake up to early in the morning, up until at the afternoon, then you will dome to lose them. I may say these kind of animal needs times of your day, every single day. They couldn't stay in the sun to much, they will get sick. Of course the domesticated one, not the wild. I haven't heard today if there is a wild carabao. They are well adapted to having human in there life.
Early in the morning before the sun get too harsh, my father has to wake up. Drunk his corn coffee and dipping newly bake pandesal. After that he would sharpen his 'Sundang' to get ready for the mountains. He would bring the carabao to the grassy hill to eat. The jews on the weeds, touched his face as he held the rope after the strong dam. Walking as fast as it could to reach the grazing hills. The newly born calf followed. The mother carabao would munch, it didn't even knew how to stop. Tatay would hold the end of the rope and be at the side. Sometimes he tied it on tree trunk or branch. It is a must that it is tied with a rope, they don't spare any kinds of green. They will eat everything green, and if there are farms of corn or rice near it then it is a must to be mindful not to let the carabao near without the rope to stop it from reaching the farm and unknowingly eating it all.
Complete details of what Carabao is.
If my Tatay brought the carabao down near our house, my Nanay took turned to bring it in a grassy part. Carabao likes to eat carabao grass. Its abundant near our house. Maybe that is where the grass got its name because they seems the favorite of the Carabaos. Carabaos likes the water, hence they are also called water buffalo. After eating, and being full with all the greens he could munch, we tied at the streams side. They would love to stay put in the water, until the next eating time. If its time to work on the field, Tatay would tie the yoke in its neck and walked to and fro the mud driving the Carabao to walk and pull the plow until the soil gotten soft. It was all hard work and teamwork both of them.
I love having Carabao growing up. It always amazed me it followed Tatays demand. There lifespan could reach many years depending on how you care for them. The baby carabao was given to the real owners. It was an 'alima' system which one could have one when the owner lets you care for a Mama Carabao and eventually take a part of it when it becomes pregnant and successfully deliver another. The first calf goes to the owner and the next would be for the borrower. That last one Mama Carabao was gone due to the supertypoon Odette. The coconut tree fell into it and sadly unable to escape. So, my Tatay couldn't have one for there is no next pregnancy. That was the hardest part, losing them and letting go. It was a heartbreak 💔 seeing it ended like that.
But anyways, there are reasons for everything. Tatay miss them and I miss them too. I took part of caring for it. I liked to ride on its back while it was busy eating. Tatay even said what if he would buy other one, but I said not anymore or maybe not now. Well, they are quite expensive, ranging from 15k to 20k or more pesos. Not easy to acquire and not easy to care.