Bovine Two-Step

Lately, the cows have been coming up with new, different and exciting was of pushing my buttons.

First - Stew, decided to climb the fence to steal mom's milk, and drain her for the morning milking. I never did find the spot where he escaped, but he was out with Daisy the next morning. After that, I decided that he could spend the night in the barn.

This made for very unhappy cows, which gives them time, opportunity, and MOTIVE to dream up things to annoy the Hillbilly.

Yesterday, I separated Stew in the afternoon, and put him in with Belle, in the other pasture. Mom and Mabel were out in the driveway, chewing things I already had mowed. Daisy went back to the barn for a drink, and Mabel opened the gate and snuck into Belle's pasture to feed Stew.

I guess Daisy was the decoy....

I couldn't get Mabel to come in, so she missed supper last night. This morning, she was waiting at the gate to make SURE she didn't miss breakfast.

Today, we get a phone call at about 3:00 pm. It was a neighbor telling me that his wife spotted two cows out on walk about down the road north of our driveway.

Naturally, it was raining....

I got to the road and found that the two wayward bovine had broken a couple of wires and squeezed out between a panel and a post. I spotted them about 300 yards down the hill towards the creek, happily munching on grass.

I zoomed on by so I could turn the truck around in a field entrance, and headed back to where the girls were. They saw me and - oddly enough - started heading back up the hill.

Things were going fine until they came to a field entrance to a neighbor's corn. I figured they'd grab the opportunity to indulge themselves in the corn - especially when they turned the corner, and headed on in.

This made me get out in the rain and herd them back to the road. Luckily, they only made it into the field, but not to the corn. They knew they were had, so they trudged on up the hill toward our drive. I got them turned into the driveway and headed toward the barn. Of course, when I opened the lower gate to drive through, Mabel decided to make her move, and headed for the gate - and freedom in the front yard.

I think she was actually amazed that I cut her of at the pass, and closed the gate in her face.

I got things patched up, and the escapees back to where they belonged, just as the rain quit.

Intermingled with this - over the past few days these two con artists have been coming up with new ways to mooch cookies. They finish their food, then stand there, refusing to leave until they get goodies. Then they stop after turning around, to wait for cookies, THEN, they expect them when they leave the milk room.

Daisy also has decided that she wants to take her time exiting the barn - she'll take two steps, then fidget, scratch, or sling her head after flies - even if they aren't there. It's amazing - she comes RUNNING in to eat, but refuses to exit - even with me poking her.

It's two steps and a swat, two steps and a swat, two steps and a swat.....

The whole routine reminds me of that song by Lynyrd Skynyrd.....

Gimme THREE steps, gimme three steps, gimme three steps toward the door.....

If ONLY....