Moo-ving reminder of total solar eclipse
Kingston-area calf born on day of celestial spectacle sports crescent-shaped marking
The Carey family was in for a surprise last week when a brand-new calf revealed itself with a special facial marking mirroring a oncein-a-lifetime celestial event.
On the day that the moon fully darkened the sun during a total solar eclipse — the first of its kind in the Kingston area for nearly 700 years — a Holstein heifer gave birth to a young female calf with a crescent-shaped marking on her forehead.
“I noticed it, but then the next day, I thought, `Wow, that's really cool,' ” Laura Carey, one of the owners of Carey Acres in Inverary, told Postmedia on Saturday.
Laura's son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Jill, also farm the property, where they milk approximately 65 dairy cows.
“She wasn't born during the eclipse, but earlier that day,” Matt said, confirming that the little heifer would eventually become part of the farm's milking herd.
Matt and Jill and their three sons — five-year-old Sullivan, three-year-old Macauley and twoyear-old Patterson — watched the eclipse on April 8 from their farm, with the clouds parting just in time for the family to witness totality and the darkness that fell as the
I noticed it, but then the next day, I thought, `Wow, that's really cool.'
moon's shadow was cast over the region for more than three minutes.
Later they learned about their new calf, which the three boys have fun interacting with.
Laura shared the image on social media, and the farm's veterinary clinic also posted the photo, both of which received plenty of likes and shares.
“We've got enough bad stuff, we need some cute stuff,” Laura said.