...all pastures and corrals will be more than 15 feet from my bedroom window. I have posted before about the joys of having cows right next to my bedroom. Last night it was the bull that was the trouble.
As we are using up the last bit of grass in the pastures, we are playing musical pastures with the animals. The bull has been placed in isolation because his "job" is done for the year. Right now there's just a fence separating the bull from his coveted herd of cows. Last night he was vying for their attention and showing off his brute strength. To demonstrate it, he pushed and tossed an empty water trough around the pasture and into the fence. This wouldn't have been much of a bother anywhere else on the place but it just so happened to be next to our bedroom window.
About 11:30 last night I was sleeping peacefully, for once. Ben was up jumping around on the bed, looking out the window and mumbling something about the bull. I was aroused from what was a very deep sleep and was headed out of the bedroom before I fully realized what was going on. Ben apparently wasn't going to be able sleep with the bull trying to impress the ladies with his trough tossing skills. The possibility of the bull wrecking the fence was a motivating factor too.
Since I was dressed and already out of the bedroom I decided to go deal with the situation. I'm admittedly a wimp when it comes to going into a pasture on foot with the cows after the sun goes down. Because I can't see them very well, I'm sure they can't see me very well, and will take it upon themselves to toss me over the fence. This never happens. It's just an unfounded fear I have. I quickly over came my fear of cows in the dark when it meant I either had to be in their pasture or the bull's.
We were spoiled by our last bull. He wanted to be petted and would eat grain out of our hand. The bull we have now is a little less loving but is of higher quality. Oh the trade offs. The fact that he is halter broke doesn't always make up for his macho attitude.
So, now the dilemma was how to get the trough out without tangling with the showoff bull. I thought the cows looked a little more docile and decided to work from their pasture. I reached through the fence and drug the trough along until I reached the gate. This was going well until my pajama pant clad legs touched the electric fence. For a split second I panicked. Then reality set in. The bull had grounded the fence out somewhere so that it no longer worked. Boy was I thankful!
Ben suggested I take the trough as far as the little concrete ditch right next to the gate. "Not in a million years," I thought. If I'm going to get it within three feet of the gate I'm going to haul it all the way out. I wanted to be sure I didn't have to return to the pasture any time soon. I'm sure the bull would see the trough in the ditch as just a little added interest in his show. I did manage to get the trough out with out any physical contact with a bovine animal. It's possible that being awakened from a deep sleep could cause me to be a bit more dramatic about my fear of cows.
We have no plans to build a house, but should we ever, I think I have it figured out how much personal space I need when it comes to the cows! Stay tuned for the weaning of the calves. I'm sure it could prove to be interesting as well.
Here's a shot of Ft. Klamath with the beginning of the Wood River. Someday when I have more money than I know what to do with I will have a cattle ranch here with purebred Black Angus and Polled Hereford. We will spend spring, summer and fall here and the winter in Tulelake. But until then I will enjoy it's beauty a couple of times a year when we drive through. This picture doesn't really do it justice as I was too lazy to put a wide angle lens on my camera.
It was a beautiful drive. We'll have to go a couple of weeks earlier next year. Many of the Aspen trees had already lost their leaves or had been toasted by the frost.
