Would this make you smile?
“Some little thing in my brain stretched, and twisted, and turned until I was pulling all kinds of things from the dark corners of my studio, and this was the result.” Karen (of Stone Soup- KarenSameNow)
(Mindo Ecuador) One can allow unexpected challenges to ruin one’s day (or night) or one can try to find the humor in frustrating moments. With Barbara around, it’s easy to burst out laughing instead of wanting to shout with frustration! My friend Peter (bird guide and electrician) saw my hand-scrawled note and burst out laughing!
“Does she really expect me to move when there’s delicious grass on the property?”
Yes, my brain stretched and twisted and decided that a quickly-drawn illustration might best describe the cattle’s destructive tour of the gardens and trails! The note needed few words to deliver the message to the owner of the cows.
Every time we tried to herd the cows back to the gate, where they’d found a weak part in the barbed-wire fence, they bolted to deeper and difficult-areas to reach in the old pasture areas. At night they tipped back to the yard in order to raid the hibiscus, the orchids and the impatiens.
The Scout
At one in the morning, we were sitting in the truck waiting to ambush them if they returned, as they had sent a scout to see if we were sleeping. Half an hour earlier, I peered out the bedroom window to see a peeping-cow staring back at me!
They finally gave up, but at 7 in the morning they were back. We herded them toward the gate, where I had taped a note to the owner of the cattle. One cow inspected the note and sampled it – YOW! STOP THAT, SILLY COW!
“There’s no seasoning on this note, and it’s not very tasty.”
We laughed.
The heifer meandered to the gap in the fence and sauntered out with the others. Barb laughed when I said, “He’s eating my note!” After the cattle finally decided to pester the next neighbor up the road, Barbara and I found very-creative options for repairing the fence.
Four strands of pretty-tight barbed wire plus a crown of bamboo will keep the cows on the right side of the fence!
Barb can now add fence mending to her fast-growing list of talents!
Please visit Karen’s blog and enjoy last week’s Timeout for Art and her highly-original creations. Karensamenow
This post is scheduled to be published on Thursday morning, and we will be back in town at some time during the weekend. See you then! Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Lisa, you captured the stubbornness of a cow in your first picture. Me, move? Nice work, Keith
This post really made me smile and brought back so many memories – one involving frozen cow dung, a brother with a bad temper and many stitches in my head lol I will save that for a visit! 🙂 I miss you!
YES, with Barb around there is always an adventure to bring good laughs!!! This post is hilarious (though I know very frustrating to you!).
🙂 1
I went over to the Brazoria wildlife refuge last weekend, and lo! there were cows all over the road into the refuge. I stopped at the visitors’ center and said, “There are cows on the road.” Deep sigh from the staff. “We know,” said one. “They’ve been around for a week. We’ve talked to the rancher, we’ve called the sheriff, we’ve tried herding them. But, every time we think we have them run off, they come back for the tasty grasses we’re growing here. They aren’t stupid.”
And there you have it. From your photos, I’d say your cows are very smart indeed. That looks like pretty tasty stuff! But they need to stay elsewhere, and I think your neat bamboo and barbed wire fence might encourage them to do just that.
Thanks for all of the things that you put in your posts. You are a blessing.
Your post reminded me of a time someone left the gate open at the fairgrounds in Craig, Colorado and cattle roamed out onto the city streets. Here I was a young patrolman from New York trying to herd cattle back up the road into the fenced area. Luckily I had watched lots of westerns as a kid, so I had the, “Heee-Yaaaah!” down pat.
Keep smiling and sharing your great posts. We love you!
Oh yes I know all about cows and how stubborn they can be, hope the fence keeps them out.
Z. This really made me smile bringing back memories of my incidents with cattle in the garden in sussex. Lots of best wishes James