after birth

That's when I got off. A calf was to be born down on the Alp. The day was grey, high fog enveloped the mountains, you could see maybe two or three metres. I knew the way well and found the Alp without any difficulty. They were sitting down with a coffee, discussing the wolf, which didn't exist here yet, but was in the village further on. When the farmer who owned the cow stormed over and shouted that the legs were already visible. I helped with the birth and a short time later we were all standing in the stable, watching as the blood and mucus-smeared calf lay on the ground and the mother gently licked it. Heavy rain was pelting the roof. Fog was blowing into the stable from the sides.

The next day the farmers would go back down to the valley. Their time up here was over for them. The grass was already yellowish. Only on the steep slopes was it still fully green. That was too dangerous. Last year two cows fell there and broke their legs. The helicopter has to come and get them.

Anyway, I still had some time before I had to go back up. The weather was bad today and would probably stay that way for a few days. I helped to look after the calf, then we carried out the manure. Everything had to be cleaned up after four weeks up here. I stood with the farmer on the steep slope, the heavy manure was piling up in a large wheelbarrow. The high fog thickened, the rain pelted our anoraks, we didn't say a word and spread the manure on the slope. There was something red and slimy between the manure - at first I didn't know what it was. Then it dawned on me. The afterbirth. Everything that cannot be burned, recycled and is plastic is on the manure. He hurled the afterbirth down the slope. It lay there in the thick fog. The fox will come, or a large bird. It won't take long, said the farmer before we went back.

I drank another coffee, then went up to my hut. The wind swept down the slope and the climb was tough, but I was still happy about the steps I was allowed to take. Exhausted, I made a fire, put water on and picked up a book.
How brutal and beautiful everything was up here - at the same time.