Mozarella - total failure

I made my first mozarella and it was a total failure. All I got was a whole bunch of whey and some very small curds. No ball.
Everything was going well until the step where I was supposed to put the curds in the microwave to melt and stretch them. Since I don't have a microwave, I went with the alternative option of working the curds in hot water. Very hot, 172F. I couldn't really do it with my hands, and I was working with two spoons, but basically my curds desintegrated and where I was supposed to get a ball shaped thing, I got some really small curds, all separate, and a whole bunch of white watery liquid.
Oh well.
I'm not giving up yet, though. I'm going to get some rubber gloves so I can work with my hands in hot water next time, and I'm going to try another recipe.
In the meantime, since I can't bare waisting a full gallon of that beautiful milk I started with, I'm eating the minuscule curds myself (in soup), and I plan to use the whey in cooking and to make ricotta. I know I can get that to work, since my last ricotta came out great.

Cow news:
The cows are getting more comfortable on our farm. They're both coming out of their stalls now and spending the day outside eating hay and the little one even eats the grass she digs out of the snow.
We've been doing a lot of reading and learning about cow training, and cow behavior, stuff like how to read their body language, what different postures mean, etc. We want to treat them right and be tuned into their signals, and at the same time we must make sure that we and the kids are safe around them, since they do weigh 600 pounds.

Opal was getting somewhat pushy with Aiyana, so we had to learn how to be more assertive with her. Basically, what we're finding is that they really need to know who's in charge, because that's how they work in a herd situation, and if we don't make it very clear that we're in charge, they will think they are and be pushy. Opal wasn't bad at all, she just nudged Aiyana sideways with her head, but it doesn't take much for such a large animal to hurt someone much smaller. So, after checking in with their ex-family and doing a whole bunch of reading, we've been much more clear about our personal boundaries with both cows, and we're working on training them to obey our direction. It's all very interesting, and the learning curve for us is really steep right now.

Tomorrow, our good friends T, C, and K are coming to help us halter and lead the cows. These guys are great at working with animals, since they have their own goats, chickens, rabbits, and horse. The horse was pretty wild when they started to work with him, but now he's much more tame, so I'm sure they'll be helping us with some of their techniques.

All that being said, we are so lucky to have found Opal and Jasmine. They're both so friendly, and good-tempered, and easy to work with. And, they're fun. I have to admit that before getting them, I was mostly focused on what they'd give us, i.e. milk and soil fertility. I didn't realize how much I'd like them for who they are. I really enjoy going out there and being around them, cleaning their stall, bringing them hay and water. It doesn't feel like a chore, at least not yet, more like a good opportunity to get outside and get some fresh air and quiet time. There's an air of peace and tranquility and well being around them, and I can see why they're revered in some parts o the world. They give us so much, and ask for so little in return. They feed us, make our soil fertile so we can grow our crops, and they multiply. Cows were a symbol of wealth in the past, and although that is no longer the case given the way we think of wealth, in my world, they still are, and I feel more secure now that we've got them.

Peace