We have just recently moved down the road, and our new house came with cattle. (We are renting this house and it happens to be on 30 acres that the landlords also keep cattle on) There are some curious calves that have been getting out for the past couple of days, and getting into things in general.
A few days ago as we were leaving for church, we discovered on of the calves had gotten inside a barbed wire barrier that was around a tree in the pasture. We figured it would find its way out eventually, and if it didn’t it could certainly wait until after church to be dealt with. He was out by the time we got home.
We took this picture on the phone. I am starting to wonder about the intelligence of cows.
So day before yesterday, I show up to the house and there is a calf running wildly around the house. (Again, out of the pasture) Because I am so brave, I called the landlord in a panic that there was a cow out and on the loose. I think she was amused that I was so freaked out. I hung up the phone, gathered my wits and my nerve and “shoo’d” the calf back into the pasture gate. For those of you that don’t know, I am extremely afraid of any animal that is larger than a cat. One day I might tell you the full story of me swimming with the dolphins and narrowly escaping with my life. (har har)
This morning, I got up and looked outside to see one of the calves with a large black plastic bag in its mouth. I thought to myself, “surely this can’t be good” and I once again called the landlord. I didn’t detect amusement, but more irritation with the fact that I seem to call every few minutes to announce the new antics of the cows. Brian went out to the pasture and rescued the less than brilliant beast from its quandary. As soon as Brian went up to it, it ran for its mommy and dropped the bag. (For the record, we do not use black garbage bags)
All of that brings me to this afternoon. After our older kids arrived home, there was yet another calf out of the pasture. I sent them to close the driveway gate, and then collectively my family and I herded this animal back to the spot in the fence that it escaped from. These animals are quite skittish, it seems. They will come near you if you have feed for them, but beyond that they prefer to be left alone. The bull stares at me menacingly whenever I go near the fence. I think its my red hair. Ole’.
