Just Another Day on the Farm

There’s never a dull day on the farm. The dogs and I were talking to our neighbor when a young calf decided to come over and play. That would have been fine if Mama Cow had been on board with the playdate. She was not.

I gathered the dogs and we started toward the house. The calf decided that would be a great time to chase the dogs. Yes. You read that right. The calf was chasing the dogs. When the dogs scattered, the calf focused on Abby. At 93 lbs. and jet black, Abby does look a little like one of the black calves. I’m not sure the calf realized the difference.

Unfortunately, Mama Cow grew increasingly agitated. The calf chased the dog and she chased the calf. Pretty soon a few more mama cows got involved. Try as she might, Abby couldn’t seem to outrun or outwit the calf. When Sammy, the Australian Shepherd, tried to help, a few of the cows turned on him.

With the cows beginning to stampede, I decided to cut through another field and head toward the closest gate. Abby did what she always does when she’s afraid. She ran straight toward her Mama. That would be me. She brought the calf, Mama Cow and assorted other cows with her. Did I mention that everyone was running straight toward me?

It crossed my mind that I might have to shoot. Yes. I carry a gun and, yes, I know how to use it. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that. As I stood with my back against a fence, I loudly admonished the calf for chasing Abby and Mama Cow for getting so upset about it.

I felt so mean. The little calf just wanted to play. It would have been fine if Mama Cow hadn’t overreacted. The little calf looked so sad. Abby just looked tired. I needed a Diet Coke.

This time when we started toward the gate, the calf stayed behind. That meant Mama Cow and her friends stayed behind as well. I opened the gate and Abby rushed through. Sammy and I followed. Fendley, the baby who usually chases the calves, came through another way. He’d fortunately headed for safety when the cows began to run and charge.

We were quite the droopy bunch as we headed toward the house. It was just another day.

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