After The Cows Come Home

These are our cows.  One recent evening, they left the fence area they are supposed to be in.  We were, quite upset at their disappearance.  The only clue we had was a broken fence section.  Now, you need to understand something.  I don't think they planned to escape.  While we were frantically looking everywhere for the girls, I couldn't help but laugh at all the cliche's and sayings that came to mind.  After all, just what time do the cows come home:? 

We had been noticing that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence.  The girls noticed this too, and not being aware of their own strength and weight, they kept pushing on the fence boards,  trying to reach the greener grass.  Eventually the fence boards gave way and the girls could begin to roam as they pleased.  Not far from the fence line the tracks ended.  Did they cross the road.  Why would the Cow cross the road?  To eat the grass on the neighbors yard of course.  But the down side of this possibility was that the neighborhood across the street is made up of very upscale properties with large manicured lawns.  Would the cows differentiate between green pastures and manicured green lawns?  I thought not.  I could picture one of these residents arising the next morning and looking outside and seeing our cows munching away, clearly in cow heaven. 

Our farm is surrounded by many acres of woods so we treked and searched until it became dark.  We saw some footprints in the garden,  I cannot imagine how the cows avoided stepping on the plants but they did.  They clearly were not bulls in a china shop.  No, not our girls. 

About to give up for the night, my son suddenly came upon the girls attempting to exit the woods and head back to the barn area.  Unfortunately, our dog also saw them and thought the best plan was to run up to the cows and bark.  The cows did not appreciate this welcome at all and took off back into the woods.  Since it was now fully dark, we proceeded to block off the driveways with vehicles, hoping to deflect them from leaving the property, if they came out of the woods.  My husband checked a couple of times during the evening but - no cows.

We didn't sleep well, wondering what would happen.  Early the next morning, one of our sons left early for church and stopped by the barn.  The cows were just beginning to head home.  Apparently the taste of freedom was becoming bitter, and it was time for breakfast.  My husband, who is their caretaker usually, went down and they followed him right back into the field.

Apparenly the girls were not worried about their reputation being tarnished by staying out all night.  But just to be a little bit more certain  of their whereabouts, the electric fencing was completed and turned on.  Now the cows stand there testing the shock value.  Really, they do,  And that's no bull.