Random Good

Bovine Escapees

Random Good

A head first appeared through the slats.  Then a neck, followed by shoulders and front legs.  It was difficult to tell exactly what was happening in the beginning of it all.  Yet, the long sightline of white parallel vinyl slats, punctuated by vertical posts served to highlight that protruding head.  It was all right in a perfect line until that first head popped through.

The head was followed by the whole body.  And, in no time at all, more heads, shoulders, legs, tummies and tails walked through the now wide gap in the fence.  The whole heard of cows was on the move!  At first, they milled around the west side of the road eating the abundant plant life there.  As their numbers grew, the area outside the fence, where they roamed grew as well.

Of course, it was a calf who ventured to the road first.  She was curious.  You see, Hairy Pupper and I had walked up to the marauding herd.  The calf wanted to check us out, just as much as we wanted to check her out. And, check her back into the field where she belonged too!

We tried to coax the herd back through the gap in the fence.  But, It was just too much for one person and one small pup to do alone.  It seemed as if all we were accomplishing was to scatter the cows wider.  We needed help, but it was morning’s dawn, about 6:30 in the day’s early light!

I looked just past the end of the white grid, through the light’s inception, to see Tevita Tilini walking toward us and the disbursing herd.  Then, I looked to the north to see Maryann Tillery walking out of her driveway.  Soon, there were six humans and one little dog amassed and working together in an effort to corral the cows until “he” came.

His shoulders were huge, seemingly as wide as he was tall!  And, like all bulls, he walked with an air of confidence and command.  So much so that when he decided to break through our porous line, in a fierce trot toward the Oquirrah Mountains, his leadership was confirmed causing Tevita and I give chase through one field, right up to its eastern fence.  That’s where he turned north to walk right through an electric fence surrounding a herd of sheep.

The sheep scattered, as sheep do, and flocked together in a panicked run toward safety.  The bull ran in the opposite direction until he came to another side of the electric fence.  He’d learned his lesson when he crossed the electrified fence the first time, so he slowed, hesitated and hopped over the wires carefully so he could join the rest of his herd, his circle complete. 

Our human half circle was once again established and we slowly urged the herd through the gap in their home fence. 

A head first appeared through the gap.  Then a neck, followed by shoulders and front legs.  It was difficult to tell exactly what was happening in the beginning of it all.  Yet, the long sightline of white parallel vinyl slats, punctuated by vertical posts served to highlight that protruding head.  It was all in a perfect line until that first head popped through.

The head was followed by the whole body.  And, in no time at all, more heads, shoulders, legs, tummies and tails walked through the now wide gap in the fence.  The whole heard of cows was on the move!  At first, they milled around on the inside edge of their home field eating the abundant plant life there.  As their numbers grew, the area inside the fence, where they roamed grew as well.

We slid the fence slats back into place, talked for a few minutes and expressed gratitude for each other’s willingness to come to help.  It was a random group, doing one small, random act of good, just to help a neighbor in need. 

Participate in random acts of good!