You know, I sure wouldn't like to be a cow in heat with half a dozen bull calves and at least one full grown bull following me around....but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Of course, everything is in God's providential timing, but sometimes we notice things more than others. The thing I have in mind today started like this: I noticed that the cows at the water trough were sticking their heads awfully far down into the trough to drink. Being concerned, as we've had problems recently with that trough, I went out to investigate. The float valve was working, though filling very slowly; I guess the cows have just been particularly thristy today. I don't know...anyway, I'll check it later when I feed the animals.
I decided that I had better slip on out to the trap to see if the trough out there was working--just in case something was wrong. As I headed off to check (that trough was just fine, by the way), I looked up and made eye contact with a black bull. I took a second look since he didn't look right. It was then I noticed the yellow 'earring' hanging out of his ear. Um...that is NOT our bull.
When I got back from checking the trap trough, I dashed in, grabbed my socks and my cellphone, hit my speed dial for Daddy, and started washing off my gritty feet. While talking to Daddy, I put my socks and boots on and grabbed some earplugs. Then I poked my head into Savannah's room, told her what was up, and headed for the tractor.
Daddy told me to take the tractor rather than the truck because the cows wouldn't get all excited with the tractor whereas they would have with the truck (because that means FOOD!! and I haven't any.) I hopped on the tractor and headed out to the east to check the fences. The only fence damage I saw had already been there for a while, so I went on around and through the pens. I closed the west gate (I was actually planning on doing that when I rode Snip tomorrow). Bouncing along towards the south pasture, I began to wonder if my knees where going to get sunburnt...I like this jumper a lot for slouching around the house, but it is a tad short for tractor work.
Anyway, like Daddy told me, I tried to herd said strange bull along to the pens. The long and the short of it is, it didn't work. The cow in heat kept circling back and naturally, he kept following her. I got off the tractor after the last failed attempt to get him (them) to go east and called Daddy. He agreed that I might as well quit [wasting desiel--my thought]...so I put the tractor away. Daddy was going to call around to the neighbors and see whom Mr. 295 (the number on the ear tag) belonged to and tell them that if they wanted their bull back before Wednesday (working cows Wednesday anyway), that they would have to come help me pen him. So far, I haven't heard back from him.
I believe this is the kind of situation we could call, "getting one's ox out the ditch"...I don't usually do this kind of work on Sunday, but sometimes it is called for.
And all that from a cows ears poking out the water trough...
Of course, everything is in God's providential timing, but sometimes we notice things more than others. The thing I have in mind today started like this: I noticed that the cows at the water trough were sticking their heads awfully far down into the trough to drink. Being concerned, as we've had problems recently with that trough, I went out to investigate. The float valve was working, though filling very slowly; I guess the cows have just been particularly thristy today. I don't know...anyway, I'll check it later when I feed the animals.
I decided that I had better slip on out to the trap to see if the trough out there was working--just in case something was wrong. As I headed off to check (that trough was just fine, by the way), I looked up and made eye contact with a black bull. I took a second look since he didn't look right. It was then I noticed the yellow 'earring' hanging out of his ear. Um...that is NOT our bull.
When I got back from checking the trap trough, I dashed in, grabbed my socks and my cellphone, hit my speed dial for Daddy, and started washing off my gritty feet. While talking to Daddy, I put my socks and boots on and grabbed some earplugs. Then I poked my head into Savannah's room, told her what was up, and headed for the tractor.
Daddy told me to take the tractor rather than the truck because the cows wouldn't get all excited with the tractor whereas they would have with the truck (because that means FOOD!! and I haven't any.) I hopped on the tractor and headed out to the east to check the fences. The only fence damage I saw had already been there for a while, so I went on around and through the pens. I closed the west gate (I was actually planning on doing that when I rode Snip tomorrow). Bouncing along towards the south pasture, I began to wonder if my knees where going to get sunburnt...I like this jumper a lot for slouching around the house, but it is a tad short for tractor work.
Anyway, like Daddy told me, I tried to herd said strange bull along to the pens. The long and the short of it is, it didn't work. The cow in heat kept circling back and naturally, he kept following her. I got off the tractor after the last failed attempt to get him (them) to go east and called Daddy. He agreed that I might as well quit [wasting desiel--my thought]...so I put the tractor away. Daddy was going to call around to the neighbors and see whom Mr. 295 (the number on the ear tag) belonged to and tell them that if they wanted their bull back before Wednesday (working cows Wednesday anyway), that they would have to come help me pen him. So far, I haven't heard back from him.
I believe this is the kind of situation we could call, "getting one's ox out the ditch"...I don't usually do this kind of work on Sunday, but sometimes it is called for.
And all that from a cows ears poking out the water trough...
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