TheCows are Out 1988

John was sleeping in this morning, as he enjoys doing and I was knitting with Sister snuggled at my feet.  It was Jill  who barked and sounded the alarm that something was amiss.  Sister and I both jumped to run see what was going on –  cows – and more cows – outside the fence.

I yelled for John and headed for the garden, clad in a robe with scuffs on my feet and Sister at my heels.  I thought I could turn the entourage around to go toward the open gate I had spied; however, that was not to be. The big bull charged right on by me with his harem following.  As I returned to the house for some shoes and some protection from the cold east wind, I met John on the way out.  By now the cattle were in the woods and headed for what we call
“The Hosmer Place.” By the time Johns feet hit the ground, he was inundated by a too-large flock of chickens, ducks and geese demanding they have their corn first.

We decided the cattle had been out for some time as we saw hoof prints in the road and other signs – which you can imagine –  along the way.  John took a bale of hay to try to lure them back – this technique had worked before, but this time they were not hungry and were not to be fooled.  We were a sight to behold – especially me – robe, tennis shoes and cap, etc.  It reminded me of the Dukes of Hazard’s Boss Hog in “hot pursuit!” It was about this time when Mr. Cecil Croft, on his way to cut wood, stopped to help. John was in the woods, I was stationed at the pear trees to “head them off at the pass,” and Mr. Croft was at yet another location.  Jill, the Australian Shepherd, tried so hard to help, but oft times she gets on the wrong side of the bovine and does more harm than good.  After some cajoling and herding, the ten renegades were back where they belonged.

As we sat on the sun porch, John with his coffee and yours truly sipping a cola, doing what John calls “warming the rocking chairs;”  I remarked, “Gene Lyle’s cows never get out.”  John responded, “Neither does Ellis Anderson’s.”  You see Mr. Lyle and Mr. Anderson do not have cows.  Any cow, though, will eventually walk out at an open gate!  Quite a way to start the day.  It’s definitely country living.