Cows Are Funny

Living in an agricultural community has really been fun. I enjoy driving the kids to school and seeing the crops growing and cattle grazing. One spring afternoon, I was driving my youngest daughter home from school. As we rode by one of the larger cattle farms, my daughter looked out the window at the cows. "Look at that Mama", she said, "one of those cows is giving the other cow a piggy-back ride". Needless to say, there are many miracles of life that we are witnessing first hand.

Cows are funny animals. And they seem to get out of their fenced-in areas often. Last year when my parents came to visit, Mom looked out the window and said that I had company. Down the driveway came someone's longhorn cows. They circled the house, had a bite to eat and then headed home. A few days later when the kids and I got home from school, my youngest said "they're under the porch". I thought she was talking about our cats. But sure enough, the cows had been hanging around in the cool shade. I shooed them away, and reluctantly, they went home.

From time-to-time, we work with my husband's family on their farm. A few years ago, we were helping move cattle from one field to another, and the distance was far enough that we had to use a cattle trailer. We all got into a a big semi-circle around the cows and herded them toward the pen. Once they were loaded onto the trailer and then delivered to the new field, we went for the next load. When we returned to the new field, the first group of cows were walking back on the street, parade style (I guess they weren't happy with their new home). The girls and I got of the truck and herded them back in the right direction. I wish someone could have video taped us running down the street, chasing the cows with the truck right behind us. It's one of those things that you don't really picture yourself doing.