Soule: How would you get three calves to Miami? I'll tell you.

Words of wisdom from Cow-Flipper Carole:

Don't use your energy to worry.
Use your energy to create, grow, & heal.

Karl Wiegandt called looking for two small Scottish Highland heifers for his Berry Farm, a busy and lively agritourist attraction. I had the perfect pair for him: two friendly heifers, Rosemary Lynn and Pepper Spice. He wanted a third smallish calf and agreed that the ironically named Titan, a tiny and uber-friendly Belted Galloway steer, would be perfect. Belted Galloways are often called "Oreo Cookies" because of the big white stripe around their middle. We were set -- except that Karl wanted them delivered to Miami, 1,600 miles away.

My regular shipper would deliver to Georgia but not to Florida, and Karl couldn't find a trucker who would pick the calves up in Georgia and drive them to Miami. Karl's Miami agritourism window is brief. He closes his farm after Mother's Day to avoid the summer heat, so he wanted these lovelies pronto.

Google Maps said we could make it from Loudon, N.H., to Miami in 24 hours. Hmm, not impossible. By sharing the driving with husband Bruce, I could leave at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and arrive by 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Easy peasy. Wow, did I get that wrong!

We packed food, water, and bedding straw for the calves, loaded the truck with our stuff, and left Loudon on schedule. In 15 hours were at the massive Kenly 95 Truck Stop near Charlotte, N.C.--just over halfway to Miami. Bruce and I were exhausted and so were the calves. So we fed and watered them, used Kenly's immaculate restrooms, pulled out the pillows and blankets, and slept in the truck. The calves had plenty of room to move around and lie down in the trailer during the trip, but the constant motion of the road was tiring for them, too. So, this was a welcome break for them.

Our trip was slower than Google's forecast because we were pulling a trailer with livestock. We only felt comfortable driving under the speed limit of 70 mph in the South. We got back on the road at 4 a.m.

Just 600 miles from Miami, we stopped at a Waffle House in St. George, S.C. Google Maps promised we'd arrive in Miami by 2 p.m. Really? We'd have to drive 70 mph for nine hours (without bathroom breaks).

What kind of A.I. monster decided on that plan?

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Words of wisdom from Cow-Flipper Carole:
Don't use your energy to worry.
Use your energy to create, grow, & heal.

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, eggs, and other local products. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com. Carole also coaches humans, helping them achieve the impossible a little at a time.